Jorge Carrasco, Seattle City Light's General Manager and CEO, announced his retirement Friday morning. In a press release, Mayor Ed Murray thanked Carrasco for his service. “Jorge brought renewed financial sustainability to City Light," the statement read. "Under his leadership, the utility stabilized electricity rates, cut workplace accidents in half and became the first carbon neutral utility in the nation.”
Murray's praise aside, Carrasco's tenure did not lack controversy. In 2008, an anonymous e-mail blamed Carrasco for handing out excessive public money and positions normally held by city employees to private contractor Lands Energy. Some felt that Carrasco gambled too much on the open market, buying and selling energy without enough risk management to protect against any energy shortages, a distinct possibility for a region heavily dependent on hydro-electric power.
He also received blowback when news broke that he was receiving a large raise, approved by the Seattle City Council, despite furloughs and layoffs within the utilities department. Carrasco initially claimed that he had not requested the raise, but later admitted he had, in fact, asked Murray for more money. While Murray was initially in favor of the raise, he rescinded the offer amid "judgement" issues.
Last July, Carrasco also apologized for hiring Brand.com, an online reputation company, to bury negative stories about him and to replace them with positive ones.
Considering the recent controversies, it's worth wondering if Carrasco's retirement is entirely on his own terms.
