Editing Ron Sims

{{Infobox officeholder
| name         = Ron Sims
| image        = Ron Sims official portrait.jpg
| office       = 7th [[United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]]
| president    = [[Barack Obama]]
| term_start   = May 8, 2009
| term_end     = July 31, 2011
| predecessor  = [[Roy Bernardi]]
| successor    = [[Maurice Jones]]
| office1      = 6th [[King County Executive]]
| term_start1  = January 15, 1997
| term_end1    = May 8, 2009
| predecessor1 = [[Gary Locke]]
| successor1   = Kurt Triplett (acting)
|office2      = Member of the [[King County Council]]<br />from the 5th district
|term_start2  = January 1, 1986
|term_end2    = January 15, 1997
|predecessor2 = [[Ruby Chow]]
|successor2   = [[Dwight Pelz]]
| birth_name   = Ronald Cordell Sims
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1948|7|05}}
| birth_place  = [[Spokane, Washington]], U.S.
| death_date   = 
| death_place  = 
| party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse       = Cayan Topacio
| children     = 3
| education    = [[Central Washington University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| website      = {{URL|https://web.archive.org/web/19990910180122/http://www8.metrokc.gov/exec|County website}}
}}
'''Ronald Cordell Sims''' (born July 5, 1948) is the former [[United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development|deputy secretary]] of the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development]], having served in the position from May 8, 2009<ref name=hud>{{cite press release|title = (HUD No. 09-055) "Ron Sims Sworn In As HUD's Deputy Secretary"|publisher = United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|date = 2009-05-08|url = http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-055.cfm | accessdate = 2009-06-08| quote = Ron Sims was sworn in today as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.}}</ref> to July 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2015316056_simsleavinghudreturningtoseattle.html|title=Sims leaving HUD, says he's not running for governor|date=June 14, 2011|accessdate=August 27, 2012|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|first=Jim|last=Brunner}}</ref> He is also a former [[King County Executive|King County executive]]. Sims ran unsuccessfully for higher office twice: [[United States Senate|United States senator]] in [[1994 United States Senate election in Washington|1994]] and [[governor of Washington]] in [[2004 Washington gubernatorial election|2004]].

==Early life==
Sims was born in [[Spokane, Washington]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sims banks bid for governor on overhaul of tax system |url=https://www.lmtribune.com/northwest/sims-banks-bid-for-governor-on-overhaul-of-tax-system-3104ccdb |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=The Lewiston Tribune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandford |first=Christopher |date=2011-08-01 |title=Ron Sims - Chronicles |url=https://chroniclesmagazine.org/correspondence/ron-sims/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=chroniclesmagazine.org |language=en-US}}</ref> to Reverend James C. Sims Sr. and Lydia T. Sims. He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School and attended [[Central Washington University]] in [[Ellensburg, Washington|Ellensburg]], where he earned a [[bachelor's degree|B.A.]] in [[psychology]]. Between graduation and his election to the King County Council he worked in the office of the Washington State Attorney General, for the [[Federal Trade Commission]], for the juvenile offenders program of the city of [[Seattle]], and as an aide in the state senate. He is an [[ordination|ordained]] [[Baptist]] [[Minister of religion|minister]].

==Political career==
[[Image:Ronsims002.jpg|thumb|Sims speaking at a [[California Proposition 8 (2008)|Proposition 8]] protest in Seattle]]
In 1985, Sims was elected to the [[King County Council]], being reelected in 1989 and 1993. During his first term, he and fellow Councilman Bruce Laing led a campaign that saw the county rededicate its name, in 1986, to honor [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], rather than original namesake and slaveowner [[William R. King]], who had been elected as [[Vice President of the United States]] just prior to the 1852 creation of the county.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/mlk/motion.htm |title=Metro-King County motion |accessdate=2009-09-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000306143252/http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/mlk/motion.htm |archive-date=March 6, 2000 }}</ref> (The namesake change was legally enshrined by [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] in 2005.)<ref>[http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2005-06/Htm/Bill%20Reports/Senate%20Final/5332.FBR.htm Washington State bill information]</ref>

In [[1994 United States Senate election in Washington|1994]], he was defeated by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] incumbent [[Slade Gorton]] in an election for the [[United States Senate]].

In 1996, he was appointed King County Executive after the previous holder of the office, [[Gary Locke]], was elected governor of Washington. He was re-elected in 1997, 2001 and 2005.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

On July 29, 2003, he announced that he would seek the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nomination for Washington state governor in the [[2004 Washington gubernatorial election|2004 election]]. Sims made news in the campaign when he proposed replacing the state [[sales tax]] and [[business and occupation tax]] with a progressively graduated [[income tax]].  In the primary election held on September 14, 2004, Sims lost to state [[Attorney General]] [[Christine Gregoire]].

