Government

Gig Harbor, The Maritime City

Incorporated in 1946, the City of Gig Harbor in Pierce County, Washington, is known appropriately as “Washington’s Maritime Village.” It is located on the Gig Harbor Peninsula in southern Puget Sound, the western-most of several sub peninsulas that extend southward from the dominant Kitsap Peninsula. The area basks in a moderate climate with sunny summers and moderately rainy winters. The Narrows, known for its  strong currents, extends southward between the Gig Harbor Peninsula and the city of Tacoma. Two 1-mile suspension toll bridges connect the peninsula to Tacoma.

The picturesque harbor for which the city is named has a 750-foot sand spit that extends across the entrance, leaving a passage less than 200 feet wide. The inner harbor is almost a mile long reaching a depth of about six fathoms. Gently sloping hillsides rise from the harbor in a natural bowl made up of historic neighborhoods, commercial districts, recreational marinas, and commercial fishing facilities.

The City of Gig Harbor utilizes a strong-mayor form of government. The city council consists of seven part-time, nonpartisan members elected at-large to serve four-year terms. The city council is responsible for enacting all legislation and making general policy decisions governing the City.

At the beginning of each year, the council appoints a mayor pro tempore from its membership to perform mayoral duties in the mayor’s absence. The city council regular meetings are the second and fourth Monday of the month at 5:30 pm in the Civic Center Council Chambers.