MONROE — The list of challenges facing this city of 17,000 can look a bit like backups along U.S. 2: Long, stressful and hard to avoid.
Shrinking sales tax revenue, land development issues and, yes, the ever-present traffic problems all loom large.
The mayoral race will give residents a clear choice in who they want to address those issues, as they vote for either a fresh take or an experienced hand.
Mayor Donnetta Walser is campaigning on her accomplishments in an effort to win a third term, while her challenger, former City Councilman Robert Zimmerman, says the city needs a new leader.
The two offer distinct approaches to the office, which pays $36,000 annually during a four-year term.
Walser treats the work as a full-time job and a culmination of years of service. She doesn’t have another job.
She moved to Monroe in 1967 to work as a teacher, and began her time in public office when she was appointed to the City Council in 1974. Since then, she has served on numerous boards and commissions, including a 16-year stretch on the Monroe Civil Service Commission. She was elected as mayor in 2002.
She questioned Zimmerman’s abilities, saying during his four years on the council, he had poor attendance.
For example, city records show from January 2006 to October 2007, the month he left office, Zimmerman missed 15 of the council’s 99 meetings. Half were business sessions, during which votes are cast.
Zimmerman said work and family kept him away. He dismissed the idea that he fell short.
“It’s just another smoke screen, an attempt to say, ‘Hey, look, this guy doesn’t care,’” he said.
Zimmerman doesn’t dispute Walser’s service but questions her ability to lead. She has expanded the role of mayor beyond what is intended, he said.
“She’s an administrator when she should be a CEO,” he said.
If elected, he would keep his job as a sales manager for Barnes Distribution. He would scale back the mayor’s responsibilities in day-to-day management and focus more on setting a vision.
Walser said her time in office has helped her build bonds with state legislators. She successfully lobbied state senators for a $700,000 grant that led to the completion of the city’s Miracle League field, for instance.
Going forward, those connections will help her deal with traffic on U.S. 2, she said.
“We’re not going to cure all our traffic problems, and we have some within the city, but you’ve got to start somewhere,” Walser said. “And we have started.”
Zimmerman also wants work done to U.S. 2, but questions Walser’s connections. More should have been accomplished during her tenure, he argues.
“What we’ve got is Band-Aids,” he said of U.S. 2.
The city’s North Kelsey property will be another issue. The city planned to develop a mixed-use spot for retail and housing. Work has progressed slowly, with the council putting the brakes on an offer this month from a Seattle company that wanted to bring in a big-box store.
Walser strongly supported advancing negotiations with the developer, while Zimmerman favored the council’s slower approach.
Money also has been a big concern for Monroe in the past year. The city froze positions and consolidated jobs as it cut more than $1 million this year.
If cuts are needed, Walser would look at big-ticket items, such as the parks department.
“To be honest, we’ve cut about as far as we can,” she said.
Zimmerman said he hasn’t reviewed individual areas closely enough to suggest trims. He would look for duplicated workloads and other inefficiencies.
“If at all possible, try to eliminate that,” he said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Donnetta Walser
Age: 66
Occupation: Mayor
Robert Zimmerman
Age: 44
Occupation: Sales manager for Barnes Distribution
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