Ron Haworth

Ron Haworth, one of the original Sammamish City Council members and later a deputy mayor, died today unexpectedly of complications following heart surgery.

Haworth served on the Council from 1999 through 2002. He was elected in 1999 following a career as a fire fighter and chief on the Eastside.

A staunch conservative, his demeanor was crusty and sometimes curmudgeonly, but he had an impish smile and a twinkle in his eye that revealed a softer inner-self.

His fiscal conservative nature helped lay the foundation for a new city that relied principally on property taxes for its revenue and operating fund. His was a bare-bones approach to city government.

Years after leaving the Council, Haworth was tapped to be on a special committee to recommend whether Sammamish should remain in the Eastside Fire & Rescue consortium.

He favored splitting Sammamish off from EF&R at a time when Samamish and EF&R partners were at loggerheads over how much Sammamish paid into the consortium.

An agreement was reached reducing Sammamish contributions and the Council decided to stay in the EF&R.

Haworth recently moved to Yakima, where he died. Details are pending. Services or memorials information will come soon.