Snoqualmie Valley residents have received their Voters’ Pamphlets and ballots for the Feb. 9 election.

But there is no information in the guide about Snoqualmie Valley School District’s Propositions 1 and 2. The pamphlet is correct, though.

The guides—titled “Edition 8”—do contain information about the Vashon Island School District’s Proposition 1, which does not apply to Valley voters.

The school district does not publish information on levies in the guide as a cost-saving measure.

Correct information on the local propositions can be found on King County Elections’ Web site at www.kingcounty.gov/elections. Click ‘Special Election,’ click ‘Measures on the Ballot’ and scroll to the Snoqualmie section.

Details are also posted on the Snoqualmie Valley School District Web site at www.svsd410.org.

Snoqualmie Valley voters will see three levy measures on their ballots for the election.

The first levy, for the King County Library System, asks voters to decide on a property tax amounting to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property starting in 2011. The levy would pay for the libraries’ maintenance and operation.

The other two levies, by the Snoqualmie Valley School District, allow voters to vote on two, four-year levies: a $9.9 million technology levy and a $57.5 million maintenance and operations levy.

Both are replacement levies. If passed, the technology levy would pay to refresh outdated technology systems, enhance classroom technologies and improve emergency communication and safety systems. About 43 percent of the levy would pay for teacher professional development.

The $57.5 million maintenance and operations levy would pay for a number of school district services, including extra teachers to reduce class sizes; student programs, such as music, art and drama; school nurses and counselors; physical education teachers; textbooks; custodial services; professional development; utilities; and more.

To save money, school district administrators decided not to publish information about the school levies in the King County voters’ pamphlet.

School spokeswoman Carolyn Malcolm encouraged voters to consult the district’s Web site to learn more about the levies at www.svsd410.org.

Some Snoqualmie Valley voters are questioning the school district’s decision to run a $9.9 million technology levy, calling it a pay raise for teachers.

The money in question — about 43 percent of the levy — would pay for training teachers to use technology and implement it into their lessons.

For instance, teachers could learn how to make flipcharts on interactive white boards and post them to their Web sites, so students and parents could access them from home.

The idea for using the technology levy to pay for teacher training took shape in 2008, when the Snoqualmie Education Association entered into collective bargaining with district administrators for its three-year contract.

“What we negotiated for was more work and time, so that we could actually improve our skills and improve our instruction using that technology,” SEA President Art Galloway said.

If the levy passes, teachers belonging to the association could receive up to $1,650 each. Of that money, $400 would be given after the teacher completed 14 hours of technology training and $1,250 would be given in June, after the teacher has proven he or she has incorporated the technology into the classroom.

District Technology Director Jeff Hogan said administrators were waiting to see if the levy passed the Feb. 9 election before they would hammer out the details regarding how that evaluation would take place.

Part of the levy would also pay three teachers on special assignment who would lead the training sessions.

Fall City parent and former school board candidate Kevin Bardsley said the district should not use levy money to pay teachers.

“There are a lot things in that technology levy that they are not being honest and forthright about,” Bardsley said. “It’s basically a pay raise that was negotiated in 2008.”

Superintendent Joel Aune said “pay raise” was not the right term. Teachers are not getting more money for the same amount of work, he said. They’re getting more money after agreeing to work more.

“We feel that this investment in staff development is going to be very valuable to the school district and the kids,” Aune said.

Hogan said it was a good time for training teachers, especially since most teachers now have interactive white boards in their classrooms.

“It’s taken us years to get it all installed,” Hogan said. “When we invest a half-million in new curriculum, a big component of that is professional development. We just don’t dump new curriculum on them and don’t train them.”

The Bellevue and Lake Washington school districts also use levy money to pay for teacher training.

But Bardsley said learning new technology is part of a teachers’ job and they should not be paid for it.

“Teachers are not underpaid,” Bardsley said. “You go out into the private sector, that employee learns or understands technology — they’ll learn quickly.”

Galloway disagreed, saying training teachers and asking them to digitize their lesson plans was complicated and time consuming.

“Teaching has become more complex than even 10 years ago in my career,” Galloway said. “Planning and developing strategies was never easy, but you have added a whole other level of skills and time and preparation that we didn’t have before.”

He gave examples of increased communication through e-mail and teacher Web sites.

Teachers are excited for potentially being compensated for technology training, Galloway said.

“People, they’re excited,” he said. “It’s going to be at least two additional days of training. They’re jumping and saying, ‘You know, I’ll get better at using the great technology we’ve already purchased.’”

Laura Geggel: 392-6434 ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.

Another Democrat has entered the race to unseat incumbent Glenn Anderson in the November election.

North Bend resident David Spring will challenge Anderson and fellow Democrat Dean Willard. Spring lost to Anderson, a Fall City Republican, in the 2008 general election by about 3 percent.

Spring staked his campaign platform on education reform.

“Our public schools … are among the lowest funded, most over-crowded school districts in America,” he wrote in an e-mail. “This is not fair to our homeowners or school children.”

Spring said the Legislature had given too many tax breaks to major corporations while cutting public education funding.

“The Legislature has put the future of our children at risk just so mega-millionaires can buy bigger boats,” he said.

Spring’s entrance into the race makes for a sticky decision for Democrats in the 5th Legislative District.

The party’s rules say that the party can vote to endorse both candidates, but they can only officially nominate one. The nomination vote is scheduled for Feb. 16.

For Willard, the nomination could be a deal-breaker.

“I’ve made the promise to the 5th District Democrats that if I’m not the Democratic nominee, I’ll withdraw from the race,” Willard said. “I think it is important … I think it’s an indicator of whether the rank in file in the party support the candidate.”

But Spring’s candidacy does not hinge on the 5th District Democratic nomination.

“While I am hopeful that the 5th District Democrats will nominate me, I intend to run regardless,” he wrote.

Willard said he thought competition between him and Spring might give the race more visibility and underline dissatisfaction with Anderson as the incumbent. Still, he said he was wary of the negative impacts of two Democrats splitting supporters and resources.

He added that he supported Spring’s 2008 campaign both financially and through volunteer hours.

Since the top-two primary system allows Spring and Willard to run with or without an official party nomination, it doesn’t have to affect whose name appears on the August primary ballot. The impact would be in how nominations and endorsements influence canvassers and voters.

Spring has a master’s degree in education and more than 20 years of experience as a community college instructor.

Willard, a Sammamish resident, is a former T-Mobile executive who works as a technology management and information security consultant.

Anderson, a Fall City resident, has a bachelor’s degree in economics and 25 years of experience in banking and management consulting. Anderson has been in the state House of Representatives since 2000, winning the last five elections.

The district includes Issaquah, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Maple Valley and parts of unincorporated King County.

J.B. Wogan: 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.

Greg Hoover, a Sammamish resident, announced Dec. 22 that he would seek a position in the state House of Representatives.

Hoover, a Realtor and real estate attorney, will run in 2010 against Snoqualmie Republican Jay Rodne for one of the two 5th Legislative District seats.

Hoover is casting himself as a tough business professional with an optimistic streak.

The state’s is facing an estimated $2.6 billion budget deficit that will surely dominate the 2010 legislative session.

Hoover’s early positions on issues are based around things he won’t do, like raising taxes. He also has come out against introducing an income tax.

“It’s going to cost a lot of money just to get it started,” Hoover said, adding that it was a less convenient revenue source than the sales tax. “It’s a tax that’s hard to collect on.”

Hoover has a master’s in tax law, in addition to his general law degree.

Hoover also said he wouldn’t vote for deeper cuts to money for public education and is against teacher-to-student ratios ballooning beyond where they currently are.

Hoover also said he wouldn’t be in favor of tolling Interstate 90.

“I think that would ask way too much of people on the Eastside, specifically in the 5th District,” he explained.

