Vancouver council fills one position
It takes an evening of vigorous discussion to pick a mayor pro tem
Mayor Tim Leavitt, left, takes the oath of office Monday from District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Vancouver City Council’s first meeting of the new year started with glad-handing but ended with sharp words, as members were sworn into office and then promptly split over electing a mayor pro tempore.
A standing-room crowd watched as Mayor Tim Leavitt and Councilors Jack Burkman, Jeanne Harris and Jeanne Stewart took their respective oaths Monday night.
Audience members hooted and cheered as Leavitt officially became the mayor of Vancouver. Supporters of the various candidates lingered for well over a half hour in City Hall, congratulating the winners and talking among themselves.
Leavitt took the time to address the crowd, offering what he said would be a taste of his upcoming state of the city address.
He said that Vancouver faces “critical and numerous decisions” regarding its ailing budget, but added he had conviction to persevere and optimism for the outcome.
An apple pie by any name would smell as sweet
Newly minted Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt said he knows exactly where his hometown is.
So, from him, you’ll hear “Vancouver, Washington,” or maybe even a “Vancouver, Washington, U.S. of A.,” if he’s feeling long-winded. But don’t expect to hear him call it “America’s Vancouver.”
That, he said, will remain the geographical nomenclature of choice for the man who held the position before him.
“Mayor (Royce) Pollard coined the term,” Leavitt said. “My administration is going to have a different feel and different taste. And it’s going to taste good — like grandma’s apple pie.”
On a more serious note, he said Vancouver is working to establish itself as its own entity, and the use of “America’s Vancouver” or a name change to something like Fort Vancouver just isn’t a high priority for him.
“What’s more important to me than the title of our community is building identity from within,” he said.
Up first on his agenda is to find a candidate to fill his vacated Position 4 on the council before turning to the approximately $6 million projected budget shortfall this spring.
“Past budgets have been fairly simple, because the money’s been rolling in,” he said, before noting the council will face some difficult decisions on where to make significant cuts.
— Andrea Damewood
He also said he expects “respectful, candid and constructive discourse” from his council.
But beaming smiles turned to frustration as the six members took five separate votes to choose a mayor pro tem from three senior council members who expressed interest in the position.
As the meeting went on, the council debated availability, seniority and even gender before finally electing Councilor Larry Smith in a 4-2 vote over Harris and Stewart as the new mayor pro tem. Each of the three voted for themselves, leaving Pat Campbell, Burkman and Leavitt as the swing votes in Smith’s favor.
“Two senior women are not making it through the rounds here,” Stewart said. “I want to ask what the logic and reasoning is regarding the women members of the council.”
Smith promptly countered that the vote was based on skill and experience, saying her comments were “not in good taste.”
The move signaled a departure from the way the mayor pro tem has been selected in the recent past, with the longest-serving councilor assuming the role. Pat Jollota last held the position; she didn’t seek re-election. Smith has been on council since 2004. Harris has been on the council for 13 years and Stewart for nine.
The job of mayor pro tem represents a small raise in prestige and pay; mayor pro tem earns $2,000 a month, more than the standard council pay of $1,781 a month, and less than the mayor’s $2,220 a month. All positions include benefits.
The mayor pro tem leads meetings should Leavitt be unavailable and would assume the role of mayor if he were to leave office.
Leavitt has said he is interested in spreading the ceremonial responsibilities that were often solely handled by his predecessor, Royce Pollard, among all of the members.
“For all intents and purposes, I see you all as mayor pro tem,” he said.
The conflict and jostling for spots may continue: The council soon has to sort out who is going to serve on key boards and committees.
After the fifth and final vote was tallied, the few dozen people who stuck around for the whole meeting began to file out talking animatedly about the most contentious voting seen on the council in months.
“Boy, I hope the rest of our votes don’t go like that,” Leavitt said.
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