Bellingham City Council’s newest member, Councilmember Hannah Stone, was officially sworn in to the interim at-large position by Judge Debra Lev at the October 8 City Council meeting.
Stone will hold the position for the remainder of the unexpired term, which ends November 2019. At that point, she plans to seek election by Bellingham voters to serve in the at-large position.
“On behalf of the administration and the staff at the City, we welcome Councilmember Stone and look forward to working with her in the months ahead,” Mayor Kelli Linville said. “This is a busy time for Council as we work through our biennial budget, and I believe Hannah’s professional and community experience will help her quickly get up to speed with this process.”
Stone lives in the Columbia neighborhood and has spent time engaging with the community during her 13 years living in Bellingham. Her most recent community involvement includes time as campaign co-chair for Citizens for Bellingham Schools and representing the Superintendent Parent Advisory Council. Stone is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law and Meredith College, and has her own practice in downtown Bellingham as a U.S. immigration and citizenship lawyer.
Stone doesn’t have a personal agenda that motivated her to apply to the at-large position. She is looking to learn as much as she can about the process from her colleagues and reach out to constituents to find out what is most important to the community as the Council moves forward. Stone recognizes that serving on the Council is a privilege and is honored to represent the community.
“I’m very excited for the work ahead,” Councilmember Stone said. “The issues before the Council are important to our community and I’m looking forward to being a part of the process.”
Stone has taken over as Finance and Personnel Committee Chair and is a member of the Public Safety, Justice, and Planning and Community Development Committees. Her first full day on Council was October 8.
“We are excited to have Hannah on board as we continue to weigh important legislative decisions that affect our community,” Council President Dan Hammill said.
Stone was one of five nominees during the City Council’s October 1 special meeting in which the Council heard from 23 candidates. Other nominees included Lisa Anderson, Hollie Huthman, Shovia Muchirawehondo and Sarah Goodin. Stone’s name was drawn first for voting and she received a unanimous vote. The Council was faced with a hard decision and members were grateful for the qualified applicants who came forward for this position.