On February 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sims to become Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, being confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8, 2009 <ref name="HUD news release">[http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-055.cfm HUD news release]</ref>

On June 14, 2011, less than two years after accepting his HUD appointment, Sims announced his resignation and intent to return to Seattle, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015320389_sims15m.html | work=The Seattle Times | first=Jim | last=Brunner | title=Ron Sims to leave Obama administration, return to Seattle | date=June 14, 2011}}</ref> Sims' announcement followed the release of official travel records to [[Americans for Limited Government]] that showed Sims had spent 45 of 128 travel days during his tenure on trips to Seattle,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=577&a=30751&p=&n=AudioClip| title = MyNorthwest.com - AudioClip}}</ref> a statistic that the group said raised "questions about the legitimacy of these trips." A HUD spokesperson responded that the trips were legal and appropriate, noting that "every trip taken by Deputy Secretary Ron Sims was in response to a formal speech or forum participation request."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/obama-admin-political-appointee-takes-heat-trips-home-043107513.html|title = Obama admin political appointee takes heat for trips home on taxpayers' dime| date=28 June 2011 }}</ref>

==King County issues==

===Brightwater sewage treatment plant===
{{Main article|Brightwater sewage treatment plant}}
The Brightwater sewage treatment plant built by King County across the county line in neighboring [[Snohomish County, Washington|Snohomish County]] caused a number of issues, including a lawsuit between the counties over impact mitigation; cost overruns; and concerns over earthquake [[fault line]]s running through the site.

===Tent City 4===
On April 29, 2004, Sims announced his intention to temporarily locate a [[Tent City 4|tent city]] on county-owned land near [[Bothell, Washington]] and gave the King County Council 90 days to determine a more permanent location within the county for the tent city to be located. Opponents of the plan filed a lawsuit that resulted in the move being cancelled. In May 2005, the council voted to have a one-year [[Moratorium (law)|moratorium]] prohibiting the siting of homeless encampments on public land pending a review of the availability, suitability, and appropriateness of using county-owned land. Sims never conducted this review, and the moratorium remains in place, but the homeless encampment is currently moving from church property to church property throughout east King County.

===Critical Area Ordinance===
On October 26, 2004, the King County Council passed the controversial Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) to protect environmentally sensitive areas (such as [[wetlands]] and [[streams]]) and restrict development in hazardous areas (such as [[floodplains]] and [[landslide]] prone steep slopes).  The plan drew the ire of many [[property rights]] groups, rural landowners, and developers as the [[Local ordinance|ordinance]] prevented land owners from developing areas of their property that met the critical area definition. This included a requirement that landowners in rural areas that haven't already cleared their land must keep 50% to 65% of their property in its "natural state".<ref>[http://www.seattlepi.com/local/199779_growth16.html Seattle Post-Intelligencer: 'Critical areas ordinance' provokes bitter 'rural vs. urban' dispute]</ref> Three referendums to repeal the ordinance gathered over 17,000 signatures each, far more than the 6,900 required to qualify to be on the ballot.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002133729_criticalareas29e.html Seattle Times: Critical-areas ordinances challenged]</ref> However, a lawsuit filed by King County and a pro-[[growth management]] group prevented the referendum from being put on the ballot, and the state Supreme Court ruled that a state law requiring local governments to protect critical areas prevented local referendums from overturning critical area ordinances.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003490019_criticalareas22m0.html Seattle Times: Justices reject local vote on critical-areas rules]</ref>
On July 7, 2008, a Washington State Appeals Court found that the portion of the CAO known as the clearing and grading ordinance is an indirect and illegal "tax, fee, or charge", and that prior to restricting the clearing of land for lawn or pasture, King County must demonstrate how that act could cause harm.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008038535_criticalareas08m0.html Seattle Times: King County's rural-land restrictions go too far, court rules]</ref>

===Rails to trails proposal===
{{See also|Woodinville Subdivision}}
On May 16, 2005, Sims announced a controversial plan to purchase the {{convert|47|mi|km|adj=on}} Woodinville Subdivision railroad that runs through the east King County roughly parallel to [[Interstate 405 (Washington)|Interstate 405]] and replace most of its track with a bicycle trail.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20060520050747/http://dnr.metrokc.gov/dnrp/pa/bnsf/fact-sheet.htm Facts on King County’s Efforts to Save the
BNSF Eastside Rail Corridor</ref>  Although there is support for  purchasing the railroad in order to prevent its current owner, [[BNSF Railway]], from selling off the right of way piecemeal, the plan to remove the tracks has raised concerns from rail transportation advocates, environmental groups, and the owners, employees and customers of the popular Spirit of Washington dinner train (which ran on the tracks). It has also resulted in the formation of a [[grassroots]] movement, Eastside Rail Now!, which is aimed at stopping the removal of the tracks and at using them to begin a rail transit service in addition to their current freight and dinner train functions. In 2007, the [[Port of Seattle]], King County, and BNSF signed a preliminary agreement in which the Port would purchase the rail line from BNSF and then exchange the line plus $66 million to pay for removal of the tracks and replacement by a bicycle trail for [[Boeing Field]]<ref>[http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2007/02/26/daily5.html Seattle BizJournals: County, port and railroad sign preliminary land-exchange deal]</ref>

