If trends hold true, this will be a quiet week for local government, with offices closed Friday and many meetings of councils and boards canceled. In fact, about the only thing noteworthy is the swearing in of the approximately 80 public officials elected by voters in November. Many are incumbents embarking on a new term, but there are a handful of newcomers, too.
Clark County Council Chair Marc Boldt and Councilor Julie Olson were sworn in Tuesday, for example, to the relief of those who believe in open government, the separation of powers, and relying on professional advice and the will of the people.
But as we welcome the change the newcomers will bring, it’s appropriate to also take a moment to recognize the contribution of those who are stepping out of leadership roles. In Woodland, Jim Bays retires after serving an incredible 42 years on the school board — he was first elected at age 19.
La Center Mayor Jim Irish deserves the thanks of all of Clark County. In three terms as a small-town mayor, Irish dealt with some big challenges, including the pressure of the Cowlitz Tribe’s efforts to form an Indian reservation at the La Center Junction and build a giant casino resort that will severely threaten the city’s financial base.
And it was Irish who was board chairman of C-Tran as it worked its way through numerous challenges posed by a couple of rogue board members who seem to question the value of public transit. First, they bitterly opposed light rail as part of the now-defunct Columbia River Crossing and then tried to stop The Vine, the bus rapid transit line now under construction between downtown and Vancouver Mall.
Perhaps we’ll miss Larry Smith most of all. Smith, 73, is ending a quarter-century of service to Vancouver. Like some of our other best leaders — Clark College President Bob Knight, former Mayor Royce Pollard — Smith devoted his first career to serving his county in uniform. Col. Smith’s final posting brought him to the 104th Training Division at Vancouver Barracks, and he stayed on after retirement. He joined the city manager’s staff, where he helped move the city toward the 1997 annexation of Cascade Park. That annexation, the biggest in state history, brought 58,000 new residents to Vancouver and made us the state’s fourth-largest city.
Later, Smith directed the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department. In his years with the agency, he helped obtain funding to build the Firstenburg Community Center and Propstra Square at Esther Short Park.
In 2003, he sought a seat on the Vancouver City Council, and went on to serve four terms before choosing not to file for re-election. Smith served the council as mayor pro-tem. That’s been a time-consuming role because Smith, who is retired, was often asked to appear at public events that Mayor Tim Leavitt, who works full-time as an engineer, could not attend.
Smith also has been an organizer of the Community Military Appreciation Committee, which organizes events like the Memorial Day commemoration and the Veterans Day Parade. He volunteers for Meals on Wheels, and helps out with the Veterans Court. Though no longer on the city council, he told The Columbian’s Amy Fischer recently that he plans to continue these sorts of community service roles.
Frankly, that’s no surprise for a man of Larry Smith’s stature. As he and other dedicated public servants step aside this week, they’ll leave a legacy that we hope will inspire their successors.
