Lakewood council appoints Bokey mayor, Bell deputy mayor and proclaims MLK Day
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Summary
At its January 2026 meeting, the Lakewood City Council appointed Councilmember Bokey as mayor and Patty Bell as deputy mayor, issued a proclamation designating Jan. 19, 2026 as a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and approved the consent agenda including several contract addenda and an advisory committee appointment.
The Lakewood City Council at its January 2026 meeting appointed Councilmember Bokey as the city’s mayor and Councilmember Patty Bell as deputy mayor, and adopted a proclamation naming Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
The council opened nominations for mayor; Councilmember Lindholm nominated Bokey and a second was recorded, and the body approved the appointment by voice vote. Shortly afterward, Councilmember Branstetter nominated Patty Bell for deputy mayor; the nomination was seconded and the council approved Bell by voice vote.
The council also presented and accepted a proclamation recognizing the MLK Day of Service. Mary Moss of the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition accepted the proclamation and invited residents to a community MLK event at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom on Jan. 15, 2026.
Votes at a glance: the council approved the appointments and the consent agenda by voice vote. The consent agenda, read into the record by the clerk, included approval of meeting minutes (12/15/2025), claims vouchers in the amount of $6,629,611.28, payroll checks totaling $3,446,119.42, and motions authorizing contract addenda and code- and standards-related work. Noted motion references read by the clerk included motion number 2026-01 (addendum for on-call permit review support), 2026-02 (addendum for Thompson Electrical Constructors electrical services), 2026-03 (addendum with Keller Associates to update municipal code title 12 and the engineering standards manual), and 2026-04 (appointment of Eric Schmidt to the American Lake Lake Management District No. 1 advisory committee). The consent agenda was moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote.
Context: The appointments come at the start of the council’s new year of work and follow a swearing-in ceremony for recently seated council members. Officials said they intend to follow up on advisory-committee work plans and other operational items at upcoming study sessions.
The meeting adjourned after manager and council remarks outlining upcoming neighborhood meetings, an Association of Washington Cities event and the city’s parks legacy planning work.
