Pacific voters decide in November who will be the city’s mayor for the next four years and who will fill three City Council seats up for election.
Mayor Leanne Guier said she plans to run for a second term.
But City Council President Joshua Putnam said he will not seek reelection. He wants to step away after his term expires at the end of the year to spend more time with his 13-year-old twin sons, Morgan and Derek, and his wife of 14 years, Koralee Roup.
“The boys are getting old enough to where it’s just one council term away from when they go to college,” Putnam said.
Putnam, a Vashon Island native, attended high school for a year in India as a Rotary International Youth Exchange student.
After his return stateside, Putnam finished high school and attended Claremont (Calif.) McKenna College, from which he graduated in 1989 with a degree in international relations.
His involvement in public service dates to 1994, when he became a member of the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council. He served until 2000.
After moving from Vashon Island, Putnam started his public service in Pacific, where he bought a house and served as a planning commissioner and as a member of the park board.
In 2008 he ran and won the Position 6 seat, which he has held for seven years.
Putnam was a key player during the administration of recalled mayor Cy Sun, helping to soothe strained relations between the controversial Sun and the council.
“In any situation, attacking any side just puts them on the defensive,” Putnam said. “Negative politics is a good way to make sure no one agrees with you.”
Putnam said the thing he’ll remember most about his time on the council is the way the city’s government, staff and residents came together.
“The way the city pulled together during and after the recall, when we really did have huge problems and lots of things that could have been decisive, (is what I’ll remember),” he said. “They put aside their differences and kept the City running.”
Putnam did not rule out a return to politics after his sons head off to college.
“I’ll probably find some way to serve,” he said.
In addition to Putnman’s Position 6 vacancy, up for grabs will be Councilmember Clint Steiger’s Position 3 seat, and Councilmember Katie Garberding’s Position 1 seat.