He said he was less sure of whether the state should toll State Route 520.

Hoover described himself as a moderate Democrat, with emphasis on moderate. While he was glad Referendum 71 passed in November, he would not vote in favor of a gay marriage bill, he said.

He said he was pro-choice, but felt conflicted about the position, given that he is also Catholic.

Hoover’s opponent, Rep. Jay Rodne, declared his candidacy in early December and has raised $9,400 so far, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.

Rodne was appointed to a seat in the legislature in 2004 when then-5th District Rep. Cheryl Pflug became a state senator. Rodne won an uncontested election campaign in 2006 and defeated Democrat Jon Viebrock in 2008 by more than 19 points.

Besides Snoqualmie, North Bend and Fall City, the 5th District includes Issaquah, Sammamish, Maple Valley and parts of unincorporated King County.

J.B. Wogan: 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.

Snoqualmie Valley voters favored incumbents in the Nov. 3 general election, according to early results.

Snoqualmie City Council incumbent Maria Henriksen and Snoqualmie Valley School Board incumbent Craig Husa had staked strong leads in early returns. Longtime school volunteer Scott Hodgins was ahead of fellow first time candidate Paul Houldridge.

Snoqualmie City Council

As of Nov. 3, Snoqualmie City Council incumbent Maria Henriksen had established a strong lead against challenger Terry Sorenson with 68 percent of votes counted.

All other Snoqualmie candidates ran unopposed and easily won election, including Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson, council position no. 1 Robert Jeans, council position no. 3 Bryan Holloway and council position no. 7 Kathi Prewitt.

As of Nov. 3, King County elections had counted 1,070 of a possible 5,450 ballots for the city of Snoqualmie, or about 19 percent of registered voters.

In North Bend none of the incumbents had challengers. Alan Gothelf won City Council position no. 2 and Ross Loudenback won City Council position no. 4. As of Nov. 3, King County had counted 699 of a possible 3,157 ballots, or 22 percent of registered voters.

Snoqualmie Valley School Board

Although four seats on the Snoqualmie Valley School Board were up for reelection, the School Board will only see one new face in January.

Snoqualmie Valley School Board district position no. 3 incumbent Craig Husa was ahead with 56 percent of votes counted against challenger Kevin Bardsley.

Husa was in a meeting election night, but his daughter texted him the results.

“There are still a lot of votes out, but it looks positive for me,” he said.

During the campaign Husa said he did his best to reach out to the community, both through conversations and election signs — which he is now asking people to help him take down. He invited everyone in the community to work together to help make Snoqualmie Valley School District a better place.

“Kevin (Bardsley) has a number of supporters, and so the challenge going forward will be to get everyone working together,” Husa said. “Having a difference in opinion and a different point of view is actually a healthy thing.”

In the other contested race, for the district no. 1 seat, Scott Hodgins has taken the lead with 63 percent of the vote against Paul Houldridge.

Hodgins was in bed with the flu election night, but his eldest daughter Shila woke him up to deliver the results.

He credits his success to working with friends he has made since moving to North Bend in 1981. He had groups of people canvass neighborhoods in support of his campaign.

If he wins the election, Hodgins said, he would work with the board to strengthen its leadership role and build trust between it and the community.

He also extended a hand to people he has yet to meet.

“There are some people out there I don’t know and I plan to listen to,” Hodgins said. “Anybody that comes to me I’m going to listen and do the best that I can.”

The other School Board incumbents up for reelection — Marci Busby and Dan Popp — ran unopposed.

As of Nov. 3, King County had counted 4,602 of a possible 21,035 votes, or 22 percent of registered voters in Snoqualmie Valley School District.

King County Elections

At the county level, County Councilman Dow Constantine had posted a strong lead in the county executive’s race, with 57 percent of votes counted to his opponent Susan Hutchinson’s 42 percent.

All four of the county’s ballot measures look to have passed based on early returns.

In the five-way race for assessor, Lloyd Hara has 33.5 percent of the vote, the next closest candidate, Bob Rosenberger, has 29.1 percent.

At the state level, results will continue to come in over the next few weeks. Most counties do not have King County’s all-mail ballot system, so the results from the rest of the state will appear, but King County’s vote will be underrepresented.

As of Nov. 3, Referendum 71, which would affirm rights for gay and unmarried heterosexual domestic partners, had 65 percent of the vote. If the measure passes, the rights enacted by state legislation will remain in place.

Initiative 1033—Tim Eyman’s effort to control government spending—was losing by a large margin, 64 percent of early returns voted against the measure. As of Nov. 3, the initiative was trailing in 10 Eastern Washington counties which Eyman had to win.

The initiative was opposed by a broad range including education, labor and health-care groups, along with elected officials. In Snoqualmie Valley, city councils in North Bend and Snoqualmie, and the School Board officially opposed the measure.

Opponents heavily outspent Eyman. The No on 1033 campaign raised and spent more than $3 million and blanketed the region with television ads, according to The Seattle Times. Eyman, by comparison, raised and spent less than a quarter of the money raised by the opposition.

Ari Cetron contributed to this report. Material from The Seattle Times was included in this report.

Laura Geggel: 392-6434 ext. 221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.

Trends were pointing to a 50 percent ballot-return rate, but the county is sticking with its higher forecast, said county elections-division spokeswoman Megan Coppersmith.

Answers were limited to 25 words.

Position no. 5

First, like most of you, I believe that state and federal spending has grown out of control and neither major political party seems interested in putting on the brakes.

Second, as I understand Initiative 1033, property taxes will be frozen at 2009 levels and any new revenues received by the city will mean a credit to your property taxes. The exceptions to this are that the rate of inflation will raise that baseline as will any increase in tax base due to population growth.

Ken Hearing

I will only refer to how this will affect North Bend in general terms. A city’s general fund pays for everything not covered by a special revenue fund, a capital fund or a utility. It pays for fire and police services, parks, street maintenance and repairs, and most city employees’ salaries. In most cities the primary source of revenue for the general fund is property taxes. In North Bend only 30 percent comes from property taxes.

Until 2009, the economy was growing and the cost of living was increasing by over four percent every year. Because of I-747, it was only a matter of time before property tax increases could not sustain the existing levels of service, let alone afford new services. Many cities cut staff in 2009 and many more will be doing so in 2010. Sometimes the service reductions are not as visible, such as mowing the parks one time less per week. Sometimes service cuts are very visible and mean longer response times by fire and police, less snow clearing, no overlays on problem streets, no sidewalk repair, no code enforcement or a lower level of service overall.

If I-1033 passes, general fund revenues will basically be frozen at 2009 levels…levels that are already depressed as a result of the economic downturn. North Bend has a large amount of undeveloped and underdeveloped commercial property and because our property tax rates are very low, we rely heavily on the sales and business taxes that commercial development creates. Business growth helps pay for needed services throughout the City, paid from the general fund. If all new sales tax is used to reduce property taxes, there will be no new monies to provide the services these businesses need. Remember, these business taxes help keep your property taxes lower.

Tim Eyman’s persistence in introducing initiatives that force government to limit taxes, or even give money back to the tax payers, makes one think about what services we want government to supply. If the money paid to any service provider is reduced then the ability of that provider to produce those services is decreased. Eyman’s initiatives make it harder for everyone to complain about government when expected services are no longer available. The City of North Bend has been a good steward of your tax dollars. We have not taken the one percent property tax increase in four of the last five years because we could balance the budgets and provide the desired levels of service without it.

I would hope that the voters would have confidence in our elected city officials and vote against I-1033.

I-1033 forces fiscal discipline

With Initiative 1033, we have the opportunity to vote for greater fiscal discipline by state, county and city governments, which is especially necessary during these tough economic times.

The worst thing government can do right now is raise taxes because that’ll just make this tough recession last longer. A tax-hike-induced extended recession would hurt the private sector and the public sector.

