Following former mayor Tom Ferrell’s announcement that he plans to resign from the Sequim city council at the end of March, city staff set a timeline to open applications to vie for appointment to his seat.
Acting city clerk Heather Robley said at the Feb. 26 city council meeting that applications will open for two weeks, from March 11-25.
City councilors will then interview candidates in a public session on Monday, April 8, prior to their regular meeting.
They are scheduled to discuss the candidates in executive session that night before publicly announcing a decision.
The selected councilor would take an oath of office and be sworn in that night. If someone is not appointed within 90 days of Ferrell’s resignation, then Clallam County Commissioners would have to select someone.
Current councilor Rachel Anderson, seat No. 4, was the last councilor appointed in February 2021, following the resignation of former mayor/councilor Dennis Smith a month prior. She was elected later that year.
Robley said via email that the appointed person to Ferrell’s seat (No. 7) would serve until November 2025, with the position open for candidacy for the general election.
The person elected then would serve the seat’s remaining two “short term” years through November 2027.
More information will be released about deadlines and requirements in the coming weeks, with more information to be found at sequimwa.gov.
Under requirements from previous appointments, applicants must be registered voters of the City of Sequim, have a one year continuous period of residence in the City of Sequim, and hold no other public office or employment under the city government.
Councilors are paid a $368 salary per month, with the mayor paid $630 and the deputy mayor $504, according to city staff.
While Ferrell has verbally noted his intent to resign, city staff said they requested his written resignation. He said at the Feb. 12 city council meeting he intended for his last day as a councilor to be March 31.
In an interview, Ferrell said he had been considering not running again for the seat but was asked by many people to do so. However, he said his work commitments and differing views on the direction of the council’s efforts were contributing factors to his resignation.
Ferrell moved to Sequim in 2016 and he served on the Sequim Planning Commission from March 2018-December 2019 before being elected to city council. He was voted mayor in January 2022 and opted not to run for the position again.
Asked about his accomplishments, Ferrell said he’s proud that he and other councilors stabilized the city post-Covid-19 and various public conflicts the last two years, and that the city feels more dynamic now.
Prior to Sequim, Ferrell was a U.S. Air Force B-52 flight officer and an Air Force Reservist for 30 years. He owned an aerospace research company in San Diego, and served as the CEO of World Trade Center Sacramento, Economic Development Director for the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, and the Director for Quality Management for Aerojet Rocket Company.
