The no term limit City Council will soon appoint a new mayor from within.

The public has no input. The outgoing status quo appointed mayor and council member was defeated by a blue collar grassroots effort. Her successor is not automatically appointed mayor.

All remaining no term limit council have, to varying degrees, been part of the $17 million debt all taxpayers owe, and the $1.7 million per year debt service that hamstrings maintaining needed basics.

All potential incumbent candidates for appointed mayor voted for the $1.2 million visitor center concrete park with no public input. Look what you got.

The no term limit council can’t come up with $15,000 to repair and reopen part of Adams Street damaged during another city project. Other city roads are worse.

Deconstruction of parking enforcement is also is the legacy of all incumbents. Photo and text documentation of damaging parking anarchy was regularly provided to a wall of silence for five years. No incumbent replied.

The frontrunners for appointed mayor are an attorney who chose the right to remain silent and vote status quo, a past appointed mayor with 18 years on council could be reappointed. Or, a 16 year no term limit council member voting status quo regularly and part of the debt problem.

Much is made of the new city manager. His bosses are the council and mayor they appoint.

Curb appeal and rotten foundations are the legacy of the no term limit council. Who will they appoint? Someone who won’t rock the boat. Only two council members  in 2020 will have clean hands.

Odds are we will have a mayor dirtyhands again, appointed by dirty hands.

Speak up. Demand clean hands, or don’t be surprised at the results. A puppet show.

Harvey Windle
Port Townsend