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Things are moving quickly for Ryan Romney.
Last week, the senior design engineer at Gennum Corp. was among seven candidates applying for a seat on the Liberty Lake City Council. After interviewing with members of the current council at a special meeting on May 12, Romney was chosen to fill the post vacated by Brian Sayrs who resigned last month due to illness.
On Tuesday, Romney was sworn in as the newest member of Liberty Lake’s governing board. In the next few weeks, he’ll turn his attention to his first political campaign.
The four-year term for the seat runs out at the end of 2009, meaning Romney will need to run on the next ballot to remain in office. Declaring for the race was a prerequisite for each candidate who interviewed for the vacated council seat.
Romney, 35, said he is looking forward to the task of “representing the people of this city.”
“I’m just an average, typical member of the community,” Romney said. “I feel like I have a good take on local government and can contribute something.”
Romney, who has lived in Liberty Lake for three years, said he doesn’t plan on stirring up too much controversy in his new role.
“I like things the way they are here,” he said. “I’m not looking to be a problem.”
Romney grew up in northern California and has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Eastern Washington University and a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Utah.
As for municipal issues, Romney applauded the city’s recent renovation of a manufacturing site that now houses the city library and police department. He opposed a $10 million bond that would have funded a library/community center, but was voted down last year.
Despite his lack of political experience, Romney said he is prepared for the challenge.
“I’ve always enjoyed learning,” he said. “I’ve wanted to be involved in my community and this is a chance that came up.”
Romney said he was looking ahead to the November election and running as a challenger when he found out about Sayrs’ position. Liberty Lake Mayor Wendy Van Orman said Romney will be a good addition to the team at City Hall.
“The first thing we noticed right away in the interview process was that he was very articulate,” Van Orman said. “He had some wonderful ideas.”
Sayrs’ departure means that only David Crump, Van Orman and Judi Owens remain from the original Liberty Lake City Council that formed after the area incorporated as a city in August 2001.
Council Member Patrick Jenkins replaced Scott Bernhard in April 2003. Joanna Klegin stepped in for Tim Shea in June of that same year. In May 2007, Neal Olander was appointed to take over for Dennis Paul. That autumn, Odin Langford, who fell eight votes short of a council seat in 2003, took over for Klegin who moved to Texas.
Langford has already announced he will run for re-election in the fall.
Olander, who has been at the forefront of the city’s ongoing tussle with developers and Spokane County over the distribution of funds from Tax Increment Financing, has said he will not be on the ballot. Olander has been a proponent of expanding sports facilities in the city, an idea that has failed to catch on.
“It’s been frustrating,” Olander said. “I thought it was a good idea. There are a lot of things that the city could do to improve the quality of life in Liberty Lake – but you need at least four votes.”
Candidates have until June 5 at 5 p.m. to file with the Spokane County Elections Office for the Aug. 18 primary ballot.
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By
Craig Howard
