Underwriter Fills out Bingen City Council; Trummel sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
By Ken Park
Bingen, Wash., Jan. 5, 2023 - Craig Trummel was appointed to the Bingen City Council on Jan. 2 after being interviewed and selected for the post in recent weeks.
Trummel replaces Isolde Schroder who chose not to run for the position, which then went unfilled during the last election cycle. That required the council to interview and appoint a new council member.
Trummel had previously applied for a seat on the council when former council member Joe O’Sullivan who stepped down in 2023 to move to Nevada.
Council member Michael Stahl was ultimately appointed to O’Sullivan’s seat, but Trummel made enough of an impression to be invited back for interviews at the end of Schroder’s term.
“I saw the Notice of Vacancy posted at the Bingen Post Office and wanted to serve my community, so I applied,” Trummel said in an email.
“I was happy to see Michael Stahl appointed to fill Joe O'Sullivan's position since I knew Michael had been observing and participating as a citizen at council meetings already. When Council member Schroder subsequently vacated her position at the end of 2023, I was honored to be selected by the Council to fill her position,” Trummel said.
Bingen Mayor Catherine Kiewitt asked Trummel what his areas of interest are in the City of Bingen.
Trummel expressed his interest in the city’s street and water systems, praising the recent work done on Humboldt Street and noting the unique relationship between the Bingen and the City of White Salmon.
“We have an interesting challenge as a city because we get our water from White Salmon, but we treat and take care of their sewer as well as ours,” Trummel said.
Trummel, 52, has a background as a private practice attorney, graduating from the University of Wyoming School of Law, but he currently works as an underwriter for WFG National Title Insurance.
Trummel had previously lived in White Salmon but moved to Portland and returned to the Columbia Gorge and Bingen in 2020 due to a work-from-home opportunity.
“I hope to listen, learn, and act in the best interest of the residents of Bingen,” Trummel said.
Trummel was sworn into his new role on the Bingen City Council on Jan. 2 and will be required to file as a candidate during the next election cycle to maintain his seat on the council.