MONROE — Six people are vying for three open seats on the Monroe City Council in the Nov. 6 election. Three incumbent council members are facing off against three political newcomers. Among their top issues are traffic, downtown revitalization and youth services.
For Position 4, Brandy Knight is running in her first election against City Councilman Tony Balk, who is seeking his third four-year term on the council.
Monroe is at a crossroads and could use a fresh perspective, said Knight, a real estate broker. Knight is also an owner of Courtyard Media Inc., which owns the Snohomish County Explosion, a basketball team set to play its next season at Monroe High School.
“I have a lot to bring to the City Council. I have a lot of passion to make things happen,” Knight said.
Her business experience could help new and existing small businesses thrive in Monroe, as a new shopping center is about to open on North Kelsey Street, Knight said. She has a clear vision to revitalize the city’s downtown along Main Street. The downtown could be a place where people live in tall condominium buildings, work, shop, dine and enjoy entertainment.
“We need a person who has a vision,” she said.
Balk said he wants people in Monroe to set the course for the downtown revitalization rather than pushing his own ideas.
“I don’t want to second-guess them,” he said.
Transportation is his top issue, said Balk, an educational assistant for the Monroe School District. He has helped the city create a new transportation plan, and he is working with other officials to prepare a multi- million-dollar bond issue, he said. If voters approve it, the bond will pay for some projects in the transportation plan.
“This is very important to the city of Monroe,” he said.
For Position 5, City Councilman John Stima is facing off against write-in candidate Ron Moon. Stima, pastor of Monroe Baptist Church, took the position in July after former City Councilman Jeff Frye resigned when he moved out of the city.
Moon, a mental health counseling supervisor at the Monroe prison complex, said he decided to run for the seat to give the public a choice.
“I could bring some decency and honesty to the council,” said Moon, who moved from Seattle to Monroe about four years ago.
Stima, who has lived in the city for more than eight years, said that his job as pastor has helped him get to know people in town and their concerns.
“I’m accessible and available,” Stima said. “I spend a lot of time in Monroe and care deeply about the town.”
His priority is to improve traffic choke points such as the intersection of Blueberry Lane and Kelsey Street, Stima said. He also wants to help the city revitalize its downtown along Main Street as a destination where people can live in condominiums, shop and dine.
Moon, campaigning in his first election, said that Monroe could add a new performing arts center in the new North Kelsey shopping center. He also wants to see the downtown thrive without losing its traditional atmosphere.
“I’d like to preserve the downtown and maintain the historic flavor of the city,” Moon said.
City Councilman Chad Minnick and Margie S. Rodriguez, assistant principal at Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe, are vying for Position 6.
Rodriguez said she was too ill to be interviewed this week.
At the candidates forum held by Monroe Chamber of Commerce in October, Rodriguez emphasized her passion for serving youth by providing more support places and recreational opportunities for children.
She also said that she wants to use her Hispanic background to reach out to ethnic minorities in Monroe, where the number of Hispanic residents has been increasing.
Minnick, first elected to the position in 2003, said that the biggest issue in Monroe is traffic. He has worked to have the state and other regional agencies pay attention to the city’s traffic issues, Minnick said.
The city has a new plan to improve traffic. If re-elected, Minnick said he will work hard to secure money to implement the plan.
“Planning is one thing; building is another thing,” Minnick said.
He also said that he has helped a new YMCA family center open in September. The city needs to continue to improve its recreation assets, Minnick said.
“Adding new parks is a long-term goal,” he said. “The biggest thing is improving existing parks that we have.”
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
Monroe City Council candidates
Position 4
Brandy Knight
Age: 34
Occupation: Real estate broker
Web site: none
Tony Balk
Age: 55
Occupation: Educational assistant
Web site: none
Position 5
John Stima
Age: 38
Occupation: Pastor, Monroe Baptist Church
Web site: none
Ron Moon (write-in candidate)
Age: 60
Occupation: Mental health counselor supervisor at the Monroe prison complex
Web site: none
Position 6
Margie S. Rodriguez
Age: 52
Occupation: Assistant principal, Frank Wagner Elementary School
Web site: none
Chad Minnick
Age: 34
Occupation: Marketing consultant
Web site: www.chadminnick.com
About the job: The Monroe City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The council also holds work sessions on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Council members set city policies and make financial decisions. Council members are paid up to $400 per month depending on the number of meetings they attend.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
