Sharp appointed as new Soap Lake mayor

SOAP LAKE – Soap Lake City Council appointed Mayor Pro Tempore, Peter Sharp into the mayoral position at the Sept. 18 city council meeting. Sharp will serve as Soap Lake’s mayor until the November 2025 election.  

Former Mayor Allen DuPuy stepped down during the Aug. 7 City Council meeting. DuPuy served eight months of his four-year term.  

“First, I want to express my gratitude to the members of the Soap Lake City Council for welcoming me tonight,” Sharp said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside you. Together, we are demonstrating how effective local government can operate.” 

Sharp was sworn in by Interim City Administrator and Police Chief, Ryan Cox during the meeting after five members voted to confirm him as mayor. Sharp abstained from that vote.  

Council Member Judith Gorman asked Sharp why he wanted the position. 

He said he has seen the hard work that other people within the city have been doing and he looks forward to adding consistency. 

"I would feel my position as mayor, I can make sure, at least for that next year, as a mayor, that we will not fall backwards. We're going to move forward in a positive way. So, we don't have to worry about putting someone in place and having to remove them. I want to assure that (Soap Lake) thrives no matter what.” 

According to Sharp, there were no other applications for mayor, and he asked his fellow council members if they would like the position, all of whom declined.  

“I made sure that everyone felt comfortable with it 100% first,” Sharp said. “I made sure that they knew if they were going to vote tonight and that if one person was not happy; I was not going to do it. Then the reason why we did it is because we will have an election next year.” 

Although Sharp just started the position he said he is excited to work alongside the council, Cox and all of the other departments of Soap Lake to ensure the community is running to the best of its ability. He said that there is “no place like here. 

“So, it's not the lake that makes Soap Lake, it's the people, and it really is,” Sharp said. “Chances are you will run into someone from every part of every life in every part of the world right here in Soap, like there are Asians in Soap (Lake), like there are Hispanics, there are people in Turkey, Ukraine, Russia. This is where people want to be, because the culture is just very thick and it's thriving.” 

Previously Sharp said he ran for the Soap Lake mayor twice before he was elected to the city council. At the June 1, 2022, meeting Sharp gave the council a letter of interest for the open council position. He was elected to seat six in 2023. His term was set to expire in 2027, however as the mayor, his council member position has now opened. 

“I would like to say that I have been impressed by your class work and accomplishments through the Association of Washington Cities. I've taken some of the classes myself and certification,” Council Member Kayleen Bryson said.  

Sharp said he is a father, husband and proud supporter of Soap Lake. He said he is very passionate about things, likes to laugh and have fun. He said he likes to help people. 

“I always want to make Soap Lake great again and with the people that we have right now, this very minute, I don't believe that there's ever going to be a doubt that this is going to happen,” Sharp said.  

Sharp said alongside Cox, they have begun to organize and put fundamental procedures in place when he was the mayor pro tempore. The two have created job descriptions for the city positions, began cleaning out files, simplifying processes such as invoices and they are beginning a new payroll system.  

“We're simplifying everything, getting the ability for management to be able to do their job properly with no strings attached, no micromanagement,” Sharp said. “You put people in place that have the skills to be able to do the job, and then you should have no worries whatsoever that you know you shouldn't have to ever step in. So as mayor, I should never have to be in City Hall.” 

Sharp said the most interesting thing about himself is that he hands out around 50 small American Flags daily and always keeps around 500 in his truck. 

“I tell everyone, ‘Everyone deserves a flag,’” Sharp said. “If there is a kid walking down the street and the flag looks like these, chances are, I gave it to them. It’s a little bit patriotic. It gets conversations going and people love it.” 

There are two open positions on the Soap Lake City Council now after Sharp stepped up as mayor and Leslie Taylor resigned at the Aug. 21 meeting. Anyone interested in applying for one of the open Soap Lake City Council seats should contact city hall at 509-246-1211 for application instructions.  

    Peter Sharp, former Mayor Pro Tempore was appointed by the Soap Lake City Council to serve as mayor until the November 2025 election. The former mayor, Allen DuPuy stepped down during the Aug. 7 meeting resulting in Sharp stepping up as the Mayor Pro Tempore.