More on council importance
Published 9:47 pm Thursday, October 7, 2010
I’ve asked council members and council candidates in several cities to tell me why the coming council elections are important to citizens.
Last week, I had responses from Edmonds City Councilman Strom Peterson and his general election opponent, Diane Buckshnis.
This week, I have a comment from Priya Cloutier, who is challenging Councilman Michael Plunkett in the November election.
Here’s what Cloutier said:
“City Council is the legislative arm of Edmonds’ city government.
“The biggest responsibility that the Council possesses is to determine the course the city will take: how we will make our money (business, taxes, etc.), how we manage the money that we do have, what services are important to the city (e.g. Yost Pool, the Senior Center, Fire Department), and our vision for the city (e.g. when do we allow fencing, how many cars are too many, do we allow dual-use buildings).
“The council and its members are important to citizens, as the Council is the body of government that affects citizen’s life most directly. Consequently, it is important to have a councilman who knows how to face city problems head on and makes decisions based on facts. It is also important to have a councilman who looks for win-win solutions instead of pitting one group against another.”
I’ll have comments from other candidates next week.
Plunkett leads Edmonds fundraisers
Councilman Michael Plunkett leads all Edmonds Council candidates in fundraising, having raised $26,108 and spent $11,293.
Two statewide measures on November ballot
When Referendum 71 qualified for the November ballot, it meant that our ballot would have two statewide measures.
The other is Initiative 1033, a Tim Eyman-sponsored measure that would limit government spending and apply additional revenue to property tax relief.
Often our ballots include state constitutional amendments, but this year’s Legislature didn’t propose any.
Referendum 71 asks voters to approve or reject Legislature-passed amendments to the state domestic-partnership law.
Who will run against Murray?
State Republicans are scrambling to find a challenger for U.S. Sen. Patty Murray next year. They don’t want any of the state’s Republican U.S. House members to give up their seats, and Attorney General Rob McKenna is focused on a future run for governor.
So, who? King County Councilman Reagan Dunn, son of the late Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, who named him after the late President Ronald Reagan.
A hint? An invitation to the King County Republican Picnic “sponsored by Councilman Reagan Dunn.”
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@verizon.net.
