By Leslie Moriarty
Herald Writer
MONROE — Three people are vying for the Monroe City Council Position 2 seat, including one current member of the council.
Those running include Penny Sopris-Kegerreis, Ty Balascio and Art Larson. Position 2 incumbent Wayne Rodland filed for another seat.
Sopris-Kegerreis, a retired newspaper columnist, currently holds the at-large seat, a two-year position. She said she decided to run for Position 2 because it is a four-year term.
"The two-year position gives a person a chance to get their feet wet and learn about the role of a council member," she said. "I’ve done that, and now I want to serve a four-year term."
Balascio, 27, a manager of software testers for Microsoft, says as a young father and homeowner, he represents a demographic that is not represented on the council.
"I want to be involved with this community, and I think the city council is the best place to exercise my talents," he said.
Larson, 35, is a familiar face at City Hall. He has been a neighborhood activist for the Lord’s Lake and Fryelands areas, opposing a proposed gravel mine there.
"I just feel I need to do more to make sure that our community (neighborhood) has representation on the council," Larson said.
Growth and traffic problems are key issues for all three.
"We’ve taken some of the right steps, to target and plan for growth north of U.S. 2," Sopris-Kegerreis said. "With the various highways and the railroad tracks, our city is naturally divided into areas.
"We need to keep in mind that we are one city and plan for growth as one city."
Balascio said the city needs to keep in mind whether it can service the new population.
"We have some options for traffic, with possible bypasses south and north in the planning stages," he said.
"But what we have to keep in mind is whether we have the adequate police, fire, sewer, streets and water services. We can’t overburden our resources."
Larson said growth can be handled "gracefully."
"We need to plan for it carefully. If we don’t, then we will end up with lower real estate values and higher crime."
Larson said the city needs to assess proper mitigation fees to developers to cover costs of streets, parks and schools. He also wants to see a revision of the city’s zoning codes, making sure that various businesses and services are properly located.
Sopris-Kegerreis is concerned that the city carefully address where it wants sexually oriented businesses to locate once a moratorium is lifted.
Balascio said he’d like to see uniform enforcement of regulations and codes throughout the city. And he’d like the city to get a stoplight at the intersection of 179th Avenue SE and W. Main Street.
"There is a surplus of cars there as schools let out, and that negatively affects the surrounding neighborhoods," he said.
Sopris-Kegerreis said she’s the best choice because she is a longtime resident and an experienced councilwoman.
Larson said he’s the one, because he will represent his constituents and their views, not his own.
Balascio said he can best represent the new foundation of residents of Monroe, who like him are young people buying homes and starting their lives.
You can call Herald Writer Leslie Moriarty at 425-339-3436
or send e-mail to moriarty@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
