By Martin Barrett
Burien.News Owner and Publisher
Recently, a local blog published an opinion editorial regarding Burien City Manager Adolfo Bailon. Burien.News does not make a habit of commenting on other media opinions. However, this one was especially egregious and part of a pattern of attacking good people, while promoting those bent on divisiveness, since at least 2021.
City Manager Bailon sent us his response. Both the blog’s opinion piece and Bailon’s response are below.
Letter to the Editor, published by B-Town Blog on 12/14/24:
“Burien Deserves a Leader, Not a Bully. Fire Adolfo Bailon!
“With deepening concern, we call on the City Council to fire City Manager Adolfo Bailon. His leadership has fractured our community, poisoned city government relationships, and shown a dangerous disregard for transparency and ethical governance. Burien has never faced such turmoil in all the years I’ve lived here. The time for action is now.
“Bailon’s Combative Leadership Breeds Dysfunction
“Mr. Bailon’s confrontational approach has shattered trust and cooperation within city government. His refusal to meet with Councilmember Hugo Garcia effectively silenced a duly elected representative. This obstruction of democratic process is intolerable. Collaboration and open communication are cornerstones of effective leadership—principles Mr. Bailon clearly lacks.
“Key City Personnel Forced Out
“Under Mr. Bailon’s tenure, critical city leaders have been driven out. Former Police Chief Ted Boe, an experienced and respected law enforcement officer, was ousted after refusing to enforce an arguably illegal camping ban—a stance supported by the King County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall publicly condemned Bailon’s retaliatory actions, highlighting their violation of state law. His reckless decision-making has left our city less safe and more divided.
“Mishandling the Homelessness Crisis
“Mr. Bailon’s disastrous management of the homelessness crisis has deepened the city’s struggles. His reckless cancellation of the city’s contract with trusted service provider REACH destabilized critical support systems. In its place, he hired The More We Love—a controversial group notorious for aggressive “sweeps” tactics and alleged breaches of sensitive personal data. This callous mismanagement has harmed Burien’s most vulnerable residents and tarnished the city’s reputation.
“Concealing His Performance Review
“Equally alarming is Mr. Bailon’s refusal to release his performance evaluation—a critical accountability measure. A consulting firm hired to conduct the review terminated its contract, citing the city’s unwillingness to act on its findings. This suggests the report contains damning evidence of Mr. Bailon’s failures. What is he hiding? The public has a right to know.
“The Verdict: Bailon Must Go
“Mr. Bailon’s pattern of misconduct, incompetence, and deceit is undeniable. His continued presence as City Manager threatens the very fabric of our community. We demand the Burien City Council act decisively and terminate his employment immediately. Burien deserves leadership rooted in integrity, transparency, and compassion—not bullying, mismanagement, and cover-ups.
“- JJ Greive
Burien”
City Manager Adolfo Bailon’s Response to Greive’s Letter, sent to Burien.News
“Mr. Grieve is a well-known and extreme political activist in our community. I am not surprised to see him draft a letter – on this topic – on the heels of a several months-old recycled story republished on the website PubliCola.
“I am not concerned by the letter drafted by Mr. Grieves, but I am concerned that Mr. Grieves, and Ms. Erica Barnett from PubliCola, seem to support the creation of a hostile work environment against subordinate public employees. I have not seen any indication that Mr. Grieves or Ms. Barnett are concerned with and eager to report on the slanderous statements of Councilmember Garcia against his subordinate. It is a shame that some people – and online publications – within our community choose to ignore the actions of their political allies – or those who work to further their preferred political agenda – and look away from the spread of misinformation and creation of hostile work environments against subordinate public employees.
“It is important to note that Councilmember Garcia was previously employed by government (King County) and removed from his position. There have been no calls from Mr. Grieves or Ms. Barnett to have Councilmember Garcia release all documents related to any performance evaluations performed of him or his work while employed by King County, that I am aware of.
“Mr. Grieves is correct…Burien deserves a leader and not a bully. I will take the words of Mr. Grieves to mean that I should exercise my right as a member of the public and submit my own request for public records to King County for all documents related to performance evaluations of Councilmember Garcia and his work.
“Sincerely,
Adolfo Bailon“
