Edmonds City Councilmember Laura Johnson resigns, effective Sept. 13

Edmonds City Councilmember Laura Johnson has resigned from the city council effective at noon Tuesday, Sept. 13.

City Council President Vivian Olson said she received an email from Johnson on Sunday announcing her resignation.

Johnson in late August announced via social media that she had sold her house in Edmonds and that her family was moving out of state, but said she planned to continue to reside in the city “for now” and serve on the city council.

Johnson was elected to the Position 7 seat in November 2019.

“We have not figured out the timeline for filling the vacancy yet,” Olson said, adding “it is unfortunate” that the council wasn’t able to fill both the Position 7 opening and the Position 1 seat left vacant following the death of Councilmember Kristiana Johnson using the same pool of applicants. The council last week voted to appoint former City Councilmember Dave Teitzel to fill the Position 1 seat. There were 17 applicants for that opening.
The council is required to fill the vacant seat within 90 days, Olson said.

  1. I wish Laura and her family the best in their new adventures in Portland as I am a “Portlandia” Oregonian at heart. A wonderful, artistic, eclectic, environmentally progressive City that has fabulous indoor and outdoor venues, museums, zoo and OMSI (volunteers welcome); compassionate and interesting people; fabulous early planners such as Goose Hollow’s famous Bud Clark (expose yourself to art) or Vera Katz (developed entire east side waterfront) with thoughtful neighborhood planning ensuring the old neighborhoods like Ladd’s Addition (where I grew up) Laurelhurst, Skyline, Washington Park Heights, Forest Park NW District, St. John’s or U of P area, Hayden Island, NE Grant Park Area and so many stable SFR with great architecture remain while transition zone outside develop with the easy light rail ( in high school we evoked change peacefully against Division St. Freeway) and thus Branford Light Rail and MAX was born, but also good biking, or walking…

    Happy Trails, Laura …. there are many to blaze, positive folks to meet, so many parks to visit, great food, yummy food trucks, breweries, music festivals all with that old “hippie” vibe!

    Peace, joy and happiness your way!
    Diane and Spike (woof) who loves all those parks.

  2. Best to you Laura. Thanks for staying true to your core beliefs. It was important to have the liberal/progressive citizens represented. Edmonds demographics have changed and your perspectives kept balanced representation on our council.

  3. You will be missed, Laura. You have truly been a bright light for so many of us in Edmonds and worked to uplift voices too often ignored.

  4. Thank you, Laura, for being “that voice,” the voice I knew I could count on to represent my views on the Edmonds city council. So sorry to hear of your departure, but I wish you the very best in Stumptown. And I will be following you on FB.

  5. There is a time to tell it like it is and a time to be gracious. This is a time to be gracious, like Diane and Dave who show such great class here. As the late, great newsman Edward R. Murrow used to say, “Goodnight and goodluck.”

    1. I’ll say this. Goodbye Laura and I am happy you will be going to be with your family. Good luck to you. I will not politicize my goodbye.

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