January 2026 Message from Mayor Amy Howard

A Commitment to Listening and Learning

I am deeply honored to have been selected by the Port Townsend City Council to serve as your Mayor. It is a privilege to represent this community that I love so much and to work together toward a thriving future for our city.

As we enter a time of great change, both within City government and in our broader community, I want to affirm my commitment to listening and learning. I believe that good governance depends on open, respectful dialogue, and I want to hear from you. Your ideas, experiences, and hopes for Port Townsend matter.

At the same time, I share a concern about the current tenor of our public discourse. We won’t always agree, and that’s okay. We don’t have to agree to listen, and we can learn a great deal from one another when that listening goes both ways. We can (and must!) do better at listening to one another with curiosity and compassion, even when we disagree. A colleague from across the water regularly uses the following phrase, which resonates with me: Get curious before you get furious. The challenges ahead require collaboration, and the way we show up for each other will shape our collective success.

I also want to acknowledge that the position of Mayor in Port Townsend is a part-time role, and it’s absolutely vital for me to keep my day job. I’m deeply grateful to my employer for allowing me the flexibility to serve in this capacity, but I ask for understanding that while I’m fully committed to listening and learning, my time does have its limits.

I want to thank outgoing Mayor Faber for his service and leadership. I’m grateful for his dedication to our city. And on a personal note, I want to thank my husband, Ahren, for once again loaning his wife to the community. His patience, love, support, and coffee-making skills make this possible, and I couldn’t do it without him. 

As we look ahead, I’m filled with optimism. Change is inevitable but how we shape that change is up to us. I invite everyone to imagine the city you want Port Townsend to become and to join in the work it will take to make that vision real. Together, we can build a future that honors our shared values and creates opportunity for all who call this special place home.

With gratitude and excitement,

Amy Howard
Mayor, City of Port Townsend