Tacoma City Council Appoints Joseph Lopez to District 1 Position

Joseph Lopez was selected today out of 15 applicants and appointed by the Tacoma City Council to the vacant District 1 position. Lopez will serve District 1 – which generally represents the north and west ends of Tacoma – for a term to be effective Jan. 1, 2014 and ending upon Council Member Anders Ibsen’s return from military service.

Lopez is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, and has been licensed to practice law in Washington for nearly 20 years. He began his legal career serving on active duty in the Navy as a Lieutenant for three and 1/2 years, and is currently employed at the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle. 

Involved in volunteer and public services activities since the beginning of his legal career, Lopez recently spent three years on the City's Board of Ethics helping to revise and expand the City's Code of Ethics which was subsequently enacted into law. He is currently a member of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra's Board of Directors where, as the only attorney presently serving on the Board, he has been deeply involved in the Orchestra's search for its next music director. 

“My wife and I love Tacoma, and consider our years here to be the best years of our lives,” said Lopez. “I look forward to expanding the scope of my activities in service to the community as a member of the Council.”

The City Council is responsible for enacting all legislation, developing policies and making general decisions for governing the City organization. Council is charged with adopting and amending City laws, approving the biennial budget, establishing City policies and standards, approving contracts and agreements, and representing the City in the community. 

Effective Jan. 1, 2014, Council Members will receive an annual salary of $42,411.20.