Soap Lake City Council member steps down

SOAP LAKE — A member of the Soap Lake City Council has resigned and is advising voters to cast their ballots for his opponent in the fall.

Dave Tweedy, who has been on the city council since 2018, announced his resignation earlier this week, after it occurred Aug. 1, citing health concerns.

“I can no longer care for our property due to a heart condition, diabetes and arthritis, so I have put it up for sale and will move closer to our children and grandchildren” in the Wenatchee area, wrote Tweedy in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald.

Tweedy, 70, is on the November ballot, but is asking everyone to vote for his opponent Karen Millhouse.

“Since I cannot withdraw from the next election at this point, I encourage everyone who would have voted for me to vote for my opponent Karen Millhouse so that she can be elected to a full four-year term,” he wrote.

Soap Lake Mayor Alex Kovach said Tweedy was a mentor who helped him work on policy when the two served together on the city council and worked on budget and finance policy together.

“I’ve had very positive experiences with Dave Tweedy,” Kovach said. “I really appreciated his advice and guidance.”

Tweedy moved to Soap Lake in 2016 and said he ran for office because he wanted to serve his neighbors and the people of Soap Lake, and because he believed the city was spending too much money.

“I ran because I believed that the city was overspending and that the spending needed to be controlled; don’t know that I succeeded on this point,” he wrote.

Tweedy also wrote that he believed his most important contribution has been as a “voice of reason” for the city’s residents.

“I have made it a point to listen to people and vote with what the people want even when I might disagree with their views,” he wrote.

As he prepares to leave Soap Lake, Tweedy said he enjoyed his short tenure on the city council, and enjoyed his few years in Soap Lake.

“I have enjoyed serving the citizens of Soap Lake and will miss them,” he wrote.