Tim Eyman

The most important thing that I-1033 does is protect taxpayers and our struggling economy by making sure that state, county and city politicians cannot take more of our money – raise taxes, increase fees or artificially inflate property valuations – unless voters approve. With I-1033, instead of constantly trying to “maximize revenue” – taking more of our money – politicians will have to spend their time maximizing the effectiveness of existing revenue. And “more revenue” will only be a last resort and only with voter approval.

Initiatives are not forever.

Two years ago, voters approved Initiative 960, which requires two-thirds legislative approval for tax hikes. During this past legislative session, I-960’s policies successfully shielded taxpayers and the business community from massive tax hikes. But since I-960 is now two years old, under our Constitution, the Legislature can now more easily get rid of it (as they did previously with I-601). And that’s exactly what’s happening – there’s an all-out effort in Olympia to make it easier to raise taxes in the 2010 and 2011 legislative sessions by repealing it. I-1033 would extend I-960’s protections for another two years.

Have we had any experience with inflation-and-population growth limits? You bet. From 1993 through 2005, government lived with I-601’s growth limit, the same as I-1033’s. That changed in 2005, when Gregoire and the Democrats got rid of I-601’s limit.

The result?

They created a huge fiscal rollercoaster, overextending themselves in good times — creating unsustainable budgets — which inevitably made the bad times even worse, ending with a $9 billion deficit. If they hadn’t repealed I-601’s reasonable growth limit, government would have grown to where it is today – but there wouldn’t have been a wrenching $9 billion deficit.

I-1033 brings back I-601’s fiscal discipline – we need it now more than ever.

What’s being said about I-1033 is simply not true.

I-1033 allows government to grow, but at a stable, sustainable rate that doesn’t outpace the taxpayers’ ability to afford it. And if I-1033’s automatic increase isn’t big enough, government can ask voters for more.

I-1033 allows funds to be transferred into the constitutionally protected rainy day fund. If government receives excess tax revenue beyond that, that extra revenue will be used to uniformly lower property taxes for everyone. Governments will proactively reduce taxes to stay below I-1033’s limit to take credit for it. So I-1033 will spur state and local officials to keep the tax burden more affordable and stable in Washington.

Remember, under I-1033, government can’t raise your taxes, increase fees or inflate property valuations – not without voter approval and at least for the next two years.

Vote ‘Yes’.

“Unfortunately it’s the biggest bang for the buck,” Terry Sorenson said.Maria Henriksen doesn’t like signs either.

“I’m reluctant to clutter up the city with signs, and I held off until October to put signs up. I hope people appreciate that,” Henriksen said.

Both candidates bought 100 signs, which they placed around the city.

Most of the signs sprouted up in public right of ways, such as the landscaped median on Snoqualmie Parkway or the grassy strip along the Northwest Railway Museum’s track beside the south side of Railroad Avenue.

After putting up several dozen signs, Sorenson saved some signs to put up closer to the election. He has noticed that rainy weather takes a toll on campaign signs in the weeks before Election Day.

Sorenson printed 1,100 flyers that he and his wife have been leaving at homes. He has done some door knocking, but thinks that it is better to respect people’s privacy.

“People work hard during the day and don’t like being bothered at their homes,” Sorenson said.

Henriksen doesn’t like knocking on doors, as she doesn’t want to disturb people at home, she said.

Talking to people at soccer games and community events is helping her campaign get its message out to voters, Henriksen said.

In the six years that she has been on the council, people have learned that they can approach her to talk about city issues, she said.

“People don’t hesitate to come up and ask me anything at anytime,” Henriksen said.

Both campaigns have drafted family members to help. Sorenson’s wife, two daughters and other family members have helped with his campaign. His nine-year-old Amanda seems to like campaigning more than his eight-year-old Charlotte, he said. However, he is impressed with Charlotte’s energy.

“I run out of energy before she does,” Sorenson said.

Henriksen’s sons help her on her campaign. Community service is one of her family’s values, she said. Her sons have helped her in the past to get information on the community center plans to the public and to tell people about flooding, she said.

According to Henriksen, her boys are looking forward to knocking on doors before the election.

A campaign Web site is working well for the Henriksen campaign, she said.

She added that she has received numerous e-mails from the public letting her know about what people think about city issues.

Henriksen welcomes the public input. People should feel free to talk with City Council members at any time, and not just during elections, she said.

Sorenson said that he is disappointed that his Web site has not attracted more comments from community members.

“I spent a lot of time on that and I’m surprised,” Sorenson said. “I guess some things work better than others.”

Find the candidates online

• Terry Sorenson: www.terrysorenson.com
• Maria Henriksen: www.mariaforcitycouncil.com

Snoqualmie Ridge resident Dan Meeter and his daughter, Julia Meeter, walk past two of the many campaign signs that bloom every fall. Photo by Dan Catchpole

In down economy, local candidates find ways to campaign without breaking the bank.

Both candidates for Snoqualmie City Council are trying to get elected on shoestring budgets and haven’t taken contributions from donors.

Both Terry Sorenson and Maria Henriksen have paid for their campaigns so far out of their own pockets.

Sorenson has put in $500 of his own money, he said.

Henriksen has spent several hundred dollars of her own money, she said.

“Campaigns are not cheap, but I’m trying to be very frugal,” Henriksen said.

Several of her colleagues on the City Council have offered to donate to her campaign, but she has not accepted any money, she said. She has no plans to do any fundraising for her campaign.

“In this economy, I’d rather do this on a shoestring budget,” Henriksen said.

Sorenson pledged early in his campaign to not take donations.

Campaign yard signs have been the biggest expense of the campaign, according to both candidates. Sorenson and Henriksen each purchased 100 signs.

“Unfortunately, they are the biggest bang for your buck,” said Sorenson, about campaign signs.

Forms filed by both candidates to Washington State’s Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) indicate that they pledge to not raise more than $5,000.

To reach a reporter, call 392-6434, ext. 246, or e-mail editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.SnoValleyStar.com.

District No. 1 and 3

Incumbent pushes for more technology in classrooms

Craig Husa likes being on the school board. The Fall City resident was appointed in February to Snoqualmie Valley School Board’s District No. 3 seat after Kathryn Lerner resigned.

Craig Husa is running for Snoqualmie Valley School Board district No. 3. Photo by Laura Geggel

Since then, Husa has sat down with district administrators, learning how the schools, budgets and programs operate and applying his business experience to school board conversation.

“In everything I do, I want to know as much as I can,” Husa said.

The father of two Chief Kanim Middle School students grew up in Spokane and went to the United States Naval Academy looking for a mental and physical challenge, he said. After receiving his commission, Husa served as a nuclear engineer on a submarine, where, he said, he learned key leadership skills.

Despite his engineering background, Husa next went to Harvard Business School. Following graduation, he led several technology companies in Washington and now, consults companies across the country.

Husa also served for four years as a fire commissioner for Fire Protection District No. 2.

Since joining the school board, Husa has busied himself with meeting people across the district and learning about their concerns.

“Now I go to school functions my kids aren’t involved in,” he said before heading to a North Bend Elementary School PTA golf fundraiser.

Another time, he spent a day at Two Rivers School, talking with students and teachers.

“Holy cow, it’s a really special program,” Husa said. “A lot of kids, without that type of program, their world wouldn’t exist.”

If elected, Husa said he would concentrate on bringing technology to Valley schools, calling technology a “great enabler” for teachers and students.

“I think we’ve spent our money to date very well, and we’re getting great results,” Husa said, adding, “We will always need money, but it’s not always the richest districts that do the best.”

For communication, Husa said the district’s e-mails, newsletters, meetings and Web site, as well as the local newspapers, are helpful, but acknowledged, “We need to continue looking for ways to get the information out in ways people can digest.”

