East Wenatchee Council Member Steps Down, Citing Health Challenges

East Wenatchee City Council member Sasha Sleiman is resigning from her position over health reasons.

Surprise announcement made during council meeting

Sleiman made the surprise announcement toward the end of Tuesday night's council meeting, which she attended on Zoom.

"I think the citizens of East Wenatchee deserve somebody who can be consistently with all of you at all of the events and all of the meetings and all of the things," said Sleiman.

She did not specify what her medical complications are, except to say she's dealing with them now.

"I was in the ER today, having dragged myself down," Sleimen said. "The medical stuff that I'm dealing with is just super...inconsistent. And I'm still trying to figure all of it out."

Sleiman was appointed to the city council in March 2020 to fill the seat vacated by now-Mayor Jerrilea Crawford. She was then reelected the next year. Sleimen’s current term runs through 2026.

She was recently appointed as serve as East Wenatchee Mayor Pro Tempore at a council meeting she was not present for.

Sleiman's transition off City Council

Sleiman said her last day would be March 5.

Mayor Crawford noted there are procedures in place for appointing a replacement council member, but said the council would have the final say on how to move forward. She said they would discuss the matter further at next month's city council workshop.

Sleimen has a full-time career job with Chelan County where she’s employed as the Housing Program Manager.