===Boeing Field airlines proposal===
In July 2005, [[Southwest Airlines]] formally proposed plans to spend $130 million on a passenger terminal and other facilities and move the airline's operation from [[Seattle-Tacoma International Airport|Sea-Tac Airport]] to Boeing Field after several months of negotiations with Sims.  The proposal from Southwest prompted [[Alaska Airlines]] to announce it would seek a similar agreement with the county.<ref>[http://www.seattlepi.com/business/233645_boeingfield22.html Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Southwest's $130 million plan for Boeing Field]</ref> The proposals were met with opposition from residents of [[Georgetown, Seattle, Washington|Georgetown]], the Seattle neighborhood north of Boeing Field, many of Washington's state and federal legislators, and the Seattle [[Chamber of Commerce]].<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002421712_southwest05m.html Seattle Times: Lawmakers against Southwest's proposal]</ref> After months of pressure from the opposition, Sims killed Southwest's and Alaska's proposals in October 2005, stating that while the area around Boeing Field might have been able to support Southwest's bid with only minor road improvements, it could not support both the Southwest and Alaska proposals without major infrastructure improvements.<ref>[http://www.seattlepi.com/local/244262_southwest12.html Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Plan won't fly: Sims kills Southwest's Boeing Field hopes]</ref>

=== Armen Yousoufian and Qwest Field ===
On May 30, 1997 Armen Yousoufian, the owner of the University Plaza Hotel in Seattle, requested documents from Mr. Sims’ office concerning the upcoming election (June 17, 1997)  about and financing documents for Seattle’s [[Qwest Field]].  It took Mr Sims's office nearly four years to provide Yousoufian with the documents.  Yousoufian eventually sued to be given the documents, and was also awarded five dollars a day for the delay, plus $87,000 in attorneys’ fees.  In 2005, after further appeal by Yousoufian, the amount was increased to 15 dollars a day bringing the total to $122,000, plus a further $171,000 in attorneys’ fees, which some claim to be the highest such fine ever assessed in state history.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2002460046_rulinged31.html Seattle Times: Right to know, Part 1: a county's negligence]</ref>  Yousoufian appealed further, and in January 2009 a divided [[Washington Supreme Court]] agreed that the $15 a day fine was insufficient.  Two justices recommended that the [[King County Superior Court]] award $100 a day, the maximum provided for under the law.<ref>[http://www.theolympian.com/109/story/737022.html The Olympian: Large fine may deter records withholding]</ref>

==Personal==
Sims and his wife, Cayan Topacio, live in the [[Mount Baker, Seattle, Washington|Mount Baker]] neighborhood of Seattle. They have three sons: Douglas, Daniel, and Aaron.

== See also ==

* [[List of African-American United States Senate candidates]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990910180122/http://www8.metrokc.gov/exec/ |date=September 10, 1999 |title=King County Executive }}
*[http://www.ronsims.com Candidate Website]
*[http://ronsims.wordpress.com/ Ron Sims's blog]
*[https://www.twitter.com/ronsims Ron Sims on Twitter]
*[http://www.eastsiderailnow.org Eastside Rail Now!]
*{{C-SPAN|37250}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ruby Chow]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[King County, Washington|King County]] Council<br />from the 5th district|years=1986–1997}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Dwight Pelz]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Gary Locke]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[King County Executive|Executive of King County]]|years=1997–2009}}
{{s-aft|after=Kurt Triplett<br />{{small|Acting}}}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Roy Bernardi]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]]|years=2009–2011}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Maurice Jones]]}}
|-
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mike Lowry]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of United States Senators from Washington|U.S. Senator from Washington]]<br />([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 1]])|years=[[1994 United States Senate election in Washington|1994]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Maria Cantwell]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, Ron}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:County executives in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:King County Councillors]]
[[Category:African-American people in Washington (state) politics]]
[[Category:Baptist ministers from the United States]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Seattle]]
[[Category:Central Washington University alumni]]
[[Category:United States deputy secretaries of housing and urban development]]
[[Category:Washington (state) Democrats]]
[[Category:Obama administration personnel]]
[[Category:African-American candidates for the United States Senate]]