His response to the Day of Silence was to remind people that it adhered to district policies for student-led events. If a policy is not being followed, the district has to enforce it, he said.

“I don’t think it’s the school district’s place to set social norms,” Husa said. “I think we can do really great things with the support of the community, and that’s what excites me.”

Kevin Bardsley supports getting back to basics

When he’s not busy raising his auburn-colored highland cows or running his business, Fall City’s Kevin Bardsley spends his time these days running for Snoqualmie Valley School Board.

He studied farming at Kansas State University. He worked for General Mills for 18 years, and moved to Fall City in 2002. The father of four runs his own company, Flory Sales and Marketing, LLC.

Kevin Bardsley stands next to one of his highland cows in Fall City. Bardsley is running for Snoqualmie Valley School Board district No. 3. Photo by Laura Geggel

Over the summer, Bardsley spoke with Snoqualmie Valley parents. One mother’s comment stuck with him. Her children knew how to use cell phones and computer games, but they struggled with the basics of reading, writing and math. Bardsley’s wife, Margie, an instructional aide at Chief Kanim Middle School, told him she saw a similar trend.

Instead of spending money on technology, Bardsley would like to see the district return to teaching the basics.

“We’ve got enough technology,” Bardsley said.

He wants money spent to reduce class sizes to 15 students for kindergarten through third grade. The district could run a pilot program for smaller class size and see if test scores improve before reducing class sizes across the district, he said.

While the district had to cut $3.35 million from its operating budget this year, it shouldn’t affect its prioritizes, in his view.

“It’s how we spend the money,” he said.

Bardsley wants Valley residents to better understand how that money is spent. He wants more transparent budget reports with flow charts distributed at each school.

Bardsley said that teachers’ pay should have greater incentives. Teachers whose students improve the most should receive bonuses, based on test results, parent and student feedback and principal ratings.

Administrators, who receive higher pay, should get pay cuts, he said.

Restoring parent trust in the district ranks high among his priorities. Bardsley said people told him they are tired of paying taxes to the school district. After reviewing a proposed technology levy for 2010, he said many parts were not vital to improving student performance, such as an updated phone system.

“Phones are already antiquated now,” he said. “I’m against the levies.”

As for the Day of Silence, Bardsley said the school board needs to “approve or disapprove” of the district’s policies.

“Our personal views aren’t important, it’s the policies,” he said.

Early results cast show Scott Hodgins with a huge lead in a primary race for Snoqualmie Valley School Board seat No. 1.

With 1,503 votes, Hodgins pulled in 46.5 percent of the vote as of Aug. 19. That put him well ahead of Paul Houldridge at 886 (27.4 percent) and Geoffrey Doy at 814 (25.2 percent).

In other races, Susan Hutchison appeared to be the clear leader in the King County Executive Primary. As of Aug. 19, she had pulled in 35.9 percent of the vote, compared to just 23.4 for Dow Constantine, her closest competitor. 

Megan Coppersmith, a spokeswoman for King County Elections, said they expect to receive another 100,000 votes by Aug. 21. The final results will appear on the elections Web site at noon Sept. 2.

The King County elections office has already begun mailing ballots for an Aug. 18 primary election for Snoqualmie Valley School Board seat No. 1. The primary is between candidates Geoffrey Doy, G. Scott Hodgins and Paul Houldridge.

The SnoValley Star has profiled each of the three candidates, including background information and an in-brief explanation as to why they are running.

Geoffrey Doy

Raised in England, Doy studied genetics and microbiology at the University of East Anglia. From there, he leapt into the commercial world of sales and marketing and lived in cities all over Europe, Asia and the United States. Doy moved to North Bend with his family in 2002 and has since retired.

Doy first started volunteering when his soon to be fourth-grade daughter started kindergarten at Snoqualmie Elementary. He served as co-chair of SES fundraising in 2008, raising $132,000. He also jumpstarted WATCH D.O.G.S — a group promoting classroom volunteerism among fathers — helped the school’s Green Team and is involved with the weekly reading buddy program.

His wife Deborah Doy is the PTA president at Snoqualmie Elementary. His son will attend kindergarten at SES this fall. 

“Both my wife and I made the decision to make education in the Valley the best it could be,” Doy said. “Today, we’ve done that to date by helping out at the district level and the school level.”

Doy also served on the Boundary Committee and the last Facilities Task Force and now serves on the district’s technology committee. He became involved in Valley Voters for Education as a volunteer and served as its president for the successful $27.5 million March 2009 bond campaign.

If elected, Doy said he would use background with communication, as well as strategic and financial planning, to serve the Snoqualmie Valley School District and community. He added that, as a retired businessman, he would be able to devote his time to the board, thoroughly researching different issues. 

To learn more, e-mail Geoffrey Doy at geoff@doyonboard.com.

Scott Hodgins

Scott Hodgins attended San Jose Sate University. He is the director of development for CMTS Inc., a project and construction management company, and has lived in North Bend since 1988. He and his wife, Cindy Hodgins, a Snoqualmie Elementary teacher, have a senior at Mount Si High School and a fifth-grader at Snoqualmie Elementary.

As director of development, Hodgins said he has built more than $1 billion worth of schools in the past 20 years and has worked with 12 different school districts as a consultant or an employee.

When his eldest daughter entered kindergarten, Hodgins started attending school board meetings to become familiar with local issues. He got involved with Valley Voters for Excellence, chairing and co-chairing bond and levy committees for 12 years, passing four levies and three bonds.

Hodgins chaired the maintenance & operations/technology levy on four separate occasions, co-chaired the 1996 capital improvements bond with school board president Marci Busby and was a committee member for the 2008 capital improvement bond. 

From 1998-2000, Hodgins served on the SVSD finance committee and also spent five years on the facilities task force.

He joined the Opstad Elementary PTSA and volunteered with the father-volunteer group WATCH D.O.G.S. at Snoqualmie Elementary. Later, he signed up for the Mount Si High School Band Booster Committee and the Mount Si Parent Advisory Committee. 

He spent more than two years serving on the curriculum adoption committee, as well.

Professionally, Hodgins served for 10 years on the King and Pierce County Schools Coalition.

If elected, Hodgins said he would work to increase communication and unite the district.

To learn more, e-mail Scott Hodgins at gscott.hodgins@comcast.net.

Paul Houldridge

Paul Houldridge attended Brigham Young University and works as a software developer for a company in Bellevue. He and his wife Kari have five children who attend Opstad Elementary, Twin Falls Middle School and Mount Si High School. 

At Opstad, Houldridge volunteers with the WATCH D.O.G.S program.

Houldridge was a member of the Coalition to Defend Education for one year. CoDE formed after the events surrounding the Rev. Ken Hutcherson’s speech at the Mount Si High School Martin Luther King Jr. assembly. A group of parents formed CoDE to, among other things, focus on school policies relating to issues of teacher bias in the classroom. 

Houldridge said he was no longer active with CoDE and said, if elected, he would focus his school board work on encouraging academic excellence, practicing fiscal responsibility and integrating transparency and accountability. 

The school board should follow its policies, while respecting the rights of the school’s administrators and teachers, he said.

“I think the key principle is that the school should service education,” Houldridge said. “When we dedicate an entire day or an entire month for things that don’t apply to the curriculum, I think it short-changes the kids.”

Students should be exposed to the core subjects of language arts, math and science, and also “enriching disciplines like music, art and sports, which teach valuable lessons of their own,” Houldridge said.

To learn more, visit paul4schoolboard.org or e-mail Paul Houldridge at schoolboard@houldridge.com. 

King County executive candidate Ross Hunter knocked on doors in a North Bend neighborhood July 9.

“I just want to hear from people what county issues are important to them,” Hunter said. 

