To the editor:

Since the Bainbridge Island City Council has been in the news lately, this is a good time to remind Islanders of the opportunity to offer their services for this important and rewarding job. Four seats on the city council will be up for election this year, with the filing window open the week of May 13-May 17.

When I ran for city council six years ago, it was at the urging of Islanders who were looking for council members who would work hard with the best interests of the community as a whole firmly in mind. Members would do that work collaboratively and with consistent respect for city staff, the public, and the other members of the council. If you think you might run this year, ask yourself whether those are attributes you would bring to the job.

It is simply not enough to have some good ideas. Bainbridge Island deserves leaders who are worthy of our respect both for what they stand for and how they do their job. There are many Islanders who fit that description.

For this Island to continue to thrive as a community, some of you need to run for city council.

VAL TOLLEFSON

Bainbridge Island