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After a contentious process, Anacortes council appoints Marsha Hunt to Ward 1 seat
Summary
Following interviews, debate over voting methods and three rounds of voting, Mayor Walters cast a tie-breaking vote to appoint Marsha Hunt to the Ward 1 city council vacancy; council had required a four-vote majority for confirmation.
The Anacortes City Council appointed Marsha Hunt to the Ward 1 seat on Feb. 17 after a lengthy selection process that included debate over voting methods, five-minute statements from five finalists and multiple rounds of voting.
HR Director Kendall Moyle reviewed the process and timeline for filling the vacancy, noting the appointee will serve until the 2027 election and be sworn in on Feb. 23. Council spent more than an hour debating how to select the replacement — weighing single-choice nomination methods, ranked-choice systems and variants such as a point-based (Borda/Bridal) method. The council eventually adopted a stepwise approach: take nominations to form a slate, then vote by paper or roll-call ballots; for this appointment council set a rule that a successful nominee must receive four council votes (a majority of the six-member council) to be confirmed.
Five finalists — John Gasser, Marsha Hunt, Courtney Oreck, Sarah Henry and Susanna Clements — each gave five‑minute statements and answered a round of one‑minute follow-up questions from council members on topics ranging from fiscal management to community engagement.
Nominations produced a four‑person slate (Clements, Henry, Hunt and Oreck). In the first written round Hunt received three votes and no candidate achieved the four‑vote threshold. Two subsequent roll-call rounds also failed to produce a four‑vote majority: in the penultimate roll call the council was split 3–3 between Hunt and Clements. Under a motion adopted by the council earlier in the evening and pursuant to the city’s council procedure on tie votes, Mayor Walters cast the deciding vote in favor of Marsha Hunt.
Mayor Walters announced, "I cast my vote in favor of Marsha Hunt," resolving the tie and confirming Hunt’s appointment. Council thanked all candidates for applying and encouraged them to remain engaged in city government.
Hunt, a long‑time resident with experience in city volunteer roles and familiarity with budgetary processes, told the council during her statement she would prioritize fiscal stabilization, close collaboration with staff on cash flow and an emphasis on retaining institutional knowledge.
