Bonney Lake friends: Here is the side-by-side comparison from 2 of 3 mayoral candidates. Johnson and Munson replied; Rackley did not. 1. Thoughts on term limits for council/mayor positions? Johnson: I have always believed that performance will dictate term limits. If you do not perform, the electorate will make a change. Munson: Term limits are important for any elected position. While terms limits can be unfortunate when an elected official is performing phenomenally, term limits are meant to protect the government entity from becoming any one person’s pet project. Term limits help keep the power in the hands of the people. 2. Thought on term limits for commission/board positions? Johnson: These positions are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by council. Same rules apply, if the commissioners or board members do not perform, then the mayor should replace that position when that individuals term is up or the council could easily not confirm. Munson: Same as above. (Question #1) 3. Three lessons learned from watching the MPD vote unfold? Johnson: The main lesson is people want certainty for these types of tax proposals. More details and discussion from citizens is very important to any proposal that addresses the future of park funding. Munson: Lesson #1: Special elections are costly. Before we even consider a special election, we need to be sure the people are overwhelmingly supportive of the City’s position AND that the special election is absolutely necessary – that it cannot wait.Lesson #2: The City belongs to the people and the people will organize, if necessary. The City works for the people, not vice versa. Underestimating the power of the people is not only bad business, it creates discord.Lesson #3: A system that would tax citizens indefinitely is not ideal. 4. Salary compensation for the council and mayor? Johnson: It should reflect the expectation of the electorate and work that is done by each member of council or the mayor. What that number looks like is hard to determine, however in my case I routinely take a lot of my vacation days or days without pay from my day job to attend certain meetings and conferences. Currently, Bonney Lake councilmember’s and mayor make less than Sumner officials. Munson: I wouldn’t increase it. I’m an extremely hard worker. I don’t do anything halfway. So, do I think I will put in more hours than $800 per month is worth? Yeah, probably. Am I okay with that? Absolutely. When people are giving their time, they deserve to be compensated, but I also believe that being a mayor or council member fall under the “civic duty” hat too. Should a person get rich doing so? No. 5. Thoughts on live streaming council/workshop meetings? Johnson: Anytime you can improve participation with technology could be a good thing. The only concern I see after watching other meetings is the potential for a lot of grand standing by public officials or citizens. It is important meetings stay focused on the agenda, allow citizens to speak during the comment period and not impact open dialogue due to the cameras. Munson: Yes! People have busy lives with work, family, and other obligations, so often they cannot make it to meetings. That said, they still deserve to be in the know, if they choose to be. I believe the people deserve to see and hear, first-hand, what is happening in the city. 6. If elected, can you commit to serving out your term as mayor and not resigning for a different public and/or political position? Johnson: Yes. I have always followed through on my commitments as a councilmember and as mayor. Of course, this hasn’t been the case with one of my opponents. Munson: Well, I’m not in this to be a politician. I am self-employed and I do pretty well, so I’m not looking for other work. 7. How do we grow the economy in BL? Johnson: The city needs to continue working on the appropriate incentive programs to attract those businesses that citizens want to have within their city (Costco, Red Robin, etc…). Currently we are doing well with sales tax receipts up 17% on average from last year. Good examples of how can continue to grow the economy can be seen with the recent additions of the Good Sam Medical Building behind the old Albertson’s and the new Franciscan Medical Building in downtown. Both of these facilities provides jobs to our area and this could only happen with the city working closely with both on a development agreement. The recent boom within our economy can be attributed in part to the various incentive programs that we have in place. These incentives have increased the building of homes, improvement of the downtown area, new business openings and most recently these incentives have gotten the attention of some potential new restaurants. Munson: We make Bonney Lake an attractive place for conducting business in a responsible manner. That means we recruit ethical businesses that care for the environment and employees. Recruiting a local company like Costco would be ideal. This would create a few hundred well-paying jobs and save residents from driving to Puyallup or Federal Way to visit the store. Additionally, recruitment of new healthcare facilities will create skilled and unskilled jobs, as well as convenience to Bonney Lake residents. 8. Many of us find parks to be a critical component to any community; what ideas do you have to help build our parks system? Johnson: We need to continue to evaluate the needs of all citizens which includes a trail component, ball fields, quiet areas, and entertainment venues. To build a strong park system we need to come up with a long term plan for funding, maintenance and acquisition of open space. We have done a very good job with our existing parks in addressing needs of citizens and making them very useful. Good examples to see is Cedar View Park, AY park and our dog park. Munson: I will say again and again that I believe parks are important too. I have two grandsons (7 & 3) and my daughter is a middle school teacher, so I know how important recreational space is to families and especially to kids. I have a long-time close friend in a local business owner (based in Sumner) who owns a vast amount of land off Old Buckley Highway in Bonney Lake. If elected, I will work to create a park out of a portion of this large parcel of mostly unused land. My vision also includes a bike/walking trail, but that will require more investigation and planning. 9. Address the following factions of citizens: A. Those who want to grow BL responsibly? Johnson: Growing Bonney Lake responsibly is definitely the way I have approached my job as a council member and as mayor. We have stayed within our means and need to continue to do this on a daily basis. This means as we confirm our urban growth boundaries, we should only proceed if we have the staff and budget to do so without jeopardizing public safety, existing parks and implementing more of our sidewalk program. Munson: First, I want to say that there is no way I can make everyone happy all at the same time. What I can do is listen to the needs of the people and make honest, well-informed decisions that reflect those who elected the council members and the mayor. I believe in growth. I also believe that Bonney Lake is growing very rapidly and we are in a bind. The small community I grew up in has changed. We need to respond to that change by continuing to grow the economy, so we can keep our people employed and continue to increase revenue in the city for all. B. Those who want to keep BL rural? Johnson: This is very difficult since the state mandates growth at urban levels. We have worked hard to keep our average lot size to 4 – 5 units per acre, which for most cities could be considered rural. The growth management act mandates that all cities grow at urban levels which is usually 8 units per acre and the city has been challenged in the past regarding our not wanting to go 8 units per acre. Unfortunately, the state has a big hammer so we need to keep trying to balance the affects of a rural and urban environment. Munson: As I stated above, we have already expanded at an alarming rate. So, we examine and make changes to the current development plan and stick to it. The plan includes maintaining green spaces and strict zoning requirements to keep commercial businesses out of neighborhoods. 10. Say something positive about the other two candidates, and what positive traits they would bring to this honorable position. Johnson: Councilmember Rackley has experience in knowing how the process works within city government. As for Mr. Munson, I have never met him, however being that he is long time resident and business owner is admirable. Munson: Though I do not know either of the gentlemen personally, I do know that they have both stepped up to make a difference in Bonney Lake and continue to pursue the position of mayor even through adversity. Johnson and Rackley, both, have made commitments to their current positions and have upheld their duties, which is noble.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 01:17:46 +0000
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