Monroe candidates make pitch

MONROE — Six candidates running for Monroe City Council in the Nov. 6 election discussed their ideas Tuesday to solve the city’s traffic problems and help the city grow successfully.

The candidates, including three sitting council members, are running for three separate seats.

Councilman Chad Minnick is running against Margie S. Rod­riguez for Council Position 6; Councilman Tony Balk is facing off against Brandy Knight for Council Position 4; and Councilman John Stima is going against write-in candidate Ron Moon for Council Position 5.

Transportation is the biggest issue that people in Monroe face, said Minnick, who is seeking his second four-year term, at the luncheon hosted by Monroe Chamber of Commerce. About 100 people attended the event.

Minnick, 34, said he has helped the city create its biggest transportation improvement plan, which was released earlier this year. He has worked to raise awareness about the city’s traffic woes in the region and Olympia.

“It’s not something we can do all by ourselves,” he said.

Minnick added that his leadership on the council also helped open a new YMCA facility in the city.

His opponent, Rodriguez, 52, said that her top issue is services for youths. The assistant principal at Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe wants the city to add more entertainment options for children such as a mini-golf course and bowling alley.

“They are the future,” Rodriguez said.

Monroe is a diverse community where the number of Hispanic residents has been increasing. Rodriguez, a Hispanic, said she wants to help those residents get more involved in the city’s business.

“We are different cultures, but we are one community,” she said.

Knight, a real-estate broker, is running against incumbent Balk, who is an educational assistant.

Balk, who has served on the council for eight years, said that he has been working with other officials to prepare a multimillion-dollar bond issue. If approved by the city’s voters, the measure will improve traffic problems substantially, he said.

He also said he has been instrumental in starting a new shopping center along N. Kelsey Street, which will boost the city’s revenue.

“We need a City Council member who has a proven record of being effective,” said Balk, 55, who works for Monroe School District.

Knight, 34, said she wants to use her extensive experience in real estate to provide affordable commercial spaces for small businesses.

“All business owners should have an opportunity to thrive in our community,” Knight said.

She supports the revitalization of downtown along Main Street. Knight wants to help the downtown become a place where people live, shop and eat, generating revenue for the city.

Incumbent Stima faces a write-in challenger in Moon, a mental health counseling supervisor at the Monroe prison complex. Moon, 60, said he registered as a write-in candidate in late August to give voters a choice.

“I live in Monroe. I love Monroe,” he said, adding that his priority is to give the city enough resources to combat crime.

Stima, 38, a pastor at Monroe Baptist Church, said his top priority is public safety. The city needs to ensure safety for its residents, especially children.

“We are living in an increasingly difficult age to keep kids innocent and keep them safe,” he said.

Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.