By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

At its Monday council meeting, the Wyoming City Council recognized the two decades of contributions from former Kent County commissioner Harold Voorhees.

Voorhees, who had been involved in public service from the late 1980s, retired from public service in 2020 when he decided not to seek re-election as a Kent County commissioner.

Wyoming Council member Kent Vanderwood said he remembers when Voorhees came to him about running for the state legislature in 1986.

“He did not win that election, but he went on to serve on the city council, as mayor and eventually as state representative,” Vanderwood said. “Harold is the reason I am sitting here tonight.”

Voorhees was elected to the Wyoming City Council in 1987 and two years later, he was elected mayor. He resigned his position as mayor in 1992 to serve as the 77th District State House representative, which he did for three terms from 1993-1998. In 2000, Voorhees was elected as the 8th District Kent County commissioner and served on the commission for 20 years.

At Monday night’s meeting, Mayor Jack Poll read a proclamation thanking Voorhees for his years of service as a Kent County commissioner. Poll noted that Voorhees’s wife, Joanne, also has served in various public positions, including replacing her husband as the 77th District State House representative in 1998 as well as serving on the city council.

“We appreciate what you have done for this community, you have been leaders,” Poll said.

“Thank you Mayor Poll and council members, and City Manager Curtis Holt,” Voorhees said. “What a wonderful Christmas gift to be together with family and friends in a familiar venue of government…I thank each of you for your time, your talents and what you do for our city and we can always be proud putting up the Wyoming flag. This is a great place to be.”