SEQUIM — While outgoing City Councilman Ken Hays will miss the camaraderie that comes with being a civil servant, he is ready to focus on his personal life and building up family ties.
Hays resigned, effective immediately, Monday via a letter to Mayor Candace Pratt and City Manager Charlie Bush.
Hays has served on the City Council since 2008 and served as mayor from 2010-13.
“Two terms is really enough for any person,” he said.
‘On my mind’
Hays said that while his experience at the helm of city government “certainly was great, enriching and broad-reaching,” he has been considering resigning for some time.
“It has been . . . on my mind for a while,” he said.
“I was neglecting my personal life and even my family life for quite a while, and trying to devote more time to that was causing me to have less time to devote to my council responsibilities.”
Resigning “was a decision my family and I made together,” Hays said.
“It is not without regrets that I do it,” especially considering he received 1,387 votes in November’s general election and was re-elected to a new four-year term, which would have begun in January, he said.
“Even though I was unopposed, I had a lot of votes,” he said.
“That is not always the case. I feel that was a pretty strong vote of confidence, and I feel I am having to sort of turn my back and hopefully the public will understand that sometimes family and those things come first.”
Hays said he will miss the relationships he has fostered in his capacity as council member over the years.
“For me, it is mostly going to be missing the people,” he said.
“I’ve made a lot of good friends in the city. I expect to maintain a lot of these friendships, and that will be the upside.”
Time with family
In addition to having more time with his wife and son, the latter of which recently moved to Colorado, Hays can now devote more attention to the architecture firm he has owned in Sequim since 1988, he said.
Hays said he has every confidence in city staff to run operations smoothly following his departure.
“I think we are really lucky to have such a strong city organization,” he said.
“It is in really good hands, professionally and with all the volunteers. I think the government is working well, despite the normal ups and downs you would expect. It is really strong and efficient.”
Hays said he has no intention of running for political office again in the near future.
“I don’t really have any interest in higher office,” he said.
“I think municipal government is where you can make the most difference.”
He said that “maybe in four or five years,” after retirement, he might return to city politics “if there is a need and an interest.”
Hays’ vacant council position will be filled by appointment.
The term will expire Dec. 31, 2017.
The salary for this position is $250 per month.
Applicants must be registered voters of the city, have a one-year continuous period of residency in the city and hold no other public office or employment under city government.
Interviews for the vacant position will take place during two regularly scheduled or special City Council meetings in early January. These meetings are held at the Civic Center, located at 152 W. Cedar St.
Applications and information about the position’s criteria are available at the Civic Center, by calling 360-681-3428 or online at www.sequimwa.gov.
The deadline for submitting a completed application to the city clerk’s office is 9 a.m. Jan. 4.
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
