Summary

In his distinguished public service career spanning more than 50 years, Lloyd Hara has served as King County’s youngest Auditor, Seattle City Treasurer, Seattle Port Commissioner, and King County Assessor

Story

WHEREAS, in his distinguished public service career spanning more than 50 years, Lloyd Hara has served as King County’s youngest Auditor, Seattle City Treasurer, Seattle Port Commissioner, and King County Assessor, and he is retiring at the end of this year; and

WHEREAS, Hara has been recognized as a leader and innovator, and under his leadership, the King County Assessor’s Office won nine awards, including the International Association of Assessing Officers’ highest honor, the Distinguished Assessment Jurisdiction Award, and the Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration Award; and

WHEREAS, under Hara’s direction, the Assessor’s Office developed the award-winning web application LocalScape.com, which received the 2015 National Association of Counties’ Civic Education and Public Information Achievement Award; the office launched a new website that garners four million page views per month; and four King County agencies collaborated to launch eAppeals, a web-based service that allows online property assessment appeals; and

WHEREAS, as Seattle City Treasurer, Hara was named the nation’s best Treasurer and won accolades from the Government Finance Officers Association, the Association of Government Accountants, and the Municipal Treasurers Association of the United States and Canada; and

WHEREAS, Hara has served as the Regional Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and as an Adjunct Professor at Seattle University; and

WHEREAS, Hara is a community leader and activist: he founded the Seattle International District Rotary Club and obtained a landmark Supreme Court decision to admit female members to national service club organizations; he co-founded the Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials, North Seattle College Foundation, Employment Opportunity Center, and Columbia Club of Seattle for low-income seniors; and he is a past president of the Japanese American Citizens League, Seattle Chapter;

NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Metropolitan King County Council, proclaim December 8, 2015, as

in King County in recognition of his lifetime of public service and wish him and his family happiness in the next chapter of their lives.

DATED this seventh day of December, 2015.