PORT ANGELES — Larry Little plans to run for City Council in November.
Four City Council positions will be on the November ballot. Little, executive director of the Volunteers in Medicine of the Olympics and the Port Angeles Marathon Association, plans to file for either Position No.1, 2 or 3.
The official candidate filing period is June 1 through June 5.
Little, 54, said he will run for one of the three positions that will be vacant at the end of the year.
Those seats are currently filled by Mayor Gary Braun and City Council members Larry Williams and Karen Rogers.
Williams is up against a term limit — and so will not run — and both Rogers and Braun have said they will not seek re-election in the general election on Nov. 3.
Deputy Mayor Betsy Wharton is up for re-election this year for Position No. 4. She said she will seek a second term.
Little said he will not challenge Wharton because of his support for the deputy mayor.
“I think she is a good council member,” he said.
“Philosophically I think we have some similar beliefs and different beliefs, but I think she is a person with high integrity.”
The retired dentist — who has served on the city Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission and the Clallam County YMCA Board of Directors — said he is running for the council because he wants to take a larger role in influencing the direction of city government.
Wants larger role
Little said he would provide additional leadership and a “big picture” approach to the City Council.
“The first thing that needs to be done is to build a consensus of a ‘like vision,'” he said.
“What I want to see in a City Council person is just some vision of where we want to be in five, 10 years in the future. And I think that vision is what I want to contribute to the process.”
But Little admits he would have to face a steep learning curve if elected.
“I’ll be the first one to say that I don’t know policy and procedure,” he said.
“I don’t know the technical sides of the various departments. But that’s why you hire staff. The staff people are the experts in those given fields.”
Little said — prior to Tuesday’s count of ballots in which the measure was approved — that he was in favor of creating a metropolitan park district to fund William Shore Memorial Pool through a property tax levy.
“I think a district makes sense on a user-base-point-of-view,” he said.
“A district more represents the actual user base of the facility.”
Little said he also wants to bring more transparency to the City Council.
“That’s what I want to bring to the table,” he said.
“I’m not saying it’s not already there, but that’s the voice and tone I want to bring to it.”
Public health hero
Little, who was a recipient of the Public Health Hero of Clallam County Award in 2008, has lived in Port Angeles since he retired from dentistry practice in Port Townsend in 2000.
Currently, he also serves on the state Healthcare Leadership Council and previously served as president of the Rhody Run in Port Townsend, Port Angeles Swim Team treasurer, Port Townsend Swim Club president and Port Townsend Swan School president.
For people interested in running for the City Council or any other position this November, filing packets are available in the Clallam County Auditor’s Office election center on the lower level of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
