Published: Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Herald endorsements / Monroe City Council
Experience a critical asset
With serious budget challenges continuing to loom over Monroe, experience wrestling with city government issues is a plus in this year's City Council elections.
That's because the four races on the ballot include just two incumbents, and both of them are fairly new, having been appointed to fill vacancies. So no matter who wins, voters will elect a relatively green council facing some very difficult issues and, therefore, a steep learning curve.
Our endorsements:
Position 4: We endorse the more experienced candidate, who in this case is the challenger, Mitch Ruth. Ruth, a longtime real estate broker in town, served five-plus years on the council before an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2009.
Ruth brings an assertive, conspicuously passionate approach to city politics, one that's backed by years of community service as a volunteer and member of various civic boards and commissions.
He's intimately familiar with Monroe's traffic challenges and possible solutions, as well as the checkered history of the city's North Kelsey development. Looking back, he says, it wasn't a mistake for the city to buy the land from the county, because it was the only way for the city to realize revenue from it. But he admits the City Council's micro-management of the project led to delays that "blew it."
Ruth is challenging Jim Kamp, who was appointed in June. Kamp, a computer consultant who has lived in Monroe for 14 years, argues for better marketing Monroe as a gateway to the Cascades, and working to draw more visitors to events at Lake Tye. He comes up short on creative solutions to the city's fabled traffic congestion, an area where Ruth ticks off numerous ideas for incremental improvements -- creativity the city badly needs.
Position 5: We endorse R. Todd Fredrickson, a corrections officer and longtime city hall watchdog, over Ed Davis, a member of the city planning commission. Fredrickson was instrumental in campaigning for the city's ethics policy, and he would push for clear and consistent communication between city government and citizens. His many years of civic involvement would help him hit the ground running.
Position 6: The incumbent, Bridgette Tuttle, gets our nod in a close call over Jason Gamble, mostly because her 16 months on the council mean she's already up to speed on the budget and other complex issues. Tuttle is a bright, committed candidate who clearly has worked hard to get there, and that work, we think, will pay off.
Gamble, a general manager at Frontier Communications, is also a bright candidate who, if he doesn't win, should stay involved and consider trying again. His experience in strategic planning is evident when he talks about ensuring that short-term decisions are in harmony with long-range plans.
At-large: In a race between two first-time candidates, we endorse Kevin Hanford over Joel Phillips for this two-year position. Hanford, a storage technician for Boeing, has lived in the area for 15 years and was annexed into the city two years ago. He argues for boosting revenue by completing the North Kelsey project, and communicating city issues more effectively with the public.
That's because the four races on the ballot include just two incumbents, and both of them are fairly new, having been appointed to fill vacancies. So no matter who wins, voters will elect a relatively green council facing some very difficult issues and, therefore, a steep learning curve.
Our endorsements:
Position 4: We endorse the more experienced candidate, who in this case is the challenger, Mitch Ruth. Ruth, a longtime real estate broker in town, served five-plus years on the council before an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2009.
Ruth brings an assertive, conspicuously passionate approach to city politics, one that's backed by years of community service as a volunteer and member of various civic boards and commissions.
He's intimately familiar with Monroe's traffic challenges and possible solutions, as well as the checkered history of the city's North Kelsey development. Looking back, he says, it wasn't a mistake for the city to buy the land from the county, because it was the only way for the city to realize revenue from it. But he admits the City Council's micro-management of the project led to delays that "blew it."
Ruth is challenging Jim Kamp, who was appointed in June. Kamp, a computer consultant who has lived in Monroe for 14 years, argues for better marketing Monroe as a gateway to the Cascades, and working to draw more visitors to events at Lake Tye. He comes up short on creative solutions to the city's fabled traffic congestion, an area where Ruth ticks off numerous ideas for incremental improvements -- creativity the city badly needs.
Position 5: We endorse R. Todd Fredrickson, a corrections officer and longtime city hall watchdog, over Ed Davis, a member of the city planning commission. Fredrickson was instrumental in campaigning for the city's ethics policy, and he would push for clear and consistent communication between city government and citizens. His many years of civic involvement would help him hit the ground running.
Position 6: The incumbent, Bridgette Tuttle, gets our nod in a close call over Jason Gamble, mostly because her 16 months on the council mean she's already up to speed on the budget and other complex issues. Tuttle is a bright, committed candidate who clearly has worked hard to get there, and that work, we think, will pay off.
Gamble, a general manager at Frontier Communications, is also a bright candidate who, if he doesn't win, should stay involved and consider trying again. His experience in strategic planning is evident when he talks about ensuring that short-term decisions are in harmony with long-range plans.
At-large: In a race between two first-time candidates, we endorse Kevin Hanford over Joel Phillips for this two-year position. Hanford, a storage technician for Boeing, has lived in the area for 15 years and was annexed into the city two years ago. He argues for boosting revenue by completing the North Kelsey project, and communicating city issues more effectively with the public.
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