City Council Member Aislinn Palmer resigns

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Aislinn Palmer’s recent LinkedIn profile picture. [/caption]

Election news and commentary by Charlie Bermant

Port Townsend City Council member Aislinn Palmer announced her resignation at Monday night’s business meeting, It will take effect on May 31.

And she’s doing it for love.

“I have a new partner, and he's in Seattle,” Palmer said. “As I was trying to coordinate between two places, Seattle and Port Townsend, it became increasingly clear that I wasn't going to be in Port Townsend for the long term. It was a hard thing to accept, as I had put down roots and had intended to be here for a long time, but once it kind of became clear that wouldn't be the case, it just didn't feel right making decisions for a future that I wouldn't be here for.”

City Manager John Mauro will present a briefing about the replacement process at the next scheduled City Council business meeting on Monday, May 20th.  So, if you want to serve on the city council without actually running for office, this is your chance.

Palmer first came to Port Townsend in 2016 to lead Bayside Housing in Port Hadlock. She moved over to Fort Worden’s Hospitality Department in 2019, where she worked until May 3 of this year.

She served the Port Townsend Planning Commission from 2018 to 2021, at which time she was elected (unopposed) to the Port Townsend City Council seat in 2021, with the term expiring in 2025.

City code requires the council to appoint someone to serve out the rest of the term. The city is required to publish news of the vacancy and solicit applications and conduct public interviews. The remaining six members of the council will then select the preferred candidate.  If the council is unable to come to a decision it will then be up to the board of county commissioners to select the replacement.

Another potential city council vacancy could occur at the end of 2024. Council Member Ben Thomas is running for the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat, but that replacement will only happen if he is elected.

The most recent council vacancy occurred in 2008, when Council Member Scott Walker resigned, and local restaurant owner Kris Nelson was appointed to fill the vacancy. She was elected to the remainder of the term in 2009 and was subsequently elected in her own right. She served a full term before endorsing current Mayor David Faber as her replacement in 2015.

Faber told the Beacon that Palmer was extremely smart, capable, and courageous, He said that she is a strong voice for what is morally right in government, something that is lacking in some public officials.

Palmer isn’t sure where she is going next career-wise; she’s keeping her ears open for something that feels right. The mission is really important to her, and she is hoping to find something that resonates.

“One of the things that really attracted to me to being in Port Townsend and working on the city council is that we're a relatively small community, and there's an opportunity to do things that other communities might not be as willing to try,” Palmer said. “We have this opportunity to lead on a lot of things that could really help other communities see other ways to do things, particularly with housing.

“So I think that there is still a lot of opportunity there that's not lost with me leaving,  but I'm definitely sad that I will have to follow it from afar instead of being a part of it.”