Rachel Anderson elected Sequim mayor 4–3; Nicole Hartman chosen deputy mayor
Summary
At an organizational meeting, the Sequim City Council sworn in three councilors and elected Rachel Anderson as mayor by a 4–3 vote; Nicole Hartman was selected deputy mayor. Council also handled committee assignments and ceremonial proclamations.
Rachel Anderson was elected mayor of the City of Sequim by a 4–3 council vote after nominations and brief remarks at the organizational meeting. Anderson, who had just been sworn in as councilor earlier in the meeting, told colleagues she values engagement and “data driven decisions” as mayoral priorities.
The city clerk explained the mayoral election rules and called for nominations. Councilors nominated three candidates; Anderson accepted the nomination and used her three minutes to outline a participatory, technology-forward approach to small-city governance. After votes were cast in order of nomination, the clerk announced Anderson’s election, 4 to 3.
Following the mayoral election, Anderson presided over nominations for deputy mayor. Nicole Hartman was nominated and elected deputy mayor; the mayor announced, “Congratulations, Nicole. You are deputy mayor.”
Both the mayoral and deputy mayoral selections were procedural votes by the seven-member council; the clerk recorded the mayoral tally as 4–3. The meeting proceeded to ceremonial proclamations and other business after the leadership votes.
Next steps: Anderson will serve as mayor under the council’s rules for internal election; the council confirmed committee assignments and will begin reviewing the comprehensive plan redline in February.
