April 2026 Message from Mayor Amy Howard

Joy in Civics

In January, I wrote about listening and learning, and about the importance of showing up for one another with curiosity and compassion. Three months into my term, I'm glad to report that's largely how it's been going.

I've had some hard conversations with community members over these past couple of months. Most of them have been respectful, even when we've disagreed, and I've been grateful for that. The discussions have been open and honest; hard, but worth having.

And then there's joy. I want to talk about a few thing that have brought me joy in this role. I know that choosing to focus on joy can seem like looking away from the hard things. I want to be clear: I see the challenges in front of us. They move in concentric circles outward, from our city blocks to our region to forces much bigger than any of us. I'm not ignoring them. But joy is not a luxury. Joy is what keeps me in the fight.

The presentation I had the privilege of giving at the Connectivity Summit, "Big Picture Jefferson County: Civic Engagement and Our Shared Future," alongside Jefferson County Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette and Jefferson Community Foundation Director of Nonprofit Services Crystie Kisler, was a recent bright spot. Looking around that room at the people taking time on a Saturday to engage in civil civic dialog, I felt so hopeful. I felt like it was a fresh start to an ongoing community conversation. We're working together so much better now. Port Townsend and Jefferson County are not rivals in a zero-sum game; what strengthens the county strengthens the city, and the challenges we face, from funding to housing to infrastructure to economic resilience, are too big and too shared for old grievances to get in the way of good work.

And now, a small confession: I really love using The Big Scissors. If there are any grand openings in the pipeline over the next two years, I would very much appreciate the invitation. Port Townsend, please consider this an official request for more ribbon-cutting opportunities.

On a more practical note (that also brings me joy), I want to give you a heads up that you'll be seeing more traffic impacts and temporary street closures in the months ahead as we work to repair our streets. Yes, Lawrence Street is very much in the planning stages for a complete repair. We know the streets are in rough shape. Clawing our way out of those potholes takes time, funding, and coordination, but we are working on it. In the meantime, please use the "Report a Concern" function on the city's website to flag potholes. If your street is more pothole than pavement, it's probably already on our great big list, but using that function also gives us the chance to follow up with you and let you know where it stands.

As always, I'm grateful to be here, doing this work, with this community.

With joy (and a pair of oversize scissors), 

Amy Howard
Mayor, City of Port Townsend