By JACINDA HOWARD

The Mirror

The Federal Way City Council rang in 2008 by welcoming a new member as well as appointing a new mayor and deputy mayor.

Wednesday night at City Hall started with a party for newly-elected council member Dini Duclos, and continued with the swearing in of three recently re-elected incumbent council members and the appointment of 10-year veteran council member Jack Dovey as mayor. Council member Eric Faison was appointed deputy mayor.

Time to celebrate:

The 2007 general election race for Federal Way City Council position 7 between Duclos and past city council member Hope Elder was a close one.

It initially appeared as though Elder would take the contested position. But Duclos eventually pulled ahead, and by the time all absentee votes streamed in, she had won the election by a mere 335 votes.

Duclos, who publicly stated she would not run for a city council position again if she did not win this time around, celebrated her win Jan. 2 and thanked all those that helped with her campaign.

City council members, State Sen. Tracey Eide, Federal Way police staff, Federal Way Chamber of Commerce personnel and friends, among others, all came to wish Duclos good luck in her four-year council term.

Duclos concluded the festive gathering with a speech of gratitude. She thanked those who doorbelled, waved signs at street corners and conducted public surveys. She thanked her dog for bearing with her and giving up the accustomed summer visits to the beach.

“You are great supporters and I couldn’t have done it without you,” Duclos said.

She also reminded those in attendance that she plans to work as part of the council team, but will keep her personal identity intact.

“I’m still Dini,” she said.

New roles:

Following the party, city council incumbents Mike Park, Jim Ferrell and Jack Dovey were sworn in for another four-year term during city council proceedings.

Park and Ferrell then stepped down from their two-year terms as mayor and deputy mayor, respectively, when the council as a whole appointed Dovey and Eric Faison to these offices.

Dovey thanked Park for the leadership he provided during his two terms as mayor.

“He’s been a great example to follow,” Dovey said.

The move to appoint Dovey as mayor was proposed by city council member Linda Kochmar, seconded by Park and unanimously approved by the council. Kochmar nominated Dovey because of his seniority on the city council and his awareness of the business community, she said.

Dovey, despite being appointed mayor, wishes to make this term his last. Before his two-year mayoral stint and four-year council term are over, he plans to draw more Federal Way residents into involvement with their city’s government, he said.

“I want to make more people part of the community,” he said.

Also among his goals are to finish large projects the council has already started, such as the Symphony enterprise on the former AMC Theater site, he said.

“I’m going to continue what we built on,” Dovey said.

Contact Jacinda Howard: jhoward@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.