The City of Sequim held the monthly Coffee with the Mayor meeting on KSQM FM Radio on Thursday, August 27. The Coffee with the Mayor program was developed in 2013 as a forum for the Mayor to meet informally with anyone in the community that has a question, comment, or concern regarding the City.
“The intent of the meeting is to discuss issues specific to the City of Sequim. Any responses to questions reflecting the personal opinion of the Mayor do not reflect policy positions of the Sequim City Council or the organization,” said Sequim City Manager Charlie Bush.
“The Coffee with the Mayor program has taken place with four different Mayors. This is the first time since I began working for the City in 2015 that a Mayor has commented on national politics that have nothing to do with the City of Sequim,” Bush added.
During the meeting, the Mayor was asked about his support of the Qanon theory and a recent trip to Sturgis, South Dakota.
“To date, as Mayor I have kept my personal life separate from my professional life and, as a result, I will not comment as Mayor on my personal social media presence. During our recent Coffee with the Mayor, I was asked about Qanon. While I believe that people should fight for truth and freedom, it was inappropriate to respond to this question as Mayor during a program designed to talk about City of Sequim issues. Similarly, in my personal decision to take a vacation this summer, I attended Sturgis. While there, I took proper precautions to protect my health, my family’s health, the health of my patrons upon my return, and the health of the Sequim community,” said Mayor William Armacost
Traditionally the Coffee with the Mayor meetings took place once a month at a local restaurant. Since May 2020, the meetings have taken place through a live call-in format on KSQM FM 91.5 Radio, because of the inability to meet in person due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The meetings are held the fourth Thursday of the month at 8:00 a.m. Participants can submit questions in advance to the City Clerk at smcmillion@sequimwa.gov or to KSQM at office@ksqmfm.com. Meetings may be cancelled due to holiday schedules. The program on KSQM is recorded and the recordings are posted on the City’s website: https://www.sequimwa.gov/600/Coffee-with-the-Mayor#:~:text=Meet%20City%20of%20Sequim%20Mayor,Street%20at%208%3A00%20a.m.