Darrin Raines named new McCleary city administrator

Published 1:30 am Friday, April 10, 2026

At the city of McCleary’s council meeting on April 8, Mayor Brycen Huff announced that Darrin Raines, CEO of Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. has accepted the position of city administrator. Raines replaces Jon Martin who had served as city administrator since October 2024.

“His experiences as a public works director, city administrator, grants, economic development, finance, HR, he checks the boxes on what we need to get the city back on the right track and moving us forward,” Huff said.

Raines will join the city full-time later in May; until then he will assist the city as a consultant on an as-needed basis.

“Public works, city administration, community development is just a passion,” said Raines. “I thought I’d gave it up a couple years ago but I just missed it quite severely. … A small community, it definitely feels home to me.”

Future developments

Regarding the proposed Rognlin’s, Inc.’s development of 450 acres within the city limits, he told the city council, “You have a gold mine here. You have a real opportunity now to really dictate how you want your community to look, and what you want to see with new development. … It’s very exciting to be a part of that.”

Additionally, Huff shared that on behalf of the city he filled out the form the county needed to move forward with Mark Studer’s annexation petition for Ranch at Camp Creek LLC. This 43-acre parcel is located behind the subdivisions on Summit Road.

“They said that they’re getting really close,” Huff said. “I believe it’s with the Boundary Review Committee now. I talked with Mark this afternoon and gave him an update on where we are.”

Huff estimates that by late spring the city will hear back from the county.