LAKEPORT, Calif. – With his first term on the Lakeport City Council set to end later this year, Councilman Tom Engstrom said he won't seek reelection.
Engstrom made the announcement toward the end of Tuesday evening's Lakeport City Council meeting.
His seat, and that of Councilwoman Stacey Mattina, will be on the November municipal ballot.
In 2010, Engstrom announced his plans to run and then, due to increased responsibilities with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that September that he was dropping out of the race.
However, by that time Engstrom's name already was on the ballot and, despite his best efforts to tell people not to vote for him, he received the second-highest numbers of votes behind Mattina.
Engstrom accepted the seat and has been an involved council member, serving as mayor in 2013 and acting an ambassador for the city.
However, Engstrom noted on Tuesday, “My life is very full.”
He said his current commitments means he's only home one night a week. “I'm not getting any younger,” said Engstrom, who turned 67 last month.
“I'm really happy the way things have worked out though,” he added. “This is one of the better things that I've ever done in my life.”
Engstrom said he wanted to make the announcement so people can start deciding whether they want to run for his council seat. Filings won't take place until this summer for the November election.
He intends to work hard for his remaining 10 months on the council but needs to cut back once his term is done.
Engstrom said he and his wife, Cindy, have a lot of things they want to see and do, plus 26 grandchildren to visit.
“We will continue to make Lakeport our home for the rest of our lives,” he said.
Engstrom emphasized to his council colleagues, “You can't talk me out of this decision.”
Mattina joked that that's just what she was getting ready to try to do.
Including his three years so far on the council, Engstrom has 40 years of public service to his credit, including 11 years as the Lakeport Police chief, a job from which he retired in 2005; and a total of 25 years as police chief in several communities around the state.
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