Ketchikan fails to reach agreement with city manager candidate

Ketchikan City Council could not reach agreement with Glen Adams, the selected city manager candidate, after an executive session Friday to negotiate employment terms.

The council met in executive session to discuss the contract for the combined city manager and Ketchikan Public Utilities general manager position. Adams rejected the council's final offers, the mayor said.

Ketchikan City Council selected Adams in a 6-1 vote April 26 after nearly five hours of interviews and executive session. The council had planned to continue contract negotiations and bring a final contract back for consideration. The recruitment materials placed the starting salary for the combined role at $223,000, with compensation negotiable based on qualifications and experience.

The mayor thanked council members for their work on the negotiations. "I'd like to thank all the councilmen for their due diligence and hard work in this matter. It's not easy," the mayor said. "I'd like to thank Mr. Adams and the candidate I'm very happy and pleased to meet him, and it was unfortunate we couldn't come to an agreement."

The council has given staff direction on next steps following the failed negotiations. The city has been recruiting for the top administrative post since early 2026.