I have always said that as long as my daughter Victoria was in La Conner schools, I was happy to be mayor. That season has come to an end, and it is time for La Conner to choose a new representative to lead the community. May 15 through 19 interested candidates will have the opportunity to file with the county’s elections office for both the mayor’s position and two other town offices. As a result, the La Conner Weekly News asked me to write a short, 500-word piece on what qualities the next mayor should possess. I agreed to provide input recognizing this is an extremely important decision for our citizens.

Over the next 10 years, amongst other things, the La Conner community will need to address significant challenges in the areas of water and sewer infrastructure. Additionally, it must develop a comprehensive strategy for dealing with flood threats from both the river and the channel. These projects are estimated to cost in the tens of millions of dollars. Although this can seem daunting, a united community can successfully address all our needs. As with any large-scale town projects, planning has already begun in these areas.

When I first came into office, I didn’t know any of La Conner’s political players. It was clear, however, that the two main factions preferred to battle one another, almost as if for sport, rather than work together. Early on, our team made a conscious decision that we would not engage in that behavior. And although it took several years to bear fruit, our project-oriented approach laid the groundwork for close to 30 million dollars in infrastructure projects completed over a 16-year period.

Having no prior experience in government, it took me two to three years to really understand how best to utilize our resources and systems as productively as possible. This role requires an individual who is prepared to dedicate the time necessary for success. And although compensation is not the goal, one should be able to prioritize the mayor’s position as their most important work-related activity.

You may find this surprising, but La Conner’s municipal structure does not grant the mayor a vote. The only scenario where this is not true is when called upon to break a tie of the council. I have always viewed this as a very enviable position because it allows the mayor to be the town’s broker between the government and its citizens. This is particularly important when there are individuals who are not pleased with an outcome regarding a specific issue. At the end of the day, the mayor is responsible for hiring competent staff and administering La Conner’s code (law) as developed by the La Conner Town Council for as long as our government structures have been in place.

There is so much more that could be discussed, but I will end here. I am hopeful for the La Conner community, and I know our future will be bright if we thoughtfully move forward.

Ramon Hayes was first elected in 2007 and last won reelection in 2019.