Community members are invited to meet and speak with candidates for open local positions at a Candidate Speed Dating event at 6 p.m. Monday, June 2 at the Edmonds Waterfront Center.
Sponsored by the Edmonds Civic Roundtable, the goal is to introduce members of the community to candidates who have filed for open Edmonds City Council, Edmonds School Board and Edmonds Port Commission positions. All candidates filing for office for those positions during the May 5-9 filing week have been invited to attend.
Format:
– Those in attendance will be seated at round tables and candidates will rotate from table to table, with two minutes to introduce themselves and why they are running for office.
– Attendees will have eight minutes to ask questions of the candidates.
– Table hosts will guide the process and ensure civil communication.
– Each candidate will be given space to distribute literature and answer additional questions at the conclusion of the event.
There is no cost to attend but space is limited so attendees are asked to register here. If you are interested in a Zoom option, email Margaret Mesaros here.
To learn about the Edmonds Civic Roundtable or to join, visit www.edmondscivicroundtable.org
Make sure you ask the candidates how they differentiate themselves from the incumbent Council members with regard to transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline – since the incumbents and Mayor have failing grades on all three important attributes. Ask them how they will earn trust from taxpayers after the Mayor and Council violated State election laws by spending $64K in taxpayer dollars to use a PR firm to advocate for RFA annexation. Ask them if they are supporting the taxpayer Petition that asks the Mayor and Council to work with a Citizen Oversight Committee to do proper due diligence on peer cities’ ‘best practices’ for fire/ems service and determine how Edmonds ‘can do better’ and save taxpayers $45 million in new RFA taxes over 5 years. Ask them how they can help get that done before the Council puts one or more multi-million dollar tax levy lifts on the ballot. Consider signing the Petition yourself.
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-45-million-in-new-taxes
Mr. Krepick – I don’t understand why you don’t ask these questions yourself ?
Matthew-
I intend to ask those questions. Jessica Bachman, Erika Barnett, and Glenda Krull – three candidates who are running to replace Council members Eck, Chen, and Tibbott – have announced platforms to increase transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline. With the exception of Michelle Dotsch, the existing Council members and the Mayor have failed miserably in delivering on those attributes. They need to be replaced. If the three candidates mentioned deliver on their commitments, they will serve taxpayers first before self-interest groups or the City staff. Edmonds needs reformative change to solve the budget crisis and stop unsustainable tax increases. Three of the existing Council members accepted campaign contributions from the firefighters’ union – and didn’t recuse themselves from supporting the RFA annexation ballot measure. How unethical is that? The Mayor and Council spent over $200,000 in taxpayer money to advocate for the RFA annexation. The firefighters’ union spent over $50,000. All that money went into campaign materials that were designed to confuse and scare residents into thinking they would lose fire service if they voted ‘no’ on annexation.
Edmonds needs new Council members who can be trusted. Edmonds needs Council members who will find a way to have Edmonds implement peer cities ‘best practices’ fire/ems services that will save taxpayers $45 million over 5 years in new RFA taxes! https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-45-million-in-new-taxes
Thanks for suggesting good questions to ask, Bill Krepick. I copied them!!