POULSBO — Abby Garland was appointed Jan. 27 to Position 7 on the Poulsbo City Council.

Garland bested a field of eight other candidates who were interviewed that day at City Hall by the mayor and City Council.

“I think it would be a good step forward for Poulsbo to have a someone with direct insight on what it’s like to be a mom in this community today,” Garland said in her initial interview with the council. “I also woke up [this morning] and I said, ‘Thanks, God, I’m a woman, I live in America and I’m able to come and apply for this position.’”

Early in the day, Ricky D. Moon, an unsuccessful candidate for mayor in 2017, dropped out of consideration, telling the mayor and council he has been diagnosed with cancer and that he needs to focus on getting well.

Five other candidates — Daniel Batman, William Broughton, Molly Merrick, Kathryn Quade and Paul Tweiten — didn’t advance to final consideration; Quade is a former mayor of Poulsbo.

Up for final consideration: Richard Cholometes, Danielle Murphy, and Garland.

Council Position 7 became vacant after the winner of the Nov. 7 election, John Bukowsky, said he could not take office because of the demands of his day job.

Garland will serve until the results of the November 2019 general election are certified. Compensation for the position is an annual salary of $9,000.

Garland ran as a write-in candidate for Position 7 in November. She is married, has three young children, and has a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and nutrition and a master’s of arts in teaching from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. She is a registered dietitian.

“Poulsbo is a wonderful place to live, and our family specifically chose to live here because of its great qualities and its proximity to family who live in Bremerton and the Seattle area,” she said during her write-in campaign.

“Poulsbo is growing, which is good for many reasons but also creates challenges. Front Street needs more parking to accommodate shoppers and festival goers. There is a lack of available childcare spaces in Poulsbo for working families. And for the many people who commute daily via the Bainbridge Island ferry to Seattle because of the affordability factor, including my husband, the commute continues to get longer and longer. These, as well as others, are issues that I look forward to bringing attention to in City Hall.”

During her campaign, she said of one of her priorities ”is to represent the interests of families, and as such I would love to meet regularly with local moms and dads, in a working group of sorts, to gather feedback on the challenges they face, and hear any recommendations they may have on how to better meet the needs of families in our community.”

When asked how she felt about the council’s decision to offer her a seat at the dais, Garland said she was looking forward to using her experience as a stay-at-home mom to serve the city.

“I’m greatly humbled by the opportunity and looking forward to serving the community in this capacity,” Garland said. “I think it gives me a unique position as a stay-at-home mom to be in touch with the needs of younger families that continue to come to Poulsbo.”

Several council members voiced their appreciation to the applicants for their desire to get involved in local government. While admitting that the decision was a difficult one to make, Council member David Musgrove couldn’t resist cracking a joke.

“I wish we could bring on more of the applicants that showed up,” Musgrove said. “It was a difficult decision and this isn’t like ‘American Idol’ where everything is hard, but it was tough enough that we were considering how to get rid of some of the current council members so we can bring some of you guys on.”

The City Council adopts and amends city laws; approves the budget; establishes city policies and standards; approves contracts and agreements; and represents the city. The council meets at 7 p.m. the first three Wednesdays of each month in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.

Garland will be sworn in on Feb. 7.

— Nick Twietmeyer is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be contacted at ntwietmeyer@soundpublishing.com. Richard Walker contributed to this report.