Vancouver City Councilor Bart Hansen announced Tuesday that he will run this fall run to retain his seat.
Hansen, 36, was appointed to Position No. 4 on the city council in January 2010, the seat vacated by Tim Leavitt after he was elected mayor. He ran again last fall to keep the seat, defeating John Jenkins 52 to 47 percent.
This year his seat is up for a four-year term. As of Tuesday afternoon, no one has announced that they are also running for the position.
“Looking forward to this election, I continue to hear concerns about unemployment and safety,” he said. “I support those who are struggling to make ends meet and I am a voice for those concerned about the cuts to public safety and services.”
Hansen lives in West Minnehaha with his wife, Carly, and two young children. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Washington State University. Hansen is office services manager at Clark Public Utilities and volunteers with youth football, T-ball and basketball programs, according to a press release. He serves on the Children’s Justice Board and the Elder Justice Board and is also a member of the Vancouver Rotary and a graduate of Leadership Clark County. City council members earn $1,781 a month for their part-time public service positions.
One of his priorities since becoming a city council member has been getting out into the community and visiting individual neighborhoods, he said.
“Attending at least 26 neighborhood association meetings over the past year and a half, I have heard the heartfelt concerns of our citizens and I am acutely aware of their wants and needs,” Hansen said. “It’s important that I represent our community as a whole. I will take the initiative to create an open dialogue with our citizens and I will convey their opinions directly to the council.”
Hansen’s campaign website is http://www.RetainBartHansen.com.