Hunter, a legislator in Washington state’s House of Representatives from Medina, has been knocking on doors all over King County this summer. He said he wants to learn more about what issues are important in different parts of the county. Door-knocking is something he started doing when he first ran for office in 2003. 

With a roll of voters and a printout of the area from Google maps, Hunter and two of his campaign staff members visited homes off Mountain View Boulevard. 

Hunter is one of eight candidates who are running to be the next King County executive after long-time county executive Ron Sims resigned to take an appointment as Deputy Secretary for Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration. 

His opponents include State Sen. Fred Jarrett, King County Councilmen Larry Phillips and Dow Constantine, former TV news anchor Susan Hutchison, engineer and businessman Alan Lobdell, Seattle lawyer Stan Lippman, and Seattle resident Goodspaceguy. The Aug. 18 primary will determine the top two candidates, who will square off in the November general election.  

Hunter hopes to be the first person from the Eastside to be elected as King County executive. An Eastside resident has been appointed to the executive position, but has never won an election.

At one of the first homes he stopped at in North Bend, he met Kelly Kauer. Like Hunter, Kauer is a former Microsoft employee. She is a stay-at-home mom now with two young children.

“I felt like he presented himself well, and I think the county really needs someone with private sector business experience,” Kauer said. 

Kauer did not know about Hunter’s campaign for King County executive until she met him. During their talk, Hunter emphasized that he wants to make King County more accountable. He talked about how the Metro mass-transit service costs about 20 percent more in King County than in similar areas. He said that he wants to get a handle on King County’s costs so that service to areas like North Bend do not have to be cut in tough times. 

“He seems to really care about the issues of the entire county,” Kauer said. 

She said that she plans to do more research on Hunter’s platform, before she decides who to cast her vote for. 

After meeting Kauer, Hunter continued knocking on doors in the neighborhood and talking with other residents, before leaving for a meeting in Bothell. While walking back to his car, he said that getting out and meeting with people in different parts of the county was important for learning what’s going on. He noted that the unique geography of the county means that there are different problems in different places.

“You don’t find these things out, unless you come out and see them,” Hunter said. 

Reach reporter Michael Bayless Rowe at mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434, ext. 248.

Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson has endorsed State Sen. Fred Jarrett in the King County executive Race.

Larson, along with two other suburban mayors and a former Seattle mayor, signed a statement endorsing Jarrett during the last week of June.

“No candidate is more qualified for the new “non-partisan” position of King County executive than State Sen. Fred Jarrett,” Larson said in a statement released with his endorsement.

In an e-mail to the SnoValley Star, Larson said he made the endorsement to help Jarrett overcome the “very partisan campaigns in this race.” Larson publicly supported the King County Charter Amendment to make King County Council and executive races non-partisan. 

“It has been my experience that partisan politics on a local level has often gotten in the way of more creative problem solving,” Larson said. 

Larson said that most of the candidates running for King county executive would be good for Snoqualmie. He said that he would develop a good relationship with whoever wins the county executive race. 

“I simply believe that Fred Jarrett is the strongest and most timely candidate, due to the breadth, depth and diversity of his experience,” Larson said. “I believe his career reflects that his allegiance is, and has been, to sound governing and not to party ideology, or geographic self-interest.”

Larson said that he would not have to hold Jarrett to campaign promises to help small King County cities like Snoqualmie.

“Fred has a reputation of being a policy wonk. He relishes the details of a problem and is quite capable of seeing the complexities and challenges facing small cities,” Larson said.

North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing did not join with the other mayors in endorsing a candidate before the August primary. Hearing said that he has not yet decided who he would vote for in the county executive race.

About 100 voters had their first glimpse of the King County Executive candidates at a forum June 25 at Twin Falls Middle School in North Bend. 

The questions ranged from transportation and land use issues to concerns over a recent state audit of the county’s construction projects management.

All six major candidates participated in the event: King County Councilmen Dow Constantine and Larry Phillips, former TV news anchor Susan Hutchinson, State Senator Fred Jarrett, State Representative Ross Hunter, and engineer and businessman Alan Lobdell. The candidates face an Aug. 18 primary in which voters will select the top two candidates who will go on the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election.

Candidate forum organizer Gary Fancher, left, speaks with Susan Hutchinson, one of six major candidates for King County Executive who were at Twin Falls Middle School June 25.

Constantine and Phillips tried to distance themselves from former King County Executive Ron Sims. Hunter and Jarrett said that they would bring their combination of business and political experience to county government. Hutchinson and Lobdell touted their outsider status, each saying they were running because residents outside Seattle are frustrated with the county.

Hutchinson, a Seattle resident, noted that many landowners chafe under the county’s land use regulations and it is time to go back to the drawing board.

Lobdell, who lives in Covington, agreed.

“You deserve the right to make a profit with the property you bought,” Lobdell said.

Phillips, of Seattle, said that the county has an obligation to change the way it handles land use issues. He said the state needs to clarify how counties should use the best available science to make land use decisions. He also pledged that the county would work better with rural landowners.

Constantine, of Seattle, said that he would streamline some environmental regulations rather than forcing landowners to pay for expensive and time-consuming environmental impact studies. 

Hunter, of Medina, also said the county’s inflexibility in the way it regulates land uses should be changed. He said he would look at changing some systems to reduce the expense and time required for getting land use permits.

On transportation, Jarrett, of Mercer Island, said there needs to be a holistic approach to transportation. He would focus on improving the transportation system, not the individual modes of transport.

Lobdell said that transportation issues were daunting, and not something that can be fixed quickly. He said emphasis should be placed on roads, because many commuters have to rely on their own vehicles to get to and from work. He said he would push for a new north-south bypass on the Eastside.

Constantine also said that he would use transportation to bring new investments to the community.

Hunter said that he would try to make the various transportation agencies in the county coordinate their activities better. He would consider offering more transit to cities as an incentive for them to increase the density of residential developments.

Hutchinson said that transportation was the number one issue facing the county.

On the issue of government accountability, Jarrett said that the current system of measuring performance by the efforts of county employees should be changed to measure the results. 

Hunter said that the current council and administration “owned” the negative audit that the county recently received from the state. He criticized the county for giving 4 percent raises during the worst recession in 80 years.

Hutchinson also said it was time for the county to tighten its belt.

Jarrett faulted the executive’s office for fostering an environment of unaccountability by filtering the information the county executive receives.

“We need to hold the council and the executive accountable for what we deliver and what it costs to deliver,” Jarrett said.

Lobdell said that he would reduce salaries from the top-down to have the credibility to approach labor unions and ask for a 2.5 percent cut for union employees.

As a final question, the candidates were asked to respond to the recent state audit of the county’s construction project management. 

Almost all of the candidates voiced their frustration with the lack of accountability indicated by the audit. However, Lobdell took a different tack on the issue of the audit, saying that overall the problems weren’t that bad and that fixing construction management would be easy for him given his own project management experience.

Forum organizer Gary Fancher, of North Bend, developed the questions, in cooperation with 5th District Democratic and Republican representatives and the King County Municipal League.

Two more candidates, Paul Houldridge and Kevin Bardsley, have filed to run for the Snoqualmie Valley School Board.  

Paul Houldridge of North Bend is running for board seat No.1, a position representing part of Snoqualmie and North Bend. Two other candidates — Scott Hodgins and Geoffrey Doy —  are running for the position, as well. 

Anytime more than two candidates run for a school board seat, The King County Elections office requires that a primary election be held. Mail ballots will be mailed to all Snoqualmie Valley School District voters by July 31 for the Aug. 18 primary. The final election will be held Nov. 3. 

Houldridge, software developer for a company in Bellevue, and his wife Kari have five children who attend Opstad Elementary, Twin Falls Middle School and Mount Si High School. 

At Opstad, Houldridge volunteers with the WATCH D.O.G.S program and has volunteered in his son’s classroom, as well as with his sons’ Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting programs.

