PORT ANGELES — Making the decision to step down from the Port Angeles City Council at the end of June did not come easily, Brendan Meyer said.
“I thought it was going to be easier than it was,” Meyer said of the conversations they’d been having with themselves over the past two or three months.
“I kept trying to talk myself out of it.”
Dealing with a serious health challenge — they will only say it isn’t cancer — and the stress of their responsibilities serving on the council finally reached a point where Meyer had to consider what was in the best interest of themselves and family members.
It was only after numerous talks with their wife, Hana, and daughter, Kaydnthat Meyer felt ready to make an announcement they dreaded.
But once Meyer did, at the council meeting Tuesday night, they felt relieved. If anything, they were concerned about disappointing other people.
Meyer came into office in January 2020 — just ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was the craziest experience,” they said.
Re-elected in November 2023, Meyer’s four-year term runs through December 2027. The city will start the process of seeking applications for filling the position 7; the council has 90 days in which to select a replacement.
If that replacement wants to serve out the remainder of Meyer’s term, he or she will have to run in the November 2026 election.
As part of their council responsibilities, Meyer represents the city on boards of other public organizations such as the Clallam Transit System.
Having grown up in College Point in the New York City borough of Queens, where public transportation can be an unpleasant necessity, Meyer initially was not interested in serving on the transit board.
But that quickly changed, they said.
“I learned a lot and we did a lot of good things that I’m proud of,” they said.
When Meyer’s family moved to Port Angeles in 2017, Kaydn was in the fifth grade. Next week, she’ll graduate from Port Angeles High School and Peninsula College’s Running Start program.
Meyer intends to stay in Port Angeles, where his father now lives. However, they intend to step back from public life for a while.
“I’m going to spend time with my family and focus on things that are close to home right now,” they said.
Meyer is still not entirely comfortable with their decision not to serve out the rest of their term, even though they realize it was the right one.
“It’s been a really good ride,” they said.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
