During his 11 years as mayor, Ron Onslow steered Ridgefield through financial hurdles and a period of rapid growth, emphasizing fiscal stability and thoughtful development.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, Onslow announced his retirement, effective Jan. 10, 2025, marking the end of a 17-year tenure on Ridgefield’s City Council. Onslow will step down to focus on his health and family.
Onslow and his wife moved to Ridgefield in 2005 after living in Vancouver, but his ties to the city stretch back decades. With family and friends in the area, he frequently visited Ridgefield in his youth.
“My uncle moved to Ridgefield and owned the property where Costco is now. He sold it quite a few years ago ... Back in the ‘40s and ‘50s, I used to visit my cousins there. I’d help buck hay, pick eggs from the chicken coop and spend time on his farm. So, I have a bit of history with Ridgefield going way back,” Onslow recalled.
It was a City Council meeting shortly after building his home in Ridgefield that sparked Onslow’s interest in local governance. At the time, the council had just fired its city manager and was in steep debt.
“I went to [that] council meeting and said ‘Oh my gosh I think they’re in trouble,’ and I wanted to be a part of the growth and part of making the right decisions,” Onslow said.
Ensuring Ridgefield had reserve funds set aside for emergencies was one of Onslow’s proudest accomplishments as a mayor and member of the council, he recalled. Today, the city has roughly $7 million dollars set aside for emergencies.
Another milestone was bringing a grocery store to the city. In 2019, Rosauers became Ridgefield’s first grocery store.
“We were trying to find somebody for a grocery store and we got it in spades when we got Rosauers. They were really a great addition to our city,” Onslow said. “We eventually got Costco too … Getting a grocery store made a big difference to us.”
Looking ahead, Onslow emphasized the importance of responsible growth as Ridgefield’s population is projected to increase by more than 10,000 residents in the next decade. He stressed the need for a new Clark Cowlitz Fire Rescue station closer to downtown and hopes the city can host a law enforcement training academy for Clark County. Ridgefield schools, he noted, are also in urgent need of expansion, as no new school construction bonds have passed since 2017. The City Council will likely advocate for a lowered 55% vote requirement for school bonds in the next state legislative session.
Onslow said Ridgefield has maintained its sense of community despite its rapid growth. He attributed much of that to the active involvement of residents in city projects, from park development to cleanup efforts. Organizations like Ridgefield Main Street and the Ridgefield Lions Club exemplify this spirit, he noted. Onslow emphasized the importance of preserving the city’s small-town charm while ensuring its development remains thoughtful and responsible.
“I think we can keep the small-town community feel,” Onslow said. “We are working very hard with developers, the school district and everyone involved in growth to make the right decisions to grow responsibly. The council has always had that in mind, and I think they will continue to prioritize it.”
Whenever a project arose, Onslow noted, volunteers always volunteered to step in and help — a testament to Ridgefield’s enduring sense of community. Onslow himself was an active member of the Ridgefield Lions Club and often witnessed the city’s volunteer spirit firsthand.
“One of the first things I realized was that I wanted to get some work done on our cemetery,” Onslow recalled. “We asked for volunteers, and about 80 people came to clean graves. We found graves we didn’t even know existed. It was incredible.”
One of Onslow’s favorite projects was the creation of Eagle’s View Park in downtown Ridgefield. After receiving permission from WSDOT to establish the park, he immediately began clearing the area with the help of an Italian exchange student visiting the town.
“I said ‘Have you ever used a chainsaw?’ He said no, and I said, ‘Well, I’m going to teach you.’ And so he and I went in and we cleared it. The [city manager] didn’t like that I did it without his permission,” Onslow laughed.
The city manager later shared that story with the Florence B. Wager Foundation, earning Onslow a 2011 award for his contributions to Ridgefield’s parks. During his time in public service, the trail system at Abrams Park and the creation of Overlook Park in downtown Ridgefield were also brought to life. In 2021, volunteers built the Onslow Nature Play Area in Abrams Park, named after the mayor.
Looking ahead, Onslow plans to remain in Ridgefield, continue volunteering and watch the city grow.
“I’m very proud of the fact that the city has maintained a small-town feeling that we have in our small downtown, and we try to help all of them out as much as we can,” Onslow said.
The City Council will choose a new mayor and mayor pro tem at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 during its regular meeting. Once Onslow’s resignation is effective Jan. 10, the process to appoint a new council member will begin. Information about the process and how Ridgefield residents may apply will be available by that date online at RidgefieldWa.us.
