I’ve asked city council members and council candidates why city councils are important to voters.
Last week I presented a response from retiring Mill Creek Councilwoman Rosemary Bennetts. Now, I move to statements from candidates for the council.
This week’s responses are from the candidates in the city’s most interesting contest. That’s the one in which Councilwoman Mary Kay Voss is giving up her council seat to challenge Mayor Terry Ryan for his council seat.
Here’s what Ryan said about city councils:
“Most people don’t realize the extent decisions of local government officials have on their day-to-day lives.
“The city council creates the vision for the city’s future and sets priorities for daily operations. These shape the city now and in the future. Council decisions should be based on what is best for the entire city both today and in 20 or even 50 years.
“A successful council needs members with vision; the ability to grasp the long-term impacts of their decisions; who can craft creative solutions to complicated problems; who can make tough, sometimes unpopular choices; who do not just mechanically hear but also listen; someone who can take a vote and then commit to making the decision of the majority a success.”
Here’s what Voss said:
“The decision of who is on your city council, is one of the most important votes you cast. Why? Because it is critical to have seven people who are intelligent, articulate, able to assimilate vast amounts of technical and financial information, listen respectfully to their professional advisors, and each other; then make hard decisions for the benefit the entire city in a timely fashion. The content of those decisions range from very complicated land-use issues; tax levies; how your money is spent; how many staff, including police to hire; what equipment to buy; what assets, including parks, trails, roads, sewers, to maintain and at what level; how to support the businesses; planning for the thousands of people moving here in the next couple decades.”
Two statewide measures on November ballot
With Referendum 71 qualifying for the November ballot, voters will face two statewide measures.
The other is Initiative 1033, a Tim Eyman-sponsored measure that would limit government spending and apply additional revenue to property-tax relief.
Past ballots have included state constitutional amendments, but this year’s Legislature didn’t propose any.
Referendum 71 asks voters to approve or reject Legislature-passed amendments to the state domestic-partnership law.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@verizon.net.
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