The mayor of Kennewick, WA is Jason McShane, who also holds the Ward 1, Position 1 seat on the city council.1City of Kennewick. City Council Kennewick does not elect its mayor directly. The city runs on a council-manager form of government, so the seven elected council members pick one of their own to serve as mayor, and a professionally appointed city manager runs the city’s day-to-day operations.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13.030 – Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or Chair of the Council Chuck Torelli serves as mayor pro tem and steps in when McShane is absent.
How Kennewick Picks Its Mayor
Kennewick is a code city under Title 35A of the Revised Code of Washington and follows the council-manager plan in RCW 35A.13.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13 – Council-Manager Plan of Government Residents never see a mayoral line on the ballot. They vote for council candidates, and once those council members are seated, the council elects a mayor from within its own membership.
The vote happens at the meeting where newly elected members are first seated, and then again at the first meeting of each even-numbered year.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13.030 – Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or Chair of the Council Washington holds its municipal elections in odd-numbered years, so the timing lets the council reorganize leadership shortly after new members arrive. The mayor’s term is two years, and the person selected keeps the title until a successor is elected and qualified. At the same meeting, the council designates a mayor pro tem for a matching two-year term.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13.035 – Mayor Pro Tempore
What the Mayor Actually Does
The mayor presides over council meetings. That means running the agenda, keeping order during debate, and signing ordinances, resolutions, and other documents the law requires a signature on.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13.030 – Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or Chair of the Council Outside the chamber, the mayor is the city’s ceremonial head: ribbon cuttings, community events, and the designated point of contact for the governor on matters of military law.
What the mayor does not have is extra legislative power. The mayor votes on ordinances and resolutions with the same single vote every other council member casts, and holds every right and privilege of a regular member, nothing more.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13.030 – Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or Chair of the Council There is no veto. A signature on an ordinance reflects the council’s collective decision, not the mayor’s independent approval.
Mayor vs. City Manager: Who Runs Kennewick?
This is where most people get tripped up. The mayor chairs meetings and represents the city in public. The city manager runs it. Under RCW 35A.13.080, the city manager is the chief executive and administrative officer, overseeing every department and the people who work in them, enforcing city ordinances, managing contracts, and preparing the annual budget for council review.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13.080 – City Manager, Powers and Duties
The separation is legally enforced. Neither the council as a whole, nor an individual member, nor the mayor can direct the city manager to hire or fire anyone. Council members who want something addressed in a city department have to go through the manager rather than giving orders to department heads.6Washington State Legislature. RCW 35A.13.120 – Council Not to Interfere in Appointments or Removals The one exception is open discussion during public council sessions, where members can talk with the manager about personnel and operations in front of everyone.
Budget authority follows the same split. The city manager prepares and submits the proposed budget each year. The council, with the mayor voting as one member of seven, adopts it. The mayor can argue for priorities during deliberations but cannot direct spending or override what the council decides.
If the Mayor’s Seat Opens Up
Because the mayor is a council member first, losing the mayor usually means losing a council member. If a council member resigns, moves out of the district, or otherwise leaves office, the remaining members have ninety days to appoint a replacement.7Washington State Legislature. RCW 42.12.070 – Filling Vacancies The appointee serves until the next regular city election, when voters choose someone to finish the remainder of the original term. In the interim, the mayor pro tem takes over the presiding duties, and the council can elect a new mayor from its current members once things settle.
Voters can also initiate a recall, but the grounds are narrow. Washington law limits recall petitions to malfeasance, misfeasance, or a willful violation of the oath of office, and the petition has to describe the specific conduct in detail under oath.8Washington State Legislature. RCW 29A.56.110 – Initiating Proceedings, Statement, Contents, Verification, Definitions Policy disagreements and unpopular votes do not qualify.