Kate Hockersmith

Incumbent council member Kate Hockersmith has lived in Waitsburg since 1992. She has been a 4-H leader, Boy Scout volunteer and Friends of the Library member. She taught preschool/parent education in Waitsburg for 12 years.

She currently teaches music, organizes bluegrass jams, and provides music for many community events. She is on the board of Rural Youth Enrichment Services, a member of the Waitsburg Garden Club, the Fairgrounds Revitalization Committee, the Waitsburg Flood Prevention and Emergency Preparedness Committee, the Waitsburg Parks, Cemeteries, and Pool Committee, and is director of the Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Project.

Hockersmith was elected to city council in 2016 and says she enjoys serving the community and working with a diverse group whose talents complement each other, making the council very effective.

She sees her greatest strength as her extensive networking and ability to work well with others. As a 25-year community volunteer she sees the people who live here as the town's greatest asset.

Hockersmith says the multiple infrastructure projects on the horizon are the city's greatest current challenge.

"We have a lot of work ahead to meet the challenges that those updates and repairs will bring to Waitsburg," she said.

Another top priority is flood management and preparedness, especially with the likelihood of another significant flood in the next 10 years, she said.

"I would like to make sure our local flood plan is updated and ready to implement. In addition, I would like to see Waitsburg continue to upgrade the city's aging infrastructure," she said.