Incumbent Donnetta Walser in the lead for Monroe mayor; 2 challengers are nearly tied

Published 11:13 pm Tuesday, August 18, 2009

MONROE — Mayor Donnetta Walser will likely defend her seat in the Nov. 3 general election, although the name of her rival is less than clear.

City Councilman Mitch Ruth was in a near dead heat with former City Councilman Robert Zimmerman in Tuesday’s mayoral primary, with the two men splitting 60 percent of the vote.

“I will be curious to see who my opponent is,” Walser said.

Walser led all three candidates with 38 percent of the vote, or 523 votes. Ruth and Zimmerman both had about 30 percent of the vote, with Ruth winning 420 votes to Zimmerman’s 414. Numbers will continue to trickle in as ballots mailed by Tuesday’s deadline are counted, tipping the scales further. Final results must be certified by Sept. 2.

“My personal vote just went in today and I know a number of individuals in my demographic who have done the same. It could be that I finish strong,” said Zimmerman, who served on the City Council from 2004 to 2008.

The mayor serves a four-year term, earning an annual salary of $36,000.

Monroe faces a number of challenges in the coming years.

The city budget is a concern; more than $1 million in cuts failed to lift it out of the red. City revenue is tied to sales tax, an area that has taken a hit during the recession.

Infrastructure remains an issue as well. The city of 17,000 has grown by 24 percent since the 2000 U.S. census, a factor in congestion along U.S. 2, a major commercial corridor.

Those problems are familiar to Walser. She moved to Monroe in 1967, first joined the City Council in 1976 and has been mayor since 2002.

Ruth and Zimmerman also understand the issues, however.

Ruth grew up in Monroe and has served on the City Council since 2004. A family real estate agent, he faulted Walser for a passive management style during the primary.

And Zimmerman, a sales manager for an industrial supply company, decided to re-enter public life to deal with the city’s budgetary issues.

Time will tell which of the two will face Walser.

“We’ll see where that goes,” Ruth said. “But clearly 61 percent do not want the incumbent. I think the writing is on the wall for her.”

Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.