Houldridge was also a member of the Coalition to Defend Education for a year. CoDE formed after the events surrounding the Rev. Ken Hutcherson’s speech at the Mount Si High School Martin Luther King Jr. assembly. A group of parents called the assembly the straw that broke the camel’s back, and formed CoDE to, among other things, focus on school policies relating to issues of teacher bias in the classroom.

Houldridge said he was no longer active with CoDE and said, if elected, he would focus his school board work on encouraging academic excellence, practicing fiscal responsibility and integrating transparency and accountability. 

The school board should follow its policies while respecting the rights of the school’s administrators and teachers, he said.

“I think the key principle is that the school should service education,” Houldridge said. “When we dedicate an entire day or an entire month for things that don’t apply to the curriculum, I think it short-changes the kids.”

Students should be exposed to the core subjects of language arts, math and science, and also “enriching disciplines like music, art and sports, which teach valuable lessons of their own,” Houldridge said.

Fall City resident Kevin Bardsley is running for school board seat No. 3, an area representing part of Snoqualmie and Fall City. Bardsley will run against incumbent Craig Husa, who was appointed to the board in February after the resignation of Kathryn Lerner. 

Bardsley ran against Husa during the appointment process, but did not receive the position.

“I think the first thing I’m looking at is there are two board positions that were appointed by the existing board,” Bardsley said. “District 3 wasn’t present to vote on anything. I strongly believe in the American system, in by the people and for the people.”

Bardsley and his wife, Margie, an instructional aid at Chief Kanim Middle School, have four children who have attended Fall City Elementary, Chief Kanim and Mount Si High School. In addition to supporting his children’s involvement with extracurricular activities, Bardsley attended boundary-redistricting meetings and participated in a focus group organized by the Long-Term Facilities Task Force. 

Like Houldridge, he said the school district and board could have communicated better with the community regarding the budget deficit and blueprint. If elected, Bardsley said he would regularly meet with the people he represented. 

“I’ve never met the people who have represented my district in the past, unless you go to a board meeting and actually talk to them,” Bardsley said. “I know how to sell things. You go out and talk to people. You press the flesh and talk to people.”

He voted against the last two bonds, saying the district had done a poor job communicating about the bond and should have scaled down the amount of money it requested.

The election season is upon us once again.

A little less than two months after the Nov. 4 general election, King County voters on Feb. 3 will decide for the first time who they want heading up the county’s elections department.

The King County executive had appointed the elections director position since the home rule charter was adopted in 1968. Two months ago, voters changed the county charter to make the post an elective one, with the first election to be held Feb. 3.

“Our concern was that the elections operation was so deep in the county bureaucracy that it was really running in a way that wasn’t accountable to the public,” said Toby Nixon, who chaired a committee in 2007 that led to Charter Amendment 3 ending up on the ballot in November 2008.

Nixon, a former state house representative for the 45th Legislative District, is also a part of the Citizens for Accountable Elections Committee.

The county’s elections department will benefit from having an elected official overseeing the elections process, King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert said.

In 2004, a third-party review revealed that the county elections department — at that point a joint agency with the records and licensing division — had identified needs that weren’t being addressed by the county executive, Lambert said. 

“The person who’s elected can say, yes the executive turned me down, but we need it,” she explained.

Lambert did not describe the election as referendum on current elections director Sherril Huff— on the contrary, Lambert said she supported both Huff and David Irons as candidates. In either case, the new elections director would be enabled to have direct dialogue with the County Council in way that the current appointed official can’t, Lambert explained. 

Lambert said that whoever fills the role must have a sophisticated understanding of computer technology and must have management skills to lead the entire county elections department, which includes more than 600 temporary employees.

The director administers up to six elections per year for 143 jurisdictions. 

Six candidates filed for the nonpartisan position that pays $146,000 annually.

They include: 

• David Irons, of Seattle, a former King County Councilman who in 2005 unsuccessfully challenged King County Executive Ron Sims.

• Sherril Huff, of Seattle, current elections director.

• Bill Anderson, of Auburn, a former bank industry software engineer.

• Christopher Clifford, of Renton, a high school teacher who is trying to recall Seattle Port Commissioner Pat Davis.

• Julie Kempf, of Seattle, who was fired from her elections department position in 2002 after officials said she lied about why absentee ballots were mailed late. She has consistently denied the allegation.

• State Sen. Pam Roach, a Republican serving the Auburn area.

The King County Municipal League rated Huff and Irons as outstanding, Anderson as very good, and Kempf, Clifford and Roach as adequate. 

The Citizens for Accountable Elections has recommended Irons and Kempf. 

Voters can either read the candidates profiles online at http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections.aspx or watch it online at www.kingcounty.gov/KCTV/VVG. 

The election will feature the county’s first all vote-by-mail balloting. There’s no primary and whoever finishes first wins, even if they get a vote count short of a majority. The initial term expires at the end of 2011. Subsequent elections to four-year terms will follow the normal model of a primary followed by a general election. 

On Feb. 18, the elections will be certified and the new director takes office.

Local representatives and senators answered questions about the state of education and its funding at a roundtable organized by the Snoqualmie Valley PTSA Council Jan. 9. In attendance were Representative Glenn Anderson and Senator Cheryl Pflug from the 5th District, as well as Representative Roger Goodman and Senator Eric Oemig from the 45th District.

Representative Larry Springer did not attend. Jay Rodne, a representative from the 5th District, did not attend either, but said he would come to the April 20 Snoqualmie Valley PTSA Council meeting.

The roundtable began with each elected official answering questions from the PTSA Council. Later, the session of about 60 community members divided in half with Representative Anderson addressing people from the 5th District and Senator Oemig speaking with residents from the 45th District.

Much of the conversation revolved around the ideas presented by the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force. The bipartisan task force has formulated a new model for financing basic education. This model, which calls for no new taxes, will be presented to the state congress this legislative session.

Washington state currently funds districts based on formulas set by the state in the 1970s. 

“Just about everybody would agree that the current system that was put into place 30 years ago has become threadbare,” said Anderson, who served on the task force. “And there are a number of built-in inequities that came from that and have now metastasized.”

The old model gives extra funds to schools that have transient students, English language learners and low-income students. It also has several imbalances, such as districts with grandfathered salary differences, different levy lids and differential reimbursement for administrative and classified staff.

Pflug explained how some districts got grandfathered into higher funding. Before the state lawsuits of the 1970s, school districts raised much of their money through local levies. Pflug said the new 1970 funding formulas helped districts that had trouble passing levies. Districts that benefited from the former system complained and received grandfathered status — an allowance that was supposed to be phased out within the decade, but stays in practice until this day. 

Anderson said he had high hopes for the task force’s new model and predicted it would have support among state Republicans. The state Democrats might have a harder time supporting it, Anderson said, because many Democrats support either schools or healthcare and social services — all of which need money. 

But Goodman (D-45th District) disagreed, saying, “I don’t think we should be cutting any of them.”

Mount Si High School teacher Art Galloway seconded Goodman.

“If you don’t have both, you’re not going to get the outcomes,” Galloway said.

The school district faces funding inequities through private fundraising, as well. Carolyn Simpson, president of the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation, said the foundation has raised roughly $19 per student in 2007. In comparison, Issaquah raised $45, Bellevue raised $109 and Mercer Island raised $211 per student.

Encompass staff also made an appearance at the legislative roundtable. The center asked the representatives to increase funding for early education. Anderson has served on Encompass’ board for nine years. 

Several other conversations touched on other funds experiencing cuts or suspensions. 

“How schools are going to fund their locally hired staff without 728 money is another issue altogether,” Pflug said, referring to the initiative that reduces class size. If the governor’s proposed budget passes, Snoqualmie Valley could lose funding for 30 teachers.

