Gary McVey was sworn into his position on the Poulsbo City Council during its Dec. 4 council meeting.

McVey ran unopposed during the 2019 election for council position number seven, taking the seat formerly occupied by Abby Garland who held the seat after the passing of Jim Henry in 2017. Following Henry’s death, John Bukowsky won the seat after the November 2017 general election. Bukowsky later declined to accept the position, citing the demands of his day job and Garland was subsequently appointed to the position by the city council.

“I want to thank the voters, who voted for me, it’s probably the one and only time I will be elected with 99 percent of the vote,” joked McVey after being sworn in by Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson. “I am looking forward to serving.”

McVey has served on the Poulsbo Planning and Economic Development Commission for the last two years. Now that he is a council member, Tim Morgan will be taking his position on this committee

McVey’s first act as a council member was motioning to approve a sewer rate increase, among other sewer related issues. Needless to say, the motion was a mouthful.

“Move to approve ordinance number 2019-21 … relating to the municipal water, wastewater, and storm sewer utilities amending various subsections of sections 3.12.100 entitled Utilities Schedule of assessments, rates, fees and charges for certain utilities. Revising title 13.80, 13.06 and 8.16 to revise how utility delinquency penalty is calculated, providing for severability and establishing an effective date,” McVey read at the meeting.

Councilman Ed Stern noted the serendipity of the moment, by stating that one of the first motions passed by the Poulsbo City Council in 1908 also had to do with the sewers.