Water District 49 commissioners voted 2-1 on June 14 against renewing the contract of district manager Dale Cap when it expires this fall.
Cap, who has been at the center of two recent controversies involving district policies, will remain on the job through Nov. 22.
He was unavailable for comment last week.
But Commissioner Ray Brickell, who was joined by Commissioner Dave Lutz in deciding not to renew Cap's contract, told the Times/News, "It was not an easy decision" to terminate Cap.
"We've been having discussions for a while now and trying to make the right decision as to what is best for the district," Brickell added.
"Change is always difficult ... A lot of thought went into [the decision]."
The commissioners voted against renewing Cap's contract following an executive session during a regular meeting.
Commissioner Jim Henry angrily denounced the action and walked out of the meeting.
Water District 49 provides service to downtown Burien and many of the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
In 2003, Water District 49 stopped billing its customers for street light service provided by Seattle City Light. Last year, City Light threatened to turn off the street lights unless the past-due bill was collected and paid.
The city of Burien eventually paid part of the past-due bill, and the water district resumed billing its customers for street light service.
Then late last year, Water District 49 was brought into an ethics controversy that involved Burien Mayor Joan McGilton and City Councilman Gordon Shaw.
Cap later claimed sole responsibility for authorizing water service through McGilton's property to a neighbor, despite the fact that the neighbor lives in the Highline Water District.
But "no one particular occurrence" prompted the commissioners to act," Brickell said. "It was just a consensus that things needed to change."
He gave no specifics about anticipated changes, except to say, "it's time to go in a different direction."
Brickell also denied that rumored friction between Cap and unionized water district employees affected their decision.
Brickell and Lutz are also union members.
