POULSBO — Jim Henry was reelected to Poulsbo City Council Position 7 Nov. 5, fending off a challenge by branch librarian Melody Sky Eisler.
As of 8:15 p.m. Election Day, Henry received 831 votes to Eisler’s 560. Council members are elected to four-year terms. They receive $500 per month.
“It was a pretty fair campaign, it wasn’t bitter,” Henry said of his and Eisler’s efforts.
Henry ran what he called a simple campaign. “I didn’t put any signs out, I tried to do away with that litter. I did everything through the mail and over the phone.”
He added that this term will likely be his last.
“I’ll be 80 when this is done,” he said. “I expect to spend a lot of time grooming my successor, whoever that will be.”
Eisler, manager of the Kitsap Regional Library Silverdale branch, ran an intense campaign. She had an online and social media presence, had supporters hitting the streets with signs, and received letters of support from as far away as Idaho.
“I tried to get word out to voters in as many ways as possible,” Eisler said. “I truly believe I have campaigned harder than anyone else in this area. I’ve knocked on thousands of Poulsbo doors.”
She also held four campaign events — two coffee-with-the-candidate forums, and two cocktails-with-the- candidate forums — speaking with voters about local issues.
“I really believe it takes a village to run a campaign and it was so important to bring local citizens together,” she said.
Her priorities were revitalization of Viking Avenue and listening to constituents. It wasn’t enough to sway voters from Henry, who has been involved in local government for 20 of the 31 years he’s lived in the area.
“Everything (voters) need to know about me they already know,” Henry said. His priorities include road improvements and expansion of the city’s sewer lines to handle forecasted growth.
Henry has served 11 years on the council, with a brief break from 2007-09. Before his time on the council, he spent nine years on the city’s Planning Commission.
During the campaign, Councilwoman Connie Lord called Henry “an honorable man” who’s “exceedingly reluctant at any time to raise taxes of any sort; he’s cautious and very protective of the citizen’s tax money, and he’s been the lone wolf on some votes. He’s always taken the stand of protecting property rights, but he’s very protective of the environment and gets what we need to do to protect Liberty Bay.”
Henry is also the City Council’s liaison to the Suquamish Tribe, and is active with the Suquamish Warriors veterans group.
Henry is a retired Navy chief warrant officer, but pulls in a few hours a week at Poulsbo’s Walmart, chatting with his neighbors.
Henry said of the election, “I enjoy the job, so whatever the people decide [in the election] I’m going along with it.”
