Battle Ground Public Schools Board President Troy McCoy presides over a 2019 school board meeting. McCoy has announced he will not seek another term on the school board, instead seeking one of four Battle Ground City Council seats up for election this year.
A current Battle Ground Public Schools board member is seeking a different kind of elected office this year, as Troy McCoy announced his bid for Battle Ground City Councilor late last month.
McCoy, who currently serves as BGPS’ District 3 representative, announced his decision to run for the Battle Ground City Council Position 1 seat in a social media post March 31. McCoy, an insurance agent in Battle Ground, previously announced a decision not to seek a second term on the school board. He was elected in 2017.
McCoy said that balancing growth and the quality of life in the city is a challenge for Battle Ground, adding that he hoped for council to be active in helping the community in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many people and businesses were irrevocably harmed by these shutdowns,” McCoy wrote in an email to The Reflector. “The next few years will be instrumental in determining our level of recovery.”
McCoy is hoping his experience on the school board will translate into a city council position, noting that “it takes four city councilors to achieve anything.”
“Simply having an idea or concern is only the first step,” McCoy wrote. “You need to be able to work with the rest of the council in a productive manner to be effective in any capacity.”
McCoy, whose tenure as a BGPS director included time as board president, said he made the announcement to not seek another school board term early to give potential candidates time to decide if they are interested in the position.
During his time as a director, the school board faced a number of challenges, including a lengthy teacher’s strike in 2018 and a decision to remove sexual health education instruction in the district in 2019, something that drew considerable public input.
McCoy’s best-remembered accomplishment was approving the return of middle school sports. The return was scheduled to start in the 2020-2021 school year, but the pandemic made it impossible.
McCoy’s decision to run for another elected seat comes from his ability to give the time and energy required for the position.
“I simply see this as a way to give back to the community that has been the place we raised our children, met so many amazing people and (were) lucky enough to run a small business,” McCoy wrote.
So far, the current Position 1 seatholder, Brian Munson, has not announced his intention to run. McCoy is the third candidate for four Battle Ground City Council seats up for election this year who have publicly announced intentions to run. Position 4 councilor and current Battle Ground Mayor Adrian Cortes has announced he is seeking re-election, while Position 5 councilor Mike Dalesandro announced he would not seek re-election.