All in all, the elected officials said they would put education first.

“We are not going back on education,” Goodman said. “We’ve started to go back in the last two legislative sessions, but we cannot go back. We’ll have to cut other stuff.”

Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.

For the third time in three tries, a bond issue to build a community center on Snoqualmie Ridge has failed to garner enough support.

On Monday, however, Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson predicted the city will, at some point in the future, attempt for a fourth time to secure public funding.

Cathy Charbonneau votes at Snoqualmie Elementary School Nov. 4. The polling place was packed in the 6 a.m. hour, but voters experienced few lines in the afternoon.

With all seven of the city’s precincts tallied, and every mail-in and absentee vote accounted for, support for the $10 million bond issue was just short of the 60 percent supermajority required by state law.

According to the King County Elections Office, 2,067 voters – 53.73 percent – were in support of the public funding for the $14 million facility, while 1,780 – 46.27 percent – cast votes in opposition.

In terms of total numbers, the 2008 turnout nearly topped 4,000 voters, as 3,996 people cast ballots – 23 more than 2006’s total registered voter count of 3,973.

A precinct-by-precinct break down of the vote will not be available until after elections officials certify the vote later in November, but in both previous efforts – 2002 and 2006 – support and opposition for the measure showed a clear divide between residents of historic downtown Snoqualmie and those living on Snoqualmie Ridge.

Larson said strong support for the center ensured the council will try again to get voter approval.

 “A clear majority of residents have once again declared their desire to build Snoqualmie Community Center,” Larson said, adding that failure to achieve a supermajority “is not a mandate to ignore the will of a 54 percent majority.”

Larson said it is now “the council’s and my responsibility to come back with a new proposal,” but said “it would be premature for us to speculate about the specifics and timing of any future bond.”

Larson placed blame for the latest failure of the bond passage on the recent economic downturn.

“When the decision was made to put this measure on the ballot back in early August, no one could have predicted the severity of the stock market fluctuations that peaked during the critical voting window for this bond,” Larson said. “The continued severe decline in and uncertainties about the national economy played a significant role in the demise of this proposal.”

Larson’s reasoning puts Snoqualmie voters clearly out of pace with the rest of King County, which overwhelmingly agreed to higher sales taxes to support public transit, and approved bonds for the rebuilding of Pike Place Market and for acquisition and development of new parkland.

Larson has also pointed to outside factors for previous failure to secure public funding for the community center.

At a series of recent public hearings, the mayor pegged the 2002 defeat on “the dot-com bust,” referring to the demise of many Internet-based businesses, as well as what he termed the “KC (King County) pool crisis” and cost.

At the same hearing, Larson cited the reasons for the 2006 failure on “school bonds, cost, regional pool and city finances.”

Because of state election laws regulating bond issues, passage requires not only a 60 percent supermajority, but for a total voter turnout of at least 40 percent of the last general election tally. Given the historic nature of the Nov. 4 election, Larson had previously estimated that it would be impossible to try again until at least 2010 – and only then at a much higher cost, given his estimates of construction inflation at 12 to 15 percent a year.

Elections officials placed the most recent voter turnout at 74.41 percent, a much higher total than either 2006 (64.49 percent) or 2002 (52.19 percent).

Any attempt in 2009 would require a total voter turnout of at least 1,598 people – 200 more than the entire city turnout of 1,384 in 2002. A total of 2,562 voters cast ballots in the November 2006 general election.

Reach reporter Ed Farrell at efarrell@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

Apart from momentous results in the race for U.S. president, the Nov. 4 election also delivered important decisions for regional races and issues.

In the 5^th Legislative District, incumbents Rep. Jay Rodne (R-North Bend) and Sen. Cheryl Pflug (R-Maple Valley) cruised to comfortable wins over Democratic challengers Jon Viebrock and Phyllis Huster. But Glenn Anderson, the Republican incumbent from Fall City, found himself in a close contest with Democrat David Spring.

At one point, his lead was just 19 votes, but by Nov. 10 Anderson had won by 1,794 votes.

Ballot measures brought out very clear preferences among the voters. Initiative 985, a Tim Eyman proposal to open carpool lanes to all vehicles during off-peak hours, went down to a resounding defeat with 60 percent opposed.

Initiative 1000 won 59 percent of the vote statewide. The “death with dignity” measure allows terminally ill persons to obtain their physicians’ assistance in ending their lives.

King County Proposition 1, for mass transit, won a whopping 70 percent approval from the voters. This was gratifying to its backers, who wondered whether a sour economy would have put voters off.

“With the voters’ blessing, we can now begin digging ourselves out of a 40-year transportation hole toward a better, greener transportation future through mass transit,” said King County Councilman Larry Phillips.

Voters also approved a fistful of amendments to the King County Charter, saying yes to more time for review of the King County budget, reducing the number of elected officials on certain regional committees, permitting the establishment of additional qualifications for some county elected officials, and stronger bans on unlawful discrimination.

In the statewide contest for commissioner of public lands, Democrat Peter Goldmark scored an upset win over incumbent Doug Sutherland, with the final tally giving him 62 percent of the vote.

Several of the candidates had thoughts to share on the election.

“In a year like this, it is very gratifying to be appreciated on my own merit regardless of partisan affiliation,” Pflug wrote in an e-mail. “Senate Republicans appear to have re-elected all incumbents and picked up a seat in the 2nd Legislative District. In the face of an antiBush tsunami, that result should give the majority Democrats reason for pause.”

Viebrock, who lost his race with Rodne, nonetheless said he was pleased that he and Rodne were able to discuss issues in a way that allowed them to distinguish themselves in the minds of voters while avoiding confrontation. He added that he probably would run for office again.

“While the national government gets the spotlight most (or all) of the time, the fact remains that state and local governments have far more impact on peoples’ daily lives,” Viebrock wrote. “If we all stay involved, then we give ourselves the best chance to come up with truly bipartisan solutions to our common problems, and a real chance to move forward in a way that enriches the lives of everyone.

“As to my experiences, I can say that running for office the first time is about like drinking water from a fire hose. I have learned a tremendous amount, and am much better off for the effort. Having met many thousands of people in our district is now a great source of pride, and ranks with my service in the Marine Corps as being a truly important and worthwhile event in my life.”

Reach Reporter Jon Savelle at 392-6434, ext. 234, or jsavelle@isspress.com. Reach Reporter Jim Feehan at 392-6434, ext. 239, or newcas@isspress.com.

With all seven of the city’s precincts counted and 77 percent of mail-in ballots accounted for, Snoqualmie’s Proposition No. 1, Recreational Facilities Bond is still well below the 60 percent supermajority required for approval.

As of Thursday afternoon, 53 percent of votes tallied were in favor of the $10 million bond proposition – 7 full percentage points below that required by state law for approval.

A total of 1,263 votes were tallied in support of the measure, while 1,120 votes were cast against the proposition.

In the latest round of results posted by the King County Elections Office, 46.07 percent of the city’s registered voters had cast ballots by Tuesday or had been counted as absentee or mail-in. Only 862 mail-in ballots remained to be counted or accounted for by Thursday afternoon, according to elections officials.

If the results hold up, it will be the third time voters have declined to support a property tax increase to build and support a community center on Snoqualmie Ridge.

The total estimated cost of the center is $14 million; the city has promised to dedicate $1 million in Real Estate Excise Tax, or REET, revenues and Quadrant Homes has $3 million in mitigation fees it has collected as required as part of its original development agreement with the city.

David E. Dorothy, spokesman for Quadrant Homes, said Wednesday that until the ballot count was completed, he couldn’t talk about future plans.

“With the outstanding ballots that remain, it’s too early for me to comment at this time,” Dorothy said.

If the last remaining ballots are enough to top the 60 percent mark, the bonds will cost an estimated 30 additional cents per $1,000 assessed valuation, or about $120 a year on a $400,000 home.

