PORT ANGELES — Mayor Karen Rogers joined three other City Council members Thursday in re-endorsing former Mayor Richard Headrick’s Tuesday night appointment to the council to serve the remainder of Jack Pittis’ term.
The appointment has started a controversy because it was made so quickly, five hours after the application deadline and without interviewing any of the other seven applicants for the job, and because Headrick lost a re-election bid during the Nov. 8 general election.
“I certainly am cognizant and care about citizens’ reaction to this appointment,” Rogers said.
“To the average citizen, it may appear that we picked a friend, but what we picked was a person who could immediately work on complex issues.”
Rogers said those issues include the Eighth Street bridges replacement project — for which Headrick and Pittis were on the review committee; cleanup of the former Rayonier mill site; the Port Angeles International Gateway Transportation Center; $27 million in combined sewer overflow projects the state has required by 2015; the Elwha River dams removal project; and land use.
“I am committed to lead and respect an inclusive community,” Rogers said.
“It will all settle down. Richard’s not the mayor. We selected the best qualified person.”