PORT TOWNSEND — Challengers seeking a “sea change” on the Port Townsend City Council were apparently defeated, according to Tuesday night results in the general election.
Two incumbents appeared to fight off challenges, while a like-minded candidate had a less decisive lead in the race for an open seat.
Michelle Sandoval and Catharine Robinson were leading in their bids for a fourth term each, while Pamela Adams seemed headed to take the seat left open by Mark Welch, who declined to seek another term.
“I’m grateful for the voters’ support,” Sandoval said.
“It has been an honor to represent Port Townsend, I will continue to work hard for this wonderful community over the next four years.”
The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office counted 11,139, or 49.9 percent, of the 22,270 ballots mailed to registered voters, with about 327 that need further review and 327 votes left on hand to count. Auditor Donna Eldridge expects to receive an additional 2,000 ballots in the mail, with the next count to be done at about noon Friday.
In Position 1, Sandoval, 55, a real estate agent, was leading Bob Jautz, 74, a retired transportation worker and surveyor, with 1,808 votes, or 54.05 percent, to 1,529 votes, or 45.71 percent.
Robinson, 66, a counselor, earned 1,873 votes, or 59.71 percent, for the Position 2 seat, while Moore, 71, a retired electrician, won 1,258 votes, or 40.1 percent.
In Position 5, Adams, 69, a retired chiropractor, won 1,516 votes, or 50.3 percent, to 65-year-old veterinarian Harold J. Sherwood’s 1,487 votes, or 49.34 percent.
Adams ran for the City Council shortly after moving to Port Townsend in 2011 but withdrew after discovering she did not meet residency requirements.
“This isn’t exactly a landslide,” Adams said.
“I’m feeling good. I feel optimistic and I’m hopeful.”
Said Sherwood: “Clearly, we will have to stay tuned for the results of this election.”
Moore and Jautz were among the nearly 50 people who gathered at the Jefferson County Courthouse to hear the results.
“The voters didn’t want a change. They wanted more of the same and that’s how the vote came out,” Moore said. “I have no regrets.”
Saide Jautz: “I worked hard to get my message out and they didn’t like the message.
“I didn’t take it personally.”
Prior to running, Adams said she would not challenge an incumbent as she was satisfied with the actions of the current council.
As a result, the race shaped up as a contest between the status quo, the two incumbents and Adams, against candidates who wanted the city to take a more fiscally strict path.
Jautz and Moore allied themselves with Robert Gray, a council member elected in 2011 who has voted consistently against the council majority, resulting in several 6-1 tallies.
At a forum, Jautz said that if the challengers were elected, there would be a “sea change” in city government, predicting 4-3 votes instead of 6-1 votes and a change in how money was spent in the city.
Sandoval and Robinson emphasized their experience. At one forum, Robinson said it was important for voters to retain them because of the “historical memory and perspective” that the two provide because several high-level staff members are near retirement.
“With the potential to lose so much institutional memory in staff in the next few years, it’s crucial for city government to keep the elected institutional memory in place to aid with that transition,” she said.
All seats are nonpartisan. The mayor, who is appointed by the council, receives $750 monthly; other council members get $500. The council adopts a budget that for 2013 is $14.6 million.
Both Robinson and Sandoval have served as mayor.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
