Familiar face looks to remain on Gig Harbor City Council [The Peninsula Gateway (Gig Harbor, Wash.)]

May 08--Longtime Gig Harbor City Council member Steve Ekberg will look to keep his seat on the seven-member body as he plans to run for re-election this fall.

"I love what I'm doing, and I like the people that I'm working with," said Ekberg, 65, president of Pilkey, Hopping & Ekberg, Inc., an insurance brokerage in Tacoma. "I still have a passion to work with citizens and make the city a special place."

A Gig Harbor resident since 1972, Ekberg has served on the city council for 32 years. He was first elected in 1974 and was re-elected two times. After an eight-year absence to work and raise a family -- Ekberg and his wife Marion have two grown sons, Adam and Reid -- Ekberg was voted back into the office in 1994. He is the current mayor pro tem of Gig Harbor.

"And I've been doing it ever since," said Ekberg, who has served under four mayors and with more than 80 council members during his tenure.

One of Ekberg's top priorities is to make sure the city spends taxpayer money wisely.

"I've worked hard at doing that over the years," he said, noting that Gig Harbor has received clean audits from the state auditor every year since 1992.

The city weathered the Great Recession and weak economic recovery fairly well due a conservative financial plan and putting money away for a "rainy day," he said.

In a similar vein, Ekberg said he is always looking for ways to streamline the process of city government.

Another issue near and dear to Ekberg is parks.

"I have a great passion for parks," he said, noting that when he was first elected, the city had only one park.

Today, the city is home to more than 20 parks and three public piers.

Other important issue atop Ekberg's wish list: the expansion of sidewalks where needed, improving the 38th Street corridor and finishing sewer upgrades.

Like many of his colleagues, Ekberg said the "big one" is continuing to work on revitalizing the city's downtown business core.

"I've seen a lot of changes," he said. "We went from a fairly small town of 1,600 to a more sophisticated one of more than 7,000 people."

Reporter Brett Davis can be reached at 253-358-4151 or by email at brett.davis@gateline.com. Follow him on Twitter, @gateway_brett.

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