PULLMAN, WA – Acting City of Pullman Administrator Megan Vining has respectfully declined an offer to continue the job on an interim basis.

The city’s Finance Director Jeff Elbracht has been named Interim City Administrator. According to a press release from city spokeswoman Meghan Ferrin, Vining turned down the offer and decided to return fulltime to city recreation manager for the busy summer season.

The position is in flux with the departure of Mike Urban as the City of Pullman Administrator. At issue is a dispute about his return to work after Urban was placed on paid administrative leave by Mayor Francis Benjamin. Urban was placed on leave for three weeks starting in late March on allegations that were definitively proven to be false by a third party investigator.

The city initially welcomed Urban back to work and exonerated him from the allegations with a public statement on April 17th. Urban unsuccessfully tried to negotiate his return to work in an attempt to restore his reputation. The city claimed last week that Urban resigned. Urban’s attorney says that claim is “categorically false” and argues that he was illegally fired by the city.

The City of Pullman is now searching for a new permanent administrator. Elbracht will continue as Finance Director while also working as Interim Administrator.