Mountlake Terrace City Councilmember Steve Woodard has announced that he will be seeking another term on the council.

Woodard was appointed to the city council’s Position 2 seat in February 2019, filling the remainder of the term for long-time Councilmember and Mayor Jerry Smith, who died in December 2018.

“I would like to think that in two-and-a-half years, by the time it gets to November, that (residents) have seen the type of work that I’m bringing and like the direction that the council has been going,” he said. “Because I definitely feel like I have had an impact positively on the council in that regard and it would be an honor” to continue in that role.

Woodard is the Dean of Access and Completion at Edmonds College and considers public service and volunteering to be core values. Prior to the council, he served for several years on advisory commissions including on the Mountlake Terrace Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission and the Mountlake Terrace Library Board.

“I think being on the city council is an exercise in listening first and foremost,” he said. “I would like to think that I’m a very good listener and then able to be kind of be bigger than the moment so I’m not just thinking about myself.”

Woodard said he’s proud of the council’s efforts to establish the Mountlake Terrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, adding he felt “the timing of that was incredible and I’d love to still be a part of seeing how that develops.” He also looks forward to continuing council discussions about creating a city youth commission, which he said is important.

“As we continue all these decisions about how we are growing our community, I want to be a part of that conversation just to make sure that we’re listening to everyone and making sure that we’re capturing those voices,” he said. “Because this is a very tough, to say the least, time right now because we are in the midst of growth.”

Mountlake Terrace has a seven-member city council that serves under a council-manager form of government. Councilmembers elect a mayor from the council at the first meeting of each even-numbered year, and the mayor serves a two-year term.

Councilmembers serve staggered four-year terms and elections are held every two years — in each odd-numbered year. There are no council districts in Mountlake Terrace — all seven members represent the entire city.

Other council seats up for a vote this year include Position 4, held by Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright; Position 3, held by Mayor Pro Tem Doug McCardle; and Position 1, occupied by Councilmember Rick Ryan.

Matsumoto Wright previously announced she will run for another term and both McCardle and Ryan said via email that they also plan to seek re-election.

— By Nathan Blackwell