The city of Snoqualmie has fired its chief finance officer and hired an interim replacement.

Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson terminated finance officer Donya Gregson on Tuesday, May 18.

Larson told the Valley Record that he had lost confidence in Gregson’s job performance.

While noting that the city’s finances are in good order, Larson described a lack of effective and frequent communication between Gregson, himself and the city council.

Gregson has been the city’s finance officer for less than two years. She was tapped in 2008 to replace retiring finance officer Harry Oestreich. Prior to that, Gregson was a financial analyst for the city.

On Monday, May 24, the Snoqualmie City Council approved Robert Orton as interim finance officer for the city.

“I hope to get to know all of you better,” Orton told city council members.

A retired utility company manager, Orton was brought on board through a private job-filling agency. He will work at City Hall.

According to Larson, Orton hit the ground running.

With several major projects in the air, including needed infrastructure repairs, “we don’t want to slow down,” Larson said. “We want to get him plugged in and moving.

“I’m hopeful that he’s going to bring strong communication skills, to be able to assemble the information and get that quickly to myself and the council,” Larson added.