Government Form
The City of Mill Creek is a Council-Manager form of government. This means that all legislative policy-making powers are vested in the City Council. The council appoints a City Manager to carry out the legislative policies the Council develops. The City Manager is the head of the executive branch of city government.
Martin Yamamoto, City Manager
Mill Creek City Council adopted a resolution at the November 23, 2021 City Council Meeting appointing Martin Yamamoto to perform
the duties of the City Manager while a search is conducted to select a new City Manager.
Before being hired as Deputy City Manager in July 2021, Yamamoto served as the Fiscal Manager for the City of Seattle Police Department from 2014-2021. Yamamoto has over 18 years of experience working in finance, accounting, and key leadership roles in the City of Seattle and the private sector. As a public servant, Yamamoto's management philosophy is driven by two fundamental principles, sustainable growth, and community-centricity. "A City's growth is critical to economic stability, and this means focusing on the needs of residents and businesses while improving on the stakeholder experience," said Yamamoto.
Yamamoto holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, emphasizing accounting from Seattle University's Albers School of Business, and an MBA in Strategy and Management from his alma mater.
Yamamoto is inspired daily by his two teenage daughters and family. In his free time, he likes to travel, exercise, and stay knowledgeable on the economics of the housing market.
Laurel Brock, Deputy City Manager
City Manager Martin Yamamoto promoted Laurel Brock to Deputy City Manager in August of 2022. Before her promotion, Brock served as the City's Finance Director since December 2020.
Brock believes that local government and those representing it should be honest, hardworking, transparent, and bring passionate energy to serve the community. She looks forward to helping Mill Creek become an example of municipal excellence again and believes the best way to do this is through collaboration, motivation, and working together.
Before working for Mill Creek, Brock held several roles with the City of Ottawa, KS, since 2016, including Finance Director and Senior Financial Analyst. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Ottawa University and is currently working on her Master of Science in Finance from Seattle University.
In her free time, Brock enjoys travelling, spending time with family, exploring the Puget Sound area, riding horses and working to preserve the Akhal-Teke horse breed.