LONGVIEW — Jim McNamara retired at the end of July after spending more than a decade as Longview’s city attorney.
McNamara began working as the city’s lead attorney in March 2012. Prior to coming to Longview, McNamara had been the assistant or deputy city attorney in Vancouver, Federal Way and Bremerton since the early 1990s and served a term on the state’s Growth Management Hearings Board.
The city attorney plays a key role in any lawsuits involving the city. On a daily basis, though, McNamara said his main role was to provide legal advice to city leaders. He helped draft the Longview City Council’s ordinances and resolutions to make sure they were legally sound and answer questions from the city’s department leaders about their contracts and projects.
“I always said my job, or the job of any city attorney, is to help them get their job done,” he said. “I just try to give them the best advice to help them do their jobs.”
McNamara said he plans to mostly stay quiet in retirement.
