The election for Monroe’s at-large council seat gives voters a choice between Kurt Goering, a six-year incumbent and Daniel Williams, making his first bid for public office.
Goering said that even though he has spent six years on the council, he would look forward to serving another two years in public office.
The city is paying off its debt and housing and business development in the city is outpacing other nearby cities. “We’ve created a culture where it’s attractive for people to come,” he said. “There’s a buzz about the town now.”
Williams said he decided to run because, after following events at weekly council meetings over the years, he became disappointed with what he called the attitude and actions taken by some council members.
“This, coupled with my interest in government and its processes, motivated me to take action,” he said. “My goal is to restore the public’s confidence in their government.”
Goering said that the arrival of Walmart in the city next year shouldn’t affect the businesses in the city’s traditional downtown area.
“People in this town love to shop local,” he said. Walmart’s opening could draw people to Monroe and bring more people downtown, Goering said.
Goering said that residents’ opposition to red light cameras has been overwhelming and the city needs to look for alternatives to improve safety in school zones, such as a pedestrian overpass in the city’s busiest intersection.
“If we’re talking about safety, whatever it costs, let’s figure out how we can do that,” he said.
Williams said residents have shown their opposition to red light cameras but said ways still need to be found to improve safety. “We do have a lot of speeding in school zones,” he said. “We have to do whatever we can for safety.”
Goering said the biggest concern he’s heard from voters is over increasing utility costs, caused in part by the costs of renovating the city’s waster water treatment plant. “As city residents, each one of us bears the burden of those kinds of improvements,” he said.
If elected, Williams said he would like to work on building stronger relationships between Monroe, the county and other area cities.
He said supporting public safety is the issue he feels most strongly about. “We need to do what we can to help the police department and make sure they have the resources to do their daily jobs,” he said.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
Meet the candidates
The job: At stake is a two-year term for the at-large post on the City Council, which oversees the running of the city and guides its policies.
Council members are paid $100 per meeting with a maximum of eight per month. They’re also compensated $100 for each four-hour session of the council’s retreat with a limit of $300 per retreat.
Kurt Goering
Age: 44
Experience: Works as a software architect for AT&T. Six years as a Monroe City Council member. Twenty-two years of experience as an information technology business manager, software designer and background in urban planning and cartography.
Website: www.KurtGoering.com
Daniel Williams
Age: 40
Experience: Army veteran who worked in avionics mechanics. Now is a stay-at-home dad caring for his autistic son. Bachelors of science degree in finance from Penn State University.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Williams-For-City-CouncilMonroe/129345980600262
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