PORT TOWNSEND — Mayor David King will not run for a third term on the City Council in this year’s election.
“I’ve been on the council for eight years and mayor for four years and think that it has been a pretty good stint,” King, who fills Position 6, announced Friday.
“This is a good time for me to step down. I think by design, this office is supposed to rotate between members of the community.”
When a new council is seated, it elects a mayor and deputy mayor from among the members.
King, 65, ran unopposed in 2007 and 2011, after which time he was nominated as mayor by his predecessor, Michelle Sandoval, who now serves as a councilwoman in Position 1.
Councilwoman Catharine Robinson, Position 2, also has served as mayor.
The seats of four of the seven council members expire this year.
Aside from King, the seats of Deborah Stinson and Bob Gray are up this year along with that of Deputy Mayor Kris Nelson.
Stinson, Position 3, and Gray, Position 4, intend to seek to return to office, both said Friday. Both were elected in 2011 with opposition.
Nelson, who ran unopposed in 2011 for Position 7, did not return a call for comment Friday.
Candidates will file for office the week of May 11-15 at the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office in the county courthouse at 1820 Jefferson St.
A primary election is set Aug. 4. The general election will be Nov. 3. If more than two candidates file for an office, the primary will cull the field down to two for the general election.
City Council candidates file for specific positions but serve at-large. Voting for all positions is open to all registered voters within the city limit.
Terms expire in 2017 for Sandoval, Robinson and Pamela Adams, Position 5.
Early announcement
While candidates often wait until filing week to make their intentions known, King said he announced his decision early to give other people a chance to run for the open position.
King said the mayor’s power is limited and that even if he ran for another term, there would be no guarantee his City Council colleagues would elect him to another mayoral term.
Even if the mayor has the same vote as any other council member, the position carries more responsibility, he said.
“When legislators have concerns, they call the mayor,” he said.
“Newspapers call the mayor for a comment, and when citizens are irate, they call the mayor.
“It is more than ceremonial. You become engaged, and there is a lot to learn, but since I like learning, this has been a good thing.”
King said anyone seeking a council seat should care about diverse topics.
“You should not run if you are a single-issue candidate,” he said.
“If you are only concerned about taxes or deer or dogs, you won’t be satisfied.
“You need to deal with a whole array of things that happen all the time.”
Art of the possible
King called public service “the art of the possible.”
“It’s very different on the inside than on the outside,” he said.
“It is more complicated than what you have time to absorb unless it is something that you are busy doing.”
“I have acquitted myself well” as a council member and mayor, King said.
He feels the city has improved during his tenure.
“There are some things that I hope will persist, like regular council office hours and the monthly newsletter,” he said.
“I hope that continues. Whoever writes it next won’t have my voice, but it is a good way to communicate with citizens about issues that have some depth.”
King plans to stay in Port Townsend but wants to see more of the country.
“I’d like to do some traveling,” he said.
“It’s hard to do that when you are on City Council because that means you need to be in town every other Monday.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
