Committee recommends reappointment of John O'Loughlin to Tacoma Public Utility Board

The Government Performance and Finance Committee recommended reappointing incumbent John O'Loughlin to the Tacoma Public Utility Board after interviewing three applicants on May 20, 2025. The committee voted by voice to forward the reappointment to the full City Council for confirmation; the committee recorded the motion as adopted.

The interviews gave committee members a chance to hear each candidate's priorities and experience. Nicole Emery, the city clerk, told the committee that one five-year term is available beginning July 1, 2025. Applicants answered three questions about the board’s role, why they want to serve and the biggest issues facing the board over the next three to five years.

John O'Loughlin, who is seeking reappointment, said the board’s role is to provide oversight for Tacoma Power, Tacoma Water and Tacoma Rail and to “hold ourselves accountable to our owners and our customers.” O'Loughlin said his priorities are asset management—reducing life-cycle costs of utility infrastructure—and promoting a culture in which staff feel able to present their best ideas. He cited climate change planning and efforts such as forecast-informed reservoir operations (FIRO) as near-term priorities.

Christopher Heimertcher, an applicant with a background in power generation, said he would focus on preparing the utility for increased electrification and keeping rates low while pursuing sustainability. Heimertcher said he would "attend all study sessions," consult stakeholders and work to ensure the grid can handle more electric vehicles. "I think the best thing you can do for the citizens of Tacoma is to make sure that we keep the cost down while also maintaining as sustainable of an infrastructure as we can," he said.

A third applicant did not complete an in‑person connection during the meeting and the committee deferred that interview.

After the interviews, several committee members spoke in favor of reappointing O'Loughlin. A motion to recommend his reappointment to the full council was moved and seconded and adopted by voice vote. The clerk's office said it would contact applicants with the committee's decision and that the council would consider the recommendation at its June 17 meeting.

The committee recorded the recommended term as a five-year appointment effective July 1, 2025, with the term end date noted as June 30, 2030. No formal roll-call tally was entered into the meeting transcript; the motion was adopted by voice vote.

Next steps: the committee's recommendation will be placed on the full City Council agenda for June 17, 2025, where councilors will vote to confirm or reject the appointment.