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NEWPORT — Theresa Schoener, former City of Newport accounting clerk, has been hired as the new city clerk-treasurer.
The announcement came from Mayor Keith Campbell at the Newport City Council meeting’s Monday, May 18 meeting. Toward the end of the meeting, the council unanimously allowed Campbell to execute an employment agreement with Schoener. As such, the city is now seeking a new accounting clerk.
Three weeks ago, former clerk-treasurer Nickole North retired after a cybercrime in February resulted in the theft of $336,588 from the city. She had served the city for about 27 years.
“We got some good candidates, and good people interviewed,” Campbell said at the meeting. “[Schoener] rose to the top.”
Later, city administrator Abby Gribi informed the council that due to the state budget shortfall, the Department of Commerce was reducing funds awarded to the city last year for the Comprehensive Plan.
“I have been in contact with all of our legislatures as well as the Association of Washington Cities to let them know this is happening,” Gribi said at the meeting. AWC is the city’s insurer.
In addition to $100,000 for climate resiliency, the city was awarded $100,000 in reimbursable funds appropriated from the state Legislature via a non-competitive, formula- based grant program, Gribi said. That consisted of two $50,000 grants for the years 2025–2026 and 2026–2027, respectively.
The Department of Commerce confirmed a reduction in the grant for 2026–2027, but Gribi will not learn of the reduced grant amount until June. Gribi was forced to opt in to receive the grant anyway, as the city would have lost all funding otherwise, she said.
The city has already executed agreements with consultants based on the original total, Gribi said. Moreover, most of the impacted municipalities and counties are in eastern Washington, as they happen to be part of the current budget cycle.
“It’s just not equitable throughout the state when everyone else has received the full funding,” Gribi said, adding that the city is trying to fight the decision.
In other business, the council unanimously authorized the Newport Rodeo Association’s requests for $1,000 in hotel-motel tax funding for both the Rodeo and Rough Stock Rodeo.
Representing the newly established Business Advisory Committee, Brandy Warren proposed the city open a formal conversation with the state Department of Transportation regarding the conversion of Washington Avenue from a one-way street to a two-way. She cited various economic benefits, such as increased business visibility, improved property investment, higher occupancy in commercial spaces and encouraged pedestrian activity.
“While traffic flow may improve temporarily for outbound vehicles, the unintended consequence is that it diverts customers away from our downtown businesses,” Warren said at the meeting.
An audience member returned to speak to council about her experiences as a homeless resident with disabilities, alleging that she was wrongfully evicted from a motel. Campbell said that seemed like a civil issue but thanked her for participating in the meeting.
Earlier, the council discussed an incident where Hospitality House volunteers locked out a group of homeless residents after feeding them a meal. Wade Nelson, Newport Police Department chief, added that many residents were recently evicted from an apartment complex in the area.
“It’s probably just a family passing through,” Nelson said at the meeting. “But we’ve had quite a few uptick of the homeless just because of that.”
