Democratic Committeeman to Take a 'Back Seat' in Local Politics in 2014

After three years on the Lacey Township Committee, Sean Sharkey announced that he will bid farewell come 2014.

Sharkey, one of two Democrats on the Committee, announced in February that he would not be seeking a second term.

Sharkey strives to become a full-time teacher, he said. Due to few teaching opportunities locally, he might seek employment elsewhere, including out of state.

“I've also lived my whole life in this town, and it's great,” he said. “It's funny because growing up here we all wanted to get out as soon as possible, but when you finally grow up you realize that Lacey is a great place to live and maybe one day raise your own family. But it might be time for me to go see the rest of this big world of ours.”

The announcement came as “a little bit of a surprise,” Barry Bendar, Democratic municipal chairman said, although he knew Sharkey is seeking permanent employment.

“I know when he’s up there on the dais, Sean takes his responsibilities very, very seriously,” Bendar said. “He’s been out of school for a while…He wants to get down to spending as much of his time as he can to pursue his career. Being on the township Committee is almost like having a second job.”

While still on the Committee and in town, Sharkey plans to remain active in the community, as he always has. Since he became a Committeeman, he’s actually had less time to dedicate to different organizations, such as the Relay for Life.

“As for local politics, I plan on taking a back seat and letting someone else’s voice be heard. For now,” he said.

Sharkey comes from a politically active family and says it is part of his blood.

“It’s too soon to tell if there is any political future,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that if you don’t like something you should get up and do something about it instead of just sitting around and yelling at the TV.

“As much as I'd like to stay away from it for a while and enjoy being a private citizen, I'm willing to bet that one day I will look at things, be unhappy with them, and decide to get up and do something about it again,” Sharkey said.

But Sharkey still has 10 months left on the Committee, time he intends to use to work towards bringing certain projects, such as a local K-9 unit, to fruition.

“I was also researching the possibility of converting our truck fleet into a natural gas fleet, something I will continue to work on. I will still continue to look at ways to help the taxpayer in any way that I can,” he said.

Committeeman Gary Quinn said he was “very surprised” by Sharkey’s decision.

“He’s going to be missed,” Quinn said, adding that Sharkey was always a “gentleman.”

As a young man, Sharkey brought a lot of “different” ideas to the table, Quinn said. Although the two didn’t always agree, they worked together on the issues.

“He was very supportive of a lot of stuff during my time as mayor,” Quinn said. “He’s been a good asset to the overall Committee. He’s certainly somebody who has a very bright future.” 

But Sharkey does not yet know what the future holds, he said.

"And I'm happy with that," he said. "My life has been very structured for the past few years. I have an appointment book that is literally filled with not only meetings and events, but times I can hang out with family and friends."

Come Jan. 1, Sharkey won't have to schedule time to watch a movie with a friend three months in advance, he said.

"I may choose to move away or just hang around for a little longer. I kind of like not knowing exactly what's coming my way," he said.