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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) Patsy Cudaback and Paul Loots. No photo available for R. Todd Fredrickson and Bridgette Tuttle. (click to enlarge) Travis Brown, Jeff Frye and Tom Williams   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Edmonds council race to be recounted by hand 9/3/09 • Snohomish County Council, District 5: Four square off in county’s toughest contest 8/2/09 • Snohomish County Council District 1: Koster, Watson present stark contrast in style, outlook 8/2/09 • Snohomish County Council District 4: Gossett, Meador boast long records of community service 8/2/09 • Everett School Board: Six candidates address controversies, student achievement 8/2/09 • Granite Falls mayor: Three men wage spirited contest 8/2/09 » More ELECTION SECTION 2009 stories >   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, August 2, 2009 Monroe City Council: Tough issues face city By Sharon Salyer and Krista J. Kapralos Herald Writers Voters in Monroe can't complain about a lack of choice with their candidates for two city council seats. Seven people are competing in the August primary election for four runoff slots on the Monroe City Council in the November general election. The four candidates for Position 2 are Patsy Cudaback, Paul Loots, R. Todd Frederickson and Bridgette Tuttle. Cudaback and her husband moved to the city from Seattle about five years ago. That was a year after she was tapped to oversee the construction of a new YMCA facility, she said. With degrees in political science and business from Washington State University and a law degree from Seattle University, Cudaback briefly dabbled in building her own law firm before she decided that building a community would be more fulfilling. Her work at the YMCA's Monroe branch, where she is executive director, has seasoned her for community leadership on a broader level, she said. “Building a $12 million facility out here was not an easy task,” she said. “You have to find ways around barriers, and that's something I think I can bring to the council. I have perseverance in making sure things get done and seeing something through to the end.” Loots has served on the city's planning commission for the past two years. “I wanted to expand my involvement,” Loots said. The restaurant designer lived in Kirkland up until seven years ago, he said. That's when he and his wife chose to settle in Monroe because housing prices are cheaper than in King County. With an associate's degree from ITT Technical Institute in drafting, Loots said he is accustomed to planning projects from the ground up. “I'm very experienced in overseeing construction, and I know how to make difficult decisions,” he said. “I always remember that I represent my client, not myself, and I think that's very important to remember on the city council.” R. Todd Frederickson has not withdrawn his name from the election, but said he does not plan to actively campaign for the position because of an unexpected medical condition. Bridgette Tuttle could not be reached for an interview. The three people running for council Position 3 are Tom Williams, Jeff Frye and Travis Brown. Two of the candidates commented on the city's decision to buy land from the county near Chain Lake Road. While part of it has been developed, the remaining acreage, known as the North Kelsey site, has remained vacant as the economy tanked, leaving the city with hefty interest payments. “People who were in office at the time made a decision to get into the property development business,” Williams said. “If it's risking the public's money on an investment, I don't see that as the government's role.” Losses on the property could exceed $8 million, he said. Williams attended Western Washington University and the University of Phoenix, where he completed his bachelor's of science in business administration degree. Frye, who was on the City Council at the time the land was purchased, said the county property was surrounded by city-owned land. “We were worried that we would lose control of the look and feel of that area,” Frye said. He said he does not support selling the property to Wal-Mart, one of several big-box stores on a developer's list for buying the property. Frye has an associate degree in structural steel detailing from Lake Washington Technical College. Brown said he would work to bring more commercial and industrial jobs to the area so people don't have to make long commutes to their jobs. The number of people running for city council seats is a signal of the discontent in the running of the city, he said. “The town's feeling that things need to change.” City council members have responsibility for a number of city functions, including passing local regulations or ordinances, approving taxes, setting the wages for city employees and buying and selling property. A council term runs four years. The part-time post is expected to pay $100 per meeting, with a maximum of four meetings per month. Council Position 2 @List subhead:Patsy Cudaback Age: 43 YMCA executive director, Monroe branch @List subhead:Paul Loots Age: 40 Restaurant designer @List subhead:Tom Williams Age: 39 Co-owner of Adaptent, a technology company @List subhead:Jeff Frye Age: 40 Engineering technician @List subhead:Travis Brown Age: 25 Correctional officer, Monroe Correctional Complex READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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