Controversial councilman on his way out

Jeff Sax can still smile about the political stances and gaffes that may have cost him his job.

Yes, the departing Snohomish County councilman, who lost to former council Chairman Dave Somers in the November election, has worries. One is about his reputation, which he believes is tarnished after what many consider major political blunders.

Just days before the election, Sax, 43, was chastised by fellow councilmen for releasing confidential information concerning a $70 million legal settlement between Snohomish and King counties over the planned Brightwater sewage plant.

And no one seemed to have forgotten how he and his father-in-law went about building a home in 2003 without a permit.

"The message that seems to have resonated with people is that Jeff Sax's integrity is low, that Jeff Sax is unethical and you shouldn't trust him," Sax said last week.

Though some would love to debate the issue, one thing is certain: During Sax's four years in office, you never had to wonder what he was thinking. Ruddy in the face and out of breath sometimes, Sax can make his point.

That's conviction, he says. It's something he says he had when he ran for office on a platform of making land-use rules easier for developers big and small.

Since his election in 2001, the council has opened areas of the county for development and approved an update to its comprehensive plan that builders favor.

But Sax says it's improvements to all sectors of the county's law-enforcement and corrections system that represent his finest hour. The county has added about 50 positions to the Sheriff's Office and more than 100 for corrections.

But without a political career in his near future, what will Sax do? It's a question he and his family have yet to answer.

With a mechanical-engineering degree, Sax could always look to that field. Before his election, Sax had worked for 10 years in the pollution-control industry with a Woodinville company.

But Sax says it's hard to see himself working behind a desk.

There are other sides to politics, he says, some in which you aren't the public face that everyone wants a piece of.

"In a way, it will be nice to be relieved from those obligations," he said.

Whatever he does, don't expect Sax to disappear. There's bound to be a land-use policy or political issue somewhere that he and others like him think requires a change.

In the meantime, he'll take the opportunity to get reacquainted with a family life near the Machias area of Snohomish County that's out of the public spotlight, a position in which his two children are glad to see him.

When he's ready, he'll rear that red-topped head of his.

"People will then know that I lead an upstanding, God-fearing life," he said. "So that if I do return to public office, people will recognize that maybe they were wrong last time."

Christopher Schwarzen: 425-783-0577 or cschwarzen@seattletimes.com