City of Leavenworth interviews candidates for vacant council seat

LEAVENWORTH – City Council interviewed seven candidates to fill the number four seat left vacant by the resignation of Rhona Baron on Oct. 30. 

According to RCW 42.12.070, members of the council must appoint a qualified individual to fill the vacant position within 90 days. Applicants must reside within city limits, and have lived within city limits for at least one year. The appointed individual will serve the remainder of the term, ending Dec. 31, 2025.

Tibor Lak, Mike Bedard, Maggie Richter, Jennifer Webb, Ronald Duncan, Robert “BeeJay” Robinson, and Erika Hernandez were interviewed for the position. 

Lak served 14 years on the council. He was previously appointed by the council to fill a position in 2022. When running for reelection in 2023, Lak lost his seat to Baron. 

“I bring a lot of history, a lot of knowledge, and a lot of experience, and I care. I care what happens to this place. I think about it every day, and I've seen it change, I've seen it grow. I've seen a lot, a lot of good, some not so good, but it doesn't deter me from where I see the future,” said Lak. 

Growth is Lak’s biggest concern for Leavenworth, creating challenges with infrastructure, housing, parking, and public works. Lak suggested income assistance as a way to address affordability challenges for residents.

Bedard has a background in both construction and fire. Bedard and his wife own and operate the Suites on Main. He has served on the Residential Advisory Committee and the Parking Advisory Committee. Bedard’s biggest concern was housing, emphasizing the need to find solutions that support middle class incomes.

“I really would love to see a balanced City of Leavenworth, where my kids go off to college or not, or trade school, whatever they decide to do, that they can come back here and buy a home and be contributing members of our community,” said Bedard. 

Richter served on the Neighborhood Playground Committee for the upgraded Osborn Playground and is currently Board President of Cascade Community Markets.

“The [community visioning night] felt like there was a sense of community that we all love this place…There was a lot of shared sense of like, this is our home. And I think with that, it builds to what some of those most important concerns are, which I think is thoughtful growth, and that includes housing, that includes infrastructure,” said Richter.

Webb currently owns a hair salon in Leavenworth, but has experience in home remodeling, project management, and homeowner insurance. Webb’s largest concerns for the city were housing as well as overall cost of living.

“I do think we need to expand our housing thoughtfully…We live in a great community and a lot of people want to be here, so finding ways to balance growth is going to be our big challenge,” said Webb.

Duncan is retired, but does maintenance work at the Nutcracker Museum building. He started regularly attending council meetings at the beginning of the year. His priorities on the council would be water and sewage pipes under the roads, as well as improving residential roads and sidewalks. Duncan also wanted to see more parking spaces created, such as a comprehensive parking garage goal.

Robinson has 26 years of experience working across economic, nonprofit, service and education sectors. He was a MESA ambassador and scholarship coordinator for Wenatchee Valley College.

“Within housing, we're not just talking about supply, but also affordability, adaptability, quality and accessibility for a diverse community. Similarly, workforce housing doesn't just affect workers, but also local businesses, schools and the fabric of our community as a whole. These opportunities and challenges can strengthen all aspects of our community if we approach them proactively together,” said Robinson. 

Hernandez owns a wedding planning business and a mobile sauna business. She is on the Parking Advisory Committee. Hernandez’s greatest concern for the city was balancing tourism and over-tourism, with the need to address housing affordability and infrastructure.

“I do think it's about finding a balance so that our tourists enjoy it and find it easy to navigate and safe for them and all of that, but I do think it's important that the people that actually live here [and] are here full time can enjoy it as well,” said Hernandez.

The City Council broke out into an executive session to discuss the candidates. A decision date has yet to be announced.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media