Stucky originally planned to serve out his second term which expires in 2008, but the property near Silverton that he and his wife Rachel wanted to purchase suddenly became available and there was no time to lose.

Stucky's tenure at City Council was marked by a shift in political temperament and city governance. He served his first term under Mike Swaim and his second term has been spent working with Mayor Janet Taylor.

"When there is mayoral change, I think people look at the makeup of the City Council based on who the mayor is. In my years on the Council it was pretty obvious that I went from being the most conservative Councilor to the most liberal overnight. And I hadn't changed," Stucky said. "It's not good when I'm the most liberal or conservative member of the Council because I'm neither. You're not getting a complete array of opinion."

This unique position provided Stucky with interesting insights related to the process of governing a city like Salem. He feels both administrations had both positive and negative aspects.

"The previous administration had good policies but moved too fast for this community. I think if you look at some of the things this Council is doing now, we are adopting similar measures but taking smaller steps to get there. Some said the last administration didn't listen to business, and now we have a reputation for listening too much to business."

One example of this slower approach that Stucky points to is the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement. Stucky supports the idea of addressing climate change at the city level and introduced resolutions to adopt the Agreement twice but it was voted down both times.

"We didn't adopt the Mayor's Agreement but we have taken steps in that direction. I'd like to see us move more in that direction," Stucky said.

Stucky also saw the demise of Salem Futures when the Taylor administration came into office. It was an ambitious plan for city activities based on environmentally sustainable practices.

"It is another example of a radical shift in policy when Mayor Taylor was elected. There is a strong tendency to not want to do anything that has the previous administration's fingerprints on it."

Stucky got his political feet wet when he began serving on the Highland Neighborhood Association 20 years ago.

"More citizen involvement was the catalyst for change in turning Northeast Salem around," Stucky said. "We began by picking up litter and then set our sights on Highland Park. There was more illegal activity going on than family activities. We organized the summer concert series to make the park more family-friendly."

Fourteen years later the concert series is going strong, the park's tennis courts have been repaved, there are lights, a stage and more play equipment.

Stucky also served three terms as president of the Planning Commission and has some strong opinions about its current composition. Many have complained that it is stacked with professionals who are related in some way to real estate and development. While he values the experience they bring to the Commission, Stucky believes a strong mixture of people from a variety of backgrounds ensures that an effective dialogue is created.

"It's not balanced. That is probably one area where this Council overreacted when it came into office," Stucky said. "The appointments to the Commission were one reason why I opposed expanding it. That solution didn't address those concerns that we created through our appointments. Expanding the Commission doesn't mean we won't appoint two more people who would exacerbate the problem."

Stucky's political experience taught him to beware how power is exercised and the importance of giving everyone a voice.

"The biggest challenge for any Council is not to get arrogant and think they know better, that their wisdom is greater than the public as a whole. You shouldn't be afraid to listen to people with opposing opinions. That's where we might get our best solutions. When I was on the Planning Commission we asked a lot of questions -- not just of the developers, but also of those who opposed development. When you don't have that dialogue and questioning, that's when people think you're just a rubber stamp."

Stucky will continue his 20-year career with the Willamette Education Service District as an educator for the vision impaired, and looks back on his political life with some nostalgia.

"My philosophy is that I've always tried to respect the process. I've enjoyed my years on the Council under both Mayors. It's bittersweet. I'm looking forward to having more free time but I will miss working for the City."

When asked what he'll be doing with all his new free time he chuckled.

"I'll be sitting on a tractor mowing all that grass."