Why am I running for Lakewood City Council?

I believe I have something to offer and can be an effective team player in achieving Lakewood’s stated mission: To provide municipal services to our citizens in a manner which creates and preserves quality of life.

I believe in representative democracy and the importance of citizen involvement in local government. Government exists to serve the people; however, “we the people” must be willing to serve others to make local government responsive and effective for all of us. I am willing to sacrifice precious family time to be part of the leadership solution for our community.

As a trained lawyer, business owner, and father of a young family, I have a skill set that can help achieve our mission. I understand the importance of both listening to the client and in devising reasonable cost-effective resolutions to problems and issues presented. In local government, the citizens are the “client” and stakeholders.

I support a consensus approach to problem solving. In local government, that means listening to our residents and working with other leaders to effectively and efficiently resolve issues with a keen eye on the long term goals of our community. To be effective, leadership must have a common vision and be willing to work together for the common good.

I believe in the privilege and responsibilities of citizenship. I would be honored to serve you as a member of the Lakewood City Council.

Issues I would like to address if elected to Lakewood City Council:

In addition to developing a strong vision and sense of direction for our community, I believe we must focus on the following issues to meet our stated mission of providing services to our citizens which create and preserve the quality of life:

• 1. Economic Development. We must continue to encourage solid economic development and opportunities for business in our community. Livable, progressive cities develop a broad tax base (not just residential property taxes) to fund essential public services. We have solid opportunities to make gains in this area with the extension of sewers to Tillicum and American Lake Gardens and with the development of the Pacific Highway corridor (Sound Transit station and other projects). These projects are not without challenge. We must continue to develop and enhance regional cooperation among local governments (including sewer permitting issues with Pierce County) to meet our common objectives for economic development.
• 2. Public Safety. Public safety remains our City’s top priority, as demonstrated by the 70-75% investment of our general revenue in public safety programs. We must continue to work to ensure that Lakewood is not the future “venue of choice” for gangs and other criminal activity moving into the Puget Sound region. Enough is enough.
  
  Our City Council must continue to work with and support our Lakewood Police Department. Over time we will recognize the efficiencies and savings generated from building and sustaining our own police force and from constructing and consolidating our public safety activities in our own police station.
  
  We can lead by supporting our Police Department’s fine work with neighborhoods and community policing programs to continue the fight to reduce violent crime and property crimes in our community. We must continue the work to enhance public awareness of domestic violence, and its destructive impact on our children and families.
• 3. Livable City Issues. Local government is primarily responsible for providing basic municipal services to its residents—but we must also provide leadership to continue the work of making Lakewood a livable city. Livable cities encourage a sense of community by providing residents with parks, open space, pedestrian and bike friendly streets and sidewalks, and good schools. We have made incredible progress in Lakewood. The Towne Center, City Hall, new Police Station, and other infrastructure improvements, including parks and sidewalks, have given us a great start. However, we have more work to do.

As we work together to build our economic engine and to continue the fight to reduce crime, we must focus on a common vision for our next ten years: How can we make Lakewood a more livable city by 2015? Will Lakewood 2015 have an attractive and vibrant Central Business District that draws its residents and others in the South Sound to the Towne Center? Can we sustain and support a farmers’ market? Will Lakewood 2015 have cleaner lakes and additional park facilities? Will Lakewood 2015 be a safer place to ride bikes with your kids, or walk with your family to arts events? Will Lakewood 2015 be known for having a vastly improved school district because City leadership encouraged and promoted partnerships with the school district, the community, and our youth?

We can and must work together to make our community a great place to live and work. I urge all of us to take some part in the process of citizenship—whether in public office, as part of a citizen’s group or neighborhood association, as a volunteer in our schools, or as a strong voice to help improve our parks and lakes. We can do much if we work together.