PORT TOWNSEND — Former City Council member Sydney Lipton, who lost his seat to Freida Fenn in 2001, wants it back.
Lipton, 76, announced Friday his decision to run for one of the three City Council positions up for contention this year.
“Citizens deserve competent oversight,” Lipton said in an official announcement of his campaign.
“Inefficiency, fuzzy thinking and waste have no place in city government with tight budgets.”
Lipton served the council from 1999 to 2001, elected after his group, Make Our City and County Affordable, spearheaded the switch to a city manager form of government in 1998.
He was defeated by Fenn by a 52 percent to 48 percent margin in 2001.
“After leaving the council three and a half years ago, I see we’ve gone back to square one,” Lipton said.
“All the reforms and progress we made have been neglected.”
Seats currently held by council members Fenn, Kees Kolff and Michelle Sandoval are up for grabs.
Fenn announced earlier this year that she instead will pursue a graduate degree in psychology rather than seek to retain her council seat.
Kolff and Sandoval have not said whether they will seek re-election.