SEQUIM — Sequim City Council members donned fake bushy eyebrows in honor of retiring City Attorney Craig Ritchie, whose face is adorned with the real deal.
The be-eyebrowed council passed an ordinance Monday noting Ritchie’s accomplishments, and council and staff held a luncheon Tuesday.
Ritchie will retire June 3 after 24 years as the city’s attorney.
Council members named him city attorney emeritus.
“It’s mostly been fun for me,” Ritchie said. “It’s not often you get paid to sue people.”
Reflecting on his tenure, he said he “always enjoyed the litigation.”
Some of his notable cases include working against two propositions to change the city of Sequim’s collective bargaining policies and working to reverse the Ratepayers’ Responsibility Act initiative from 1996, which would have required the city to receive a vote of the people before issuing revenue bonds.
That state Supreme Court ruled in the city’s favor in 2006.
The city later issued bonds to help pay for construction of the Civic Center.
Following retirement, Ritchie plans to do some consulting, pro bono work and lobbying along with hiking, sailing and work at home.
Kristina Nelson-Gross was announced in April as his replacement starting June 1.
