Walla Walla City Council members to pay penalties in open meetings lawsuit
By Dan Thesman on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Seven current and former Walla Walla City Council members will pay $3,500 in civil penalties to resolve a lawsuit alleging they violated the state’s Open Public Meetings Act during a 2022 hiring process.
Under a judgment signed Thursday by Walla Walla County Superior Court Judge Patricia Fulton, each official will pay $500. The city will also reimburse plaintiff Arthur West $440 for legal and court fees, following a previous $570 payment for appeal costs.
The lawsuit, filed by West, an Olympia-based open government advocate, centered on the November 2022 selection of City Manager Elizabeth Chamberlain. West alleged the council illegally reached a consensus to hire Chamberlain during a private executive session rather than in public.
The officials involved include Tom Scribner, Steve Moss, Brian Casey, Rick Eskil, Ted Koehler, Susan Nakonieczny, and Gustavo Reyna. While the city initially argued the council corrected its “mistake” through subsequent public action and training, a Washington State Court of Appeals panel ruled that members could still be held liable if they knowingly violated the law.
City Attorney Tim Donaldson said the council opted to pay the fines to avoid the mounting costs of further litigation, noting that defending the matter would far exceed the penalties.
