As they bid adieu to Vancouver’s city government, Tim Leavitt and Jack Burkman leave behind a legacy of visionary leadership that future leaders should strive to match.
Leavitt was initially appointed to the city council in 2003 and won election to the council later that year and again in 2007. He was elected to four-year mayoral terms in 2009 and 2013 before declining to seek re-election this year. Burkman served on the council from 1998 through 2001, then was elected in 2009 and 2013 before deciding to retire this year.
Along the way, they have helped shepherd the city through the Great Recession and into a period of strong growth. Most important, Leavitt and Burkman have helped position the city for a robust and prosperous future. As City Manager Eric Holmes said during a City Hall ceremony honoring the outgoing council members: “Each of those steps forward for our community were made with a longer stride and surer footing because of the contributions from Tim and Jack.”
Of course, there have been some missteps along the way; politics inevitably present a series of slippery slopes that can result in the occasional slide.
Most notably, Leavitt’s first campaign for mayor, in 2009 against incumbent Royce Pollard, was built largely upon a platform of opposing tolls across the Interstate 5 Bridge as part of the Columbia River Crossing that was then under consideration. Leavitt defeated Pollard with 54 percent of the vote, but upon taking office he quickly shifted his position to be in favor of tolls. Despite the change, Leavitt was re-elected in 2013 with 53 percent of the vote, indicating that the bulk of his work could not be defined by a single issue.
At Monday’s ceremony, Leavitt noted the “progress and success realized in our community over at least the past decade.”
Burkman, meanwhile, has long been among the most thoughtful and engaging of local officials, providing a voice of reason while being willing to explain complicated issues in a fashion that eschews the typical bombast of politicians. His eagerness to engage with citizens on social media about important policy should serve as an example for all elected officials to follow. Leavitt said: “Jack Burkman’s leadership in our community, on our city council, has been nothing less than exceptional. His preparedness, reasoning and articulation of the many complex issues we have faced is unparalleled.”
While Leavitt and Burkman have demonstrated strong leadership for Vancouver, they do not leave behind an idyllic city. Difficult issues remain, including a growing homeless crisis and the need to effectively manage continued development that will include a billion-dollar waterfront project. Questions about future annexation and continued growth on the city’s east side also will be prominent in creating a Vancouver that works effectively for all of its citizens. And then there is a persistently frustrating need for street maintenance.
Anne McEnerny-Ogle, a city council member since 2014, has been elected to succeed Leavitt as mayor; Burkman’s successor will be chosen by the city council after Scott Campbell posthumously won election to the seat. Ideally, the new council will contain people of differing opinions and differing visions who are able to work together as effectively as the council has in recent years.
But for now we offer our thanks to Tim Leavitt and Jack Burkman for their contributions in making Vancouver a desirable place to live and a city that has a bright future.
