Molly O'Rourke

Molly O'Rourke is the new Washington County administrator. She's been the deputy administrator since 2001 and now will move up to replace Jim Schug, who retires Jan. 26 after serving as administrator since 1994.

O'Rourke had previously worked for the city of St. Paul as aide to Council Member Kiki Sonnen and city clerk.

The Washington County board selected her Tuesday morning; there were two other internal candidates.

She said this morning that the balance between providing needed services and keeping taxes at a reasonable level will continue to be a big challenge for her and the county board.

"We're a safety net provider, and when the economy isn't stable, there's pressure to provide additional resources, but at the same time people can't afford tax increases," she said.

In 1989, when she worked for Sonnen, O'Rourke was part of an anti-pornography protest at the old Faust Theatre on University Avenue that ended with a melee.

It was the last day of business at the nude dancing emporium when employees in an upstairs window threw water onto protesters on the sidewalk below. When television reporters went inside to complain that their cameras were damaged, they were thrown out onto the sidewalk and attacked by theater employees. Fighting ensued and a Channel 11 photographer was injured and his camera was destroyed.

While two of the employees were attacking the injured cameraman, O'Rourke jumped onto the back of one, but was shaken off:

She said at the time: "They were both going at him, so I jumped on one of them, trying to distract him. I tried to hold his arm, but he just kept hitting him."

The city of St. Paul bought out the dirty bookstore/theater for $1.83 million; the owner used the money to open a new place in downtown Minneapolis.