City Manager’s Office
The role of the City Manager’s Office is to work with the City Council and City departments to ensure effective implementation of City policies. The City Manager’s Office works in conjunction with the Mayor and City Council to implement the policies set forth by the City Council and ensure that City programs and operations meet the needs of Tacoma residents.
Message from the City Manager
Tacoma is a community of more than 221,000 people situated on the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. We pride ourselves on being a responsive, high-performing organization as well as a community of people who care for one another.
Today, we continue our efforts to serve Tacoma residents and visitors in the smartest, most efficient and most cost-effective way possible, while building a comprehensive approach that helps Tacoma’s economic stability, financial prosperity, and cultural vitality.
The current economic landscape emphasizes the need for smart growth practices and innovative service delivery methods. In order for Tacoma to navigate past challenges, seize the opportunities, and keep in step with global trends, a cooperative effort between residents, private and non-profit businesses, elected officials and City staff is critical.
Over the last several years, we have worked diligently to carefully manage our budget. This biennium, revenue growth has been strong, narrowly outpacing inflation. Today, we have well-managed expenditure growth, low long-term liabilities and solid operating performance.
To ensure that we keep our solid financial footing, maintain our reserves and adhere to the city’s financial policies, we continue to watch our budget closely. Additionally, we have worked to prioritize funding between existing services, deferred maintenance, and new and expanded services.
To learn more about the City’s budget and its process, go to tacoma.gov/budget.
Thank you for your interest in the City of Tacoma.
Elizabeth Pauli
City Manager
Executive Team
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Meet the City Manager Elizabeth Pauli
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City ManagerElizabeth Pauli
Elizabeth Pauli is Tacoma’s first female City Manager. As City Manager, Ms. Pauli is the Chief Executive Officer for the City of Tacoma government, overseeing a staff of more than 2,000 and a biennial General Government budget of over $1.9 billion, which includes a General Fund budget of $641 million. Tacoma has a population of approximately 221,000 residents, and is the third largest city in Washington state.
Prior to her appointment as City Manager, Ms. Pauli served as Interim City Manager. Prior to that, she served as the City Attorney for the City of Tacoma. She had joined the City of Tacoma in May 1998, as Chief Assistant City Attorney. She was appointed Acting City Attorney in 2004, and was named City Attorney in 2005. Prior to joining the City of Tacoma, she was a partner at McGavick Graves, a well-established law firm in Tacoma.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, Ms. Pauli also has Bachelor of Science degrees in education and social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Ms. Pauli is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys.
A mother and grandmother who lives in Tacoma with her husband, Dave, Ms. Pauli enjoys tandem bicycling and running the trails near her mountain cabin. She is an active volunteer with her church and in many local community service activities.
Education
- Juris Doctor cum laude from University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, 1987
- Bachelor of Science degrees in education and social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1981
- University of Washington Professional Mediator Skills Training Certificate Program, 1996
Membership/Affiliation
- Washington State Bar Association
- Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys
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Meet Deputy City Manager Allyson Griffith
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Interim Deputy City ManagerAllyson Griffith
Allyson Griffith was appointed to serve as the Deputy City Manager in June 2025. She previously served as the interim Deputy City Manager and the Director of the Neighborhood and Community Services Department.
She joined the City of Tacoma in 2007 as a management fellow and has worked to build relationships among community members and across various City departments to support thriving neighborhoods. As Interim Deputy City Manager, Allyson oversees the Neighborhood and Community Services and Community and Economic Development departments, the City of Tacoma’s Alternative Response efforts, Management Fellows, and Council Policy Assistants, and will be responsible for additional projects or departments as needed.
Allyson has been a proud resident of Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood since 2016. She especially enjoys Tacoma’s easy access to the outdoors and is often found walking in Point Defiance or paddling on the Puget Sound.
Education
- Master’s in Public Administration, University of Oregon
- Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Whitman College
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Meet Deputy City Manager Sonja Hallum
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Interim Deputy City ManagerSonja Hallum
Sonja Hallum is an Interim Deputy City Manager, overseeing the City’s Center for Strategic Priorities. The Center includes the Office of Equity and Human Rights, Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability, Strategy, and Government Relations. Sonja served as the City’s Government Relations Director before her appointment as Interim Deputy City Manager in October 2024.
Sonja has extensive policy experience at the state and national levels. Prior to joining the City, Sonja worked as the Public Safety Policy Advisor for Governor Jay Inslee for six years. She has also worked in the Washington State Legislature as non-partisan staff counsel and as policy staff for two state agencies. Sonja’s experience also includes working at the Pew Charitable Trusts Public Safety Performance Project in Washington, D.C. She is a licensed attorney in Washington State with over a decade of experience as a practicing attorney. Sonja enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
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Meet Deputy City Manager Hyun Kim
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Deputy City Manager for Internal ServicesHyun Kim
Hyun Kim was appointed to serve as the Deputy City Manager in June 2023. Hyun oversees the City’s internal services .
Hyun is a credentialed International City/County Management Association manager who comes to the City of Tacoma with firsthand knowledge of local government in the Pacific Northwest.
Hyun worked for the City of Gillette, Wyoming before coming to Tacoma, where he served as the City Administrator until 2021. In this role, he assembled the team that would transition the coal-dependent community away from fossil fuels. He also spearheaded an ethics case study on rebuilding public trust while managing City operations and keeping public policy on track. While in Gillette, Hyun led a team that would onboard more minority and female police officers than any other time in the department’s history.
Prior to joining the City of Gillette, Hyun spent four years as the City Manager for the City of Fife. Some in the community may remember partnering with him on projects of mutual interest and concern, such as the extension of State Route 167.
In his city leadership positions, and as a board member of the International Network of Asian Public Administrators, Hyun has a record of leading anti-racist systems transformation and advancing diversity in local government employment.
Education
- Master’s of Public Administration, Brigham Young University
- Master’s of Business Administration, Western Governors University
- B.S. in Public Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas