Terry Pottmeyer appointed to City Council

Pottmeyer will serve as "caretaker" until November election.

By Reporter Staff • June 3, 2015 6:27 pm
Deputy City Clerk Karin Roberts (right) swears in new City Councilmember Terry Pottmeyer on June 1.
Deputy City Clerk Karin Roberts (right) swears in new City Councilmember Terry Pottmeyer on June 1.

At Monday’s Mercer Island City Council meeting, Terry Pottmeyer was officially sworn in to fill the vacant Council Position No. 4.

The previous incumbent, Joel Wachs, tendered his immediate resignation on May 7, due to a sudden and severe health condition.

Pottmeyer will occupy the seat until the November 2015 general election, at which point it will become a contested position. She has no plans to run for re-election.

According to King County Elections, the two candidates in the fall election are Jeff Sanderson and Carl Silverberg, though Silverberg said he will not actively seek the seat.

Mayor Bruce Bassett welcomed Pottmeyer to the Council on Monday, and noted that she had been a close runner-up candidate when the position was last filled by majority vote in January 2015.

Named 2011 Mercer Island Citizen of the Year, Pottmeyer has a long history of contributing to the wellbeing of the community. She was president of the Mercer Island School Board, volunteered with the YFS Foundation and chaired the “Mercerversary 50” Committee in 2010.

“I want to be as well-prepared as I possibly can, and I want to be a good caretaker for the short period of time,” Pottmeyer said. “I’m really looking forward to it. It will be a great opportunity to contribute positively to the community.”

She said that the Town Center visioning process and Comprehensive Plan update will be the Council’s most important tasks over the next few months.

“I think the city has a solid process outlined and in place, and I’m pleased to see that the roadmap is there,” she said.

Pottmeyer, former President and CEO at Friends of Youth, recently accepted a position as Interim Executive Director at Attain Housing while the organization seeks new leadership.

The organization’s prior executive, Jennifer Barron, resigned effective May 29. Under Barron’s leadership the organization merged with Housing at the Crossroads, changed its name from KITH to Attain Housing and expanded its housing and support for homeless and at-risk families, according to a press release.