Attracting business top priority for Monroe City Council candidates
Published 12:01 am Wednesday, October 12, 2011
MONROE — All eight candidates hoping to join the Monroe City Council agree that their city needs to attract more businesses. To do that, some say, the North Kelsey territory needs to be developed.
Another issue they want to address is fostering a better relationship between the people and ci
ty government.
No matter the outcome in the Nov. 8 election, the City Council will have some new faces. Two incumbents, John Stima and Tony Balk, are not seeking reelection. There are also two incumbents running, but they are seeking seats that are different from the ones they now hold. City Council members are paid a maximum of $5,100 a year.
Position 4
Jim Kamp has been a councilman since June, when he was appointed to fill Margie Rodriguez’ vacant seat.
A month later, the city filed a lawsuit against Monroe Initiative No. 1, which wants to ban traffic enforcement cameras in Monroe. He voted for filing the suit.
“At the time, the initiative was in a gray area, and it could have opened the city to a multimillion lawsuit,” he said.
He’s running against Mitch Ruth, a former councilman who favored bringing the enforcement cameras to Monroe in 2007.
Ruth has since changed his opinion about the cameras. At the time, he said, he voted in favor because he understood that the cameras were never intended to bring revenue to the city.
“Money was not a problem back then,” Ruth said. “It was only intended for safety issues.”
Kamp said he supports plans for the city to build a wakeboard park and expand the First Air Field airport. The North Kelsey plan might need to be changed to make it more marketable, he said.
Ruth wants the government to be more transparent. He also wants to lower mitigation fees to attract businesses and development. This way, Monroe can attract manufacturing jobs and affordable housing, he said.
Position 5
Todd Fredrickson believes the council needs to take more time in reaching final decisions, and that the city does not properly communicate with the people.
“When someone expresses concerns, it needs to be followed (up on) by the mayor or the council,” he said.
He wants to attract jobs with better pay than Wal-Mart is likely to offer.
Candidate Ed Davis likes the idea of the wakeboard park and with the expansion of the airport.
“We can come up with more ideas and attract new ideas,” he said.
He would like to see more stores and eateries in North Kelsey territory. The territory should be family-friendly where people can also shop, he said.
Davis said he believes the government listens to the people. He said the council did the right thing to go to court about traffic enforcement cameras because the city is bound by a contract.
Position 6
Incumbent Bridgette Tuttle wants to attract more people to meetings and hear from different sides. She also would start a campaign to shop local and push for transportation projects that help people get to Monroe.
Tuttle was appointed to her current position in June 2010 when she replaced David Kennedy.
Tuttle said she hopes Wal-Mart can help attract other businesses and still make North Kelsey a place where the community can gather.
Earlier this year, Tuttle voted in favor of Wal-Mart, but the following week voted against it.
“The site plan fit the criteria, but it didn’t fit the North Kelsey plan,” she said.
Candidate Jason Gamble said he knows Wal-Mart will have an effect on local businesses. It is still unknown if the changes would be bad or good, he said.
Gamble agrees that the store does not fit the North Kelsey plan and said the city should look again at the plan and possible reevaluate it if priorities have changed.
He is in favor of using parks and Lake Tye to attract visitors, but for that the city needs people in that department to maintain them, he said.
“I would challenge city administrators to bring a budget that doesn’t cut the outdoors department by half,” Gamble said.
Position At-Large
Two newcomers are seeking the two-year position as a possible start for a political career.
Kevin Hanford is excited for the opening of Wal-Mart because it would attract more businesses.
Hanford still believes the North Kelsey territory can become a focal point for the community.
“I would like to see a community park or a performing arts center,” he said.
Candidate Joel Phillips said he opposes Wal-Mart because it would add to traffic problems in the area. He still favors the North Kelsey plan’s goal of creating a community gathering spot.
“I know it would (economically) hurt but we need an original feel to Monroe.”
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@ heraldnet.com.
Monroe City Council
Position 4
James G. Kamp
Age: 54
Occupation: Computer consultant
Website: www.jimkamp.com
Priorities: Bring more businesses to increase revenue; have more activities for the public; and maintain funding for the police department.
Mitchell (Mitch) Ruth
Age: 54
Occupation: Realtor
Website: None
Priorities: Putting people back to work; correct transportation issues; give the local government back to the people.
Position 5
Ed Davis
Age: 56
Occupation: Transportation security inspector with the Transportation Security Administration for railroads and buses in Washington, Montana and Wyoming
Website: None
Priorities: Make sound decisions; meet the requirements of the city; and leave things better than how he found them.
R. Todd Fredrickson
Age: 48
Occupation: Corrections sergeant, Monroe Correctional Complex
Website: None
Priorities: Creating a more efficient budget; attract industrial jobs that provide family wages; encourage communication between City Council and the people.
Position 6
Jason Gamble
Age: 34
Occupation: General manager for Frontier Communications
Residence: Monroe
Website: www.jasongamble.com
Priorities: Ensure short-term budget goals match long-term plans; separate public business and private business; make the city’s operations more efficient.
Bridgette Tuttle
Age: 37
Occupation: Para educator for Monroe School District, web designer and developer for social media marketer.
Website: Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/BridgetteTuttle
Priorities: Support local businesses, help unify the community and achieve fiscal responsibility.
Council At-Large Position (two years)
Kevin M. Hanford
Age: 40
Occupation: Storage technician for Boeing
Website: None
Priorities: Finish development on North Kelsey territory; let voters weigh in on traffic enforcement cameras; ensure police and fire departments are funded.
Joel Phillips
Age: 27
Occupation: Unemployed.
Website: Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/JoelPhillips
Priorities: Get people back to work by attracting businesses; let people vote on enforcement cameras; and create a better Monroe.
