Dear Friends, Family, Supporters, and Residents of
Des Moines,

After sixteen years in local elective office, and
twenty straight years of working on city-related issues, I’ve decided that this
will be my last year to serve as a Councilmember here in Des
Moines.

For twenty years, together with fellow city
Councilmembers and dedicated citizens of Des Moines, we’ve made tremendous
progress building and growing an economic/business base in Des Moines, assured
that crucial City services could be sustained into the foreseeable future;
adopted financially sustainable budgeting that didn’t rely on sales tax
equalization money from the state; and maintained a safe, livable community for
everyone to enjoy.
If we continue to do the
things we’ve been doing, Des Moines’ future is exceedingly
bright.

I’m humbled by the support you’ve given me over the
years, and the kind words shared with me both publicly and privately. My fellow Councilmembers continue to work diligently for what’s best for
the city of Des Moines as a whole and share our love for our
community. When you get
the opportunity, please thank them for all they do on behalf of all Des Moines
citizens.

Being a Councilmember requires many hours of reading,
studying, learning, listening, meeting, negotiating, debating, and working with
others to attain the goals we all set out to achieve. Often, we need to work alongside people who are passionate about the
issues, but may not have a full picture or the full facts that lead to a
decision … or the fact that the City is hamstrung legally to have to follow
certain paths … or that some decisions are best for the City as a whole, even if
it has impacts on particular neighborhoods. I’ve served with honesty, and have done my best to
communicate and engage with all constituents … talking at public forums, and
answering nearly every phone call, email or letter I’ve
received.

To my fellow Councilmembers, Thank you for entrusting
me as Mayor for four years.
That opportunity allowed me to
see a variety of things accomplished, most notably bringing the FAA to the Des
Moines Creek Business Park, and the alignment of Sound Transit’s Link light rail
following the path best suited for Des Moines. We’ve accomplished a great deal by working together
as a team.

To friends and family, without your love and support
I would never have had the opportunity to serve. I was meant to serve my community, and you helped make that come
true.
Thank you and I love
you.

And to the citizens of Des Moines who voted for me,
thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you. I’m honored to have had your
trust.

Fondly,

Dave Kaplan

Councilmember

City of Des Moines,
Washington