Sally Clark leaving City Council early after getting UW job

(CM Clark in West Seattle last month, speaking to Southwest District Council)
12:01 PM: City Councilmember Sally Clark already had announced she wouldn’t run for re-election – and now, she’s leaving early. She’s resigning in two weeks to take a new job with the University of Washington, described here by the UW. Council President Tim Burgess is expected to talk later today about the process of appointing someone to fill the remaining months of Clark’s term.

2:16 PM UPDATE: The timeline and details of that process have now been announced – from an open application period starting tomorrow, to an appointment on April 27th. Read about it here.

Diane April 2, 2015 (12:05 pm)

WOW WOW WOW; just heard this on noon TV news; shocked

Diane April 2, 2015 (12:12 pm)

so her salary is going up $35,000, to $155,000; and likely, much less stress; hard to pass that up
~
thanks for link to UW announcement

Tacitus April 2, 2015 (12:29 pm)

I would like to nominate myself.

Diane April 2, 2015 (1:28 pm)

So, does this mean that whoever gets appointed to Sally’s seat for now, will also be running to keep that seat, as new contender for the candidates who have already filed for that seat?
~
It’s been so long since a CM has been appointed, can’t remember how the process works

WSB April 2, 2015 (2:14 pm)

They have now announced a three-and-a-half-week process: http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=14952

Neighbor April 2, 2015 (3:48 pm)

Whatever happened to serving out your term for the public good. Too bad we didn’t know this sort of thing before she got voted in.

flimflam April 2, 2015 (4:20 pm)

hmm. I wonder if her running over that bicyclist in Tacoma and subsequent press had anything to do with this?

sb April 2, 2015 (4:35 pm)

Sally herself was the last person to be appointed to the council, if I recall correctly.

skeeter April 2, 2015 (5:07 pm)

Kinda lame to not finish the job you were elected to do.

wb April 2, 2015 (6:08 pm)

Wow, it’s possible to get a job at the UW?

underinsured gecko April 2, 2015 (10:52 pm)

Just like state auditor’s friend, they create a position.

Rick April 3, 2015 (4:54 am)

Just Pullin’ a Palin.

maplesyrup April 3, 2015 (8:17 am)

She had already announced she wasn’t running for re-election and she did a good job during her tenure, so I would cut her some slack on this. It looks to be a much better job; I’d be tempted to leave too.

public administrator April 3, 2015 (3:14 pm)

It appears that a history and civics lesson is in order.

Skeeter and Neighbor, Sally Clark was appointed to city council in 2006. The following year she won to retain her seat, and was then was reelected in 2011. So in total Sally has been on the council for nine years including a stint as president. Leaving nine months shy of her current four year term is hardly running out on her civic responsibility. Since Sally (and all current members) were elected at large there’s no district or section of the city left without representation.

Rick dear, there is a big distinction between Sally Clark’s retirement and that of former Governor Sarah Palin. For one thing, city council is a legislative body where eight other members are able to perform the duties until a caretaker replacement is appointed. Which can occur fairly quickly, especially with the discarded polls like Peter Steinbruck, Jan Drago, Richard Conlin and Tina Podlowski cast about. In comparison Sarah Palin left office in her first term forcing the Alaska state legislature to convene a special session.

The REAL criticism should be how is Sally the councilmember, quoted with “Today we answer President Obama’s call and the moral call to address the plight of low wage workers” at the passage of the $15 minimum wage legislation, going to reconcile with Sally the new government relations director for a public university that is trying to avoid providing that wage to its student employees.

Class dismissed.