Bainbridge park board commissioner throws hat into Bainbridge council race

A member of the Bainbridge parks board has filed as a candidate for the Bainbridge Island City Council.

Michael Pollock filed as a candidate Monday for the District 6, South Ward council seat.

The seat is currently held by Councilwoman Sarah Blossom, the council’s longest-serving member. Blossom was elected to the council in November 2011.

Pollock is currently a commissioner for the Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park & Recreation District.

He won election to the Position 5 seat in November 2017 by beating longtime incumbent Kirk Robinson. Pollock’s term will expire in 2023.

Pollock has previously served on the Bainbridge city council. He was a councilman from 1999 to 2003.

His current term on the Bainbridge parks board has not been without controversy. During his first year on the board, he missed more commissioner meetings than he attended. Official records of commission meetings show that Pollock missed 11 of 21 park board meetings from January through November 2018, including meetings devoted to adopting the park district’s budgets for 2019 as well as training on Washington state’s public access laws.

Blossom is running for a third term in the South Ward. She filed as a candidate with the Kitsap County Elections Division Monday.

Four other candidates also filed Monday as candidates for the Bainbridge council.

Anthony Oddo and Kirsten Hytopoulos are both seeking the District 1, at-large council position.

Incumbent Councilman Kol Medina is running for re-election in the North Ward, District 2 position.

Councilwoman Leslie Schneider, who was appointed to the Central Ward, District 4 seat in April 2018, is running to retain the position.

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