The Sound Transit Executive Committee had a special meeting today to make its CEO hiring recommendation to the full board. After more than an hour of closed-door executive session, “Candidate C” came out on top in a unanimous 7-0 vote, though that person’s identity apparently will not be revealed until the full board meeting at 1:30pm on March 27.
“Based on the committee’s action, Claudia Balducci, Ryan Mello, and myself will meet with and meet with the candidate to negotiate an employment agreement, including the salary and benefits, with the goal of having a negotiated employment agreement for the board to consider at the March board meeting, which is at least two weeks away,” Sound Transit executive committee chair Dave Somers said at the conclusion of today’s meeting.
The race has been dominated by the candidacy of King County Executive Dow Constantine, who has been a Sound Transit boardmember for 16 years. The identity of the other candidates has not been revealed, but Constantine is among the finalists.
Sound Transit argued this secrecy is necessary to attract candidates, who would generally not want current employers knowing they’re seeking other opportunities. Even Constantine’s bid was not made public until Somers, who is Snohomish County Executive, spilled the beans to the Seattle Times.
Critics have argued Constantine has a conflict of interest in seeking a $675,000 position while sitting on the board making that decision. King County’s executive has been looking for his next landing spot after announcing he would not be seeking reelection to a firth term this fall.
In an interview with The Urbanist, Constantine pushed back on the idea that a conflict of interest exists, arguing that he has followed the guidance given by Sound Transit’s legal counsel, which largely amounts to recusing himself from the vote and deliberations. Constantine also seemed frustrated that Somers had revealed his CEO bid, though rumors had long been swirling in political circles.
On the other hand, those opposing his bid have pointed out he has appointed half of Sound Transit board through his powers as King County Executive. County Executives appoint their county’s delegation by choosing from local elected officials, and King County has 10 seats on the 18-member board.
Moreover, two King County Councilmembers sitting on the board — Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay — have announced runs to succeed him as executive and Constantine’s endorsement could potentially swing the race. This could make it hard for them to oppose Constantine’s CEO bid without suffering political consequences. For the candidates’ part, they say aren’t not seeking or planning an endorsement.
“I am not seeking Dow’s endorsement, and he has made it clear that he is not endorsing anyone in the race for County Executive,” Zahilay told The Urbanist. “I do not plan to recuse myself from the Sound Transit CEO vote. I look forward to seeing who the executive hiring committee nominates for our review.”
Balducci sits on the executive committee and made the motion to nominate Candidate C, whoever that may be, indicating she does not intend to recuse herself from the hiring vote either. Balducci declined to comment, saying she will respect the confidentiality of the process Sound Transit and its recruiting contractor have outlined.
Seattle Subway and the Seattle Transit Riders Union (TRU) have been among the transit advocacy groups that have opposed Constantine’s candidacy. TRU sent a letter last month asking for a more transparent process.
“Sound Transit is following the RCW and its own processes, and we respect that, but nothing from prevents the agency and board from going above and beyond,” TRU’s Wes Mills said during public comment Tuesday. “The service Sound Transit provides is critical to our region and the TRU membership, like many TRU members, I don’t drive and all of us need a transit system that is reliable and efficient and safe and fast, the next Sound Transit CEO will be responsible for delivering all of that and more to transit riders, and the process for selecting such a person should reflect the level of importance Sound Transit brings to the region.”
The shrouded process thus far hasn’t met the mark, TRU has argued.
“As TRU has said, we respect and support Dow Constantine, and this is simply too big of an ask and too big of a decision to make quietly or just internally,” Mills said. “The public input and feedback around all of other work Sound Transit has done has been extensive and visible, and choosing an important leader should be no different.”
Seattle Subway’s criticism struck on a similar theme even more pointedly, as it testified at an executive committee meeting last week. At that meeting, the committee ended up punting the decision to today’s meeting.
“We ask you one last time to consider the consequences of selecting Executive Dow Constantine” Seattle Subway spokesperson David Scott said last week. “Although you have reiterated that your lawyers tell you that there is no conflict of interest here, according to Sound Transit ethics code, is that really a line you want to tow? Will your constituents, your riders, your taxpayers, see things that way? Are you willing to defend that position to state and federal auditors? How about legislators? Do you really want to force that conversation every single time this agency applies for grants on an individual level, especially those of you from King County, how would Dow Constantine as CEO affect your working relationships with him and the broader agency?”
Practical hurdles to Constantine taking the helm also exist. Interim CEO Goran Sparrman has made it clear his last day will be May 15, but Constantine’s term isn’t over until the end of the year. Would Constantine step down early to take over as CEO? He hasn’t said. If not, who would handle interim CEO duties until Constantine can start? Also unclear.
It could be that Constantine has fallen out of favor as the pick, but if the board does select him, many pesky details remain to be sorted out to ensure a smooth transition — and the public will only be hearing about proposed fixes as the board is taking the hiring leap.
Board members acknowledged the task before the next CEO will be very challenging, with references to “headwinds” and “choppy waters.” Sound Transit was dealing with tight budgets and ballooning costs even before the Trump Administration took over and immediately set to work slowing down transit approvals and grants and threatening the agency’s delicately balanced financial plan.
Whether the next CEO is up to the task weighs hugely on the future of transit in the greater Seattle region.
Doug Trumm is publisher of The Urbanist. An Urbanist writer since 2015, he dreams of pedestrian streets, bus lanes, and a mass-timber building spree to end our housing crisis. He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington in 2019. He lives in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood and loves to explore the city by foot and by bike.
