Lakewood City Council Member Submits Resignation

LAKEWOOD, WA — Lakewood City Councilmember John Simpson has announced that he will be cutting his second term short, and vacating his position by the end of the year.

The City of Lakewood confirms that Simpson has submitted a letter of resignation. In it, Simpson says he will be moving out of the city, thus disqualifying himself from serving on the council.

He and his family will be moving to nearby Lacey, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

Simpson first joined the Lakewood City Council as an interim council member, filling in for Doug Richardson while Richardson was away on active military duty. After that appointment, Simpson was elected to the council's at-large position in 2013, and reelected in 2017. Unlike other council members, the at-large is elected by the entire population of Lakewood, others are elected by district.

Prior to his resignation, Simpson's term had been set to expire in December 2021. Instead, he will be leaving the position effective Dec. 31, 2020.

Before serving on the council, Simpson was a history professor at Pierce College for over 25 years, and for a time served as the college's faculty president. He also worked as a photojournalist for the Ranger Newspaper, and was embedded eight times in Iraq and Afghanistan with Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Camp Murray soldiers.

Once Simpson leaves his position later this month, the city will have 90 days to fill his seat. It can choose to fill his vacancy at any regular council meeting, or call a special meeting specifically to address the issue. If the city fails to fill the seat before the March 31 deadline, the job will go to the Pierce County Council.