UPDATE: May 7, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.
Dunn & Black, the law firm representing Former City Administrator Mike Urban, released the following statement, claiming that the City of Pullman’s statement that Urban had resigned was false and that his contract was breached.
“We are deeply disturbed by the City of Pullman’s misrepresentation that City Administrator Mike Urban “resigned” from employment with the City. To be clear, this is categorically false. In reality, in the course of discussions regarding Mr. Urban’s return to work, it became apparent that the obviously false and ludicrous accusations against Mr. Urban had severely damaged his reputation and his trust in and working relationship with the Mayor and the City. A simple phone call or conversation with any of the individuals involved undoubtedly would have immediately exonerated Mr. Urban of the ridiculous allegations weeks before the City’s official announcement cleared him of wrongdoing. Mr. Urban and the City therefore attempted to negotiate a possible exit to address these issues. No agreement was ever reached and Mr. Urban expressly reiterated that he wanted to return to work.
Inexplicably, despite the Mayor’s comments yesterday acknowledging Mr. Urban’s accomplishments, principles, and ethics, the City refused to allow him to return to the job he loves. Instead, the City unilaterally and summarily terminated Mr. Urban’s employment, in material breach of his contract and in violation of applicable law. Mr. Urban intends to pursue all rights and remedies available to him to address the City’s misconduct.”
PULLMAN, Wash. – Pullman City Administrator Mike Urban has resigned. This decision comes less than a month after he returned to work following an investigation that cleared him of allegations.
The allegations against Urban surfaced during the Washington State Patrol’s investigation into former Police Chief Jake Opgenorth. These accusations were linked to Opgenorth’s former mistress. The investigation concluded that the .
No official reason was provided for Urban’s resignation. The city plans to begin an immediate search for a new city administrator and will appoint an interim city administrator soon.
Article originally published May 7, 2025 at 10:19 a.m.
