Ron Sims brings Northwest perspective to new job as HUD deputy secretary

IF confirmed by the U.S. Senate, King County Executive Ron Sims will become deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As councilman and then as executive, Sims served the county well for many years. He should leave with his head high.

Until now, the Obama administration has looked past talent in our region. Sims will represent our views on urban issues. He understands cities and counties and can bring particular Northwest sensibility to his new job.

Sims' leaves with a strong record of accomplishment — and some drawbacks as well. His strengths lie in his undisputable leadership skills. He is not afraid to buck the political establishment if he believes in something. Leaders should have guts, and Sims does.

Not everybody in the region likes Sound Transit — now, that is an understatement — but Sims and others led the way because they believe Seattle needed to take the plunge into light rail.

Sims has championed environmentally sound public policy and residents need only look to the county's expanded bus service to understand how hard he worked to improve bus transit.

People who know him best will readily say Sims was never one of those important people who forgot those with less status.

His career is packed with public service: volunteerism for Operation Nightwatch, mentoring for middle-school students, awards for inner-city youth excelling at sports and school.

The county ran smoothly under his watch for many years but also ran into problems with an expensive accounting and payroll computer system. King County Jail has much work to do to ensure it no longer violates inmates' civil rights.

County politics now kick into much higher gear. The executive office, as voters insisted, has become nonpartisan, meaning party apparatus no longer submits nominees for council consideration. Now, the council will appoint someone to serve as executive until the November general election.

The best bet would be a caretaker so the individual is completely focused on running the county, rather than campaigning for election. That gives voters more power.

Sims has worked hard on behalf of the county for a long time. After three terms as executive, some people are angry with him for various reasons. But he has served constituents admirably — often with an extra dose of genuine humanity.