Kent City Councilmember Dennis Higgins – who first joined the council in Jan., 2010 – announced on Wednesday, Feb. 27 that he will not be seeking re-election.
In 2017, Higgins was appointed to take over the council seat vacated by Dana Ralph when she was elected Mayor.
His two-year term expires in Nov. of this year.
According to the city’s website:
Dennis, his wife Karyn, and three daughters have lived near East Hill’s Clark Lake since 1995. He is a two-time Golden Acorn Award winner and Outstanding Advocate Award winner from the Kent Area PTA Council and has held PTA leadership positions at the Kent School District.
“It is an honor and privilege to sit in one of the seven seats on the Kent City Council,” Higgins said. “I’m grateful to my colleagues for inviting me back to fill the vacancy for the past two years.”
Higgins has served on various committees, including:
- King County Regional Transit Committee through the Sound Cities Association: former member
- Kent Lodging Tax Advisory Committee: former membe
- Kent School District Citizens’ Facilities Planning Committee: member
- Citizens’ Boundary Review Committee: member
- Citizens for Kent Schools: former Chair and is still active in the community organization that supports Kent School District levy/bond election campaigns
Here’s the rest of Higgins statement:
“The council accomplished a lot in two years. We have grown the police department. The city budget is stabilized. A partnership with the YMCA will ensure our city has public aquatic facilities and more community spaces for years to come.
“It is important for elected officials to remember: we’re allowed to sit in these seats for a period of time but the seats don’t belong to us. While I hope to serve again someday, now is a good time for me to step aside. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
“When we filled the council vacancy last year, I was genuinely impressed with the number of talented people from a wide range of backgrounds willing to serve their community. I’m excited to see what new energy and ideas might be able to bring to our diverse city.
“Kent is my home and my family’s home and I’m proud of it, but we can only improve if more people get involved. There’s plenty to do and I’ll see you on the volunteer trail.”