A precinct by precinct vote tally will not be available until after the election results are certified on Nov. 25.

In 2002, voters defeated a $9 million bond measure — 59.63 voted against the bonds to 40.37 in support. And in 2006, the bond question was defeated 52.28 percent to 47.72 percent.

Snoqualmie Councilman Charles Peterson, a downtown Snoqualmie resident and former city mayor who had urged voters to support the measure as a symbol of community unity, said Wednesday he had “no concept of what we’ll do” should the numbers hold up and the final tally fail to reach 60 percent.

Councilman Jeff MacNichols agreed with Peterson.

Councilman Bob Jeans, like his colleagues, suggested it “will be days” before the final tally is known.

“If the matter does not pass, then we need to reassess why that occurred,” Jeans said. “The simple answer could be that the current economic crisis caused people to again reassess their priorities.”

Jeans, however, said the council took the proper steps in placing the question before the voters for a third time.

“The council listened to the people and presented what we felt addressed their needs for a community center.”

The council had already approved a memorandum of understanding with the Greater Seattle YMCA to manage the facility, promising to subsidize the YMCA to the tune of $100,000 a year for 20 years.

YMCA officials did not immediately return telephone calls soliciting comment.

The $2 million subsidy was a point of contention with some prospective voters in the days leading up to the election, and even caught some city council members by surprise when Larson announced the terms of the subsidy prior to the election.

Snoqualmie’s Proposition No. 1, Recreational Facilities Bond — also known as the Snoqualmie Ridge Community Center bond — is failing.

With all seven of the city’s precincts reporting, supporters of the $10 million bond issue so far have been unable to achieve the 60 percent supermajority required by state law. However, there are still an unknown number of mail-in and absentee ballots uncounted.

According to the King County Elections Office, 52.61 percent of votes cast were in support of the measure, while 47.39 percent of voters were opposed.

Only 33.7 percent — 1,813 of 5,370 registered voters — cast counted ballots on the bond question. It’s unsure how many more votes could come in. In a similar vote in 2006, voter participation was 64 percent. In 2002, it was 52 percent.

If the bond fails, it will be the third time voters declined to support a property tax increase to build and support a community center on Snoqualmie Ridge.

If approved, the bonds would cost an estimated 30 additional cents per $1,000 assessed valuation, or about $120 a year on a $400,000 home.

A precinct-by-precinct vote tally was not available Wednesday morning from county election officials, but in both 2002 and 2006, voters residing in the downtown area of Snoqualmie voted strongly in opposition to issuing bonds to build the center, while Snoqualmie Ridge residents voted overwhelmingly in favor.

In 2002, voters overwhelmingly defeated a $9 million bond measure — 59.63 voted against the bonds to 40.37 in support. In 2006, the bond question was defeated with 52.28 percent in favor to 47.72 percent against.

Prior to Tuesday’s election, Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson had urged voters to approve the bonds, promising the city would try again in two years.

On Wednesday, Larson — an ardent and vocal supporter of the bond effort — issued a terse “no comment” in the wake of current results.

Councilman Charles Peterson, a downtown Snoqualmie resident and former city mayor who had urged voters to support the measure as a symbol of community unity, said Wednesday that he was not yet ready to concede defeat.

“I believe there are still a number of mail-in ballots to be counted,” Peterson said, noting that he himself had only mailed in his ballot Tuesday.

“But it is a lot of ground to make up, and I wouldn’t want to bet money (on achieving the 60 percent total required for victory) it.”

Peterson added he had “no concept of what we’ll do” should the numbers hold up and the final tally fail to reach 60 percent.

Councilman Jeff MacNichols agreed with Peterson.

“We are far from the end of the vote count,” MacNichols said, adding that the King County numbers “are preliminary” only.

The council had already approved a memorandum of understanding with the Greater Seattle YMCA to manage the facility, promising to subsidize the YMCA to the tune of $100,000 a year for 20 years.

YMCA officials did not immediately return telephone calls soliciting comment.

The $2 million subsidy was a point of contention with some prospective voters in the days leading up to the election, and even caught some city council members by surprise when Larson announced the terms of the subsidy prior to the election.

In other local elections, Republican incumbents for state legislative offices in the 5^th district were ahead on Wednesday. With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Republican incumbent state Senator Cheryl Pflug had a convincing lead, ahead 58-42. Pflug has 16,333 votes to Democratic challenger Phyllis Huster’s 11,949 votes.

Republican incumbent Jay Rodne seems poised to cruise to victory against Jon Viebrock, leading by a 56-43 margin. Rodne has received 15,470 votes to Viebrock’s 11,897.

In a much closer race, incumbent Republican Glenn Anderson was up by 310 votes against Democratic challenger David Spring. Anderson had 13,813 votes for 50.53 percent of the total counted, while Spring had 13,503 votes for 49.39 percent of the total counted.

Of the three statewide ballot measures, two passed.

Initiative 1000, sometimes referred to as the “Death with Dignity Act”, won 59-41.

Initiative 1029, which entails more funding for long-term care for elderly and disabled persons, passed 74-26.

Initiative 985, which would have opened up HOV lanes to all-purpose traffic at certain hours of the day, lost by a 59-41 margin.

Reporter J.B. Wogan contributed to this story. Reach reporter Ed Farrell at efarrell@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

Signs in support of a proposed community center dot Snoqualmie Parkway.

The strongest feelings, both for and against the center, seem to focus on the city’s choice of the YMCA as its partner to manage the $14 million facility.

The city has already promised to subsidize the YMCA’s maintenance and operations costs for up to $2 million — $100,000 a year for up to 20 years — an agreement city officials have said was necessary to secure the YMCA’s commitment to the project.

And while the YMCA has promised to waive joining fees for city of Snoqualmie residents should the bond question be approved, the group’s own survey shows few city residents have expressed interest in using the facility and that the strongest showing of support could come from other areas of the Snoqualmie Valley, including North Bend, Fall City and Preston – areas where the question will not be on the ballot, nor where homeowners will be subject to property tax increases.

Approval of the bonds would add about $120 annually to the property tax bill for owners of a $400,000 home within the Snoqualmie city limits.

In addition to the property tax increases, a city of Snoqualmie family wishing to use the facility regularly would be subject to monthly dues of up to $93, making the annual cost to the family to use the community center in excess of $1,200.

“We’re strongly for it,” said Laurie Henderson, a Snoqualmie Ridge resident who said the new center could make great strides in improving relations between residents of “old” Snoqualmie and “new” Snoqualmie Ridge.

Henderson said the most favorable aspect of the proposal to her was the involvement with the YMCA.

“I have friends who live close to YMCAs in other areas, and they create a great sense of community and provide fabulous opportunities for users of all ages,” Henderson said.

“I love the concept of a community center,” said Ridge resident Carol Waters, “but I have problems with the city providing the building for the YMCA. This proposal would not be a community center run by the community for the community, but rather a Y facility run for the YMCA.”

City officials have struggled with the need to maintain a sense of neutrality on the bond question, yet still have tried to convey the need to move forward with the project as one that would benefit the community as a whole.

Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson has stated that if approval for the bonds is not secured on Tuesday, the city will try again in two years, at a far more expensive cost given expected construction inflation of as much as 15 percent a year.

Even former city officials have weighed in on the measure.

Former mayor R. Fuzzy Fletcher, in a letter to the editor published in The Star, said that he once opposed the center but now was supportive of the bond issue.

Among Fletcher’s conclusions: “It will never get any less expensive to build a community center.”

Fletcher also warned voters that should they not pass the bond measure Tuesday, “then when the city builds the community center, the taxpayers will pay for maintenance and operation.”

Several community groups, including Encompass and the Mt. Si Metropolitan Parks District have endorsed the bond issue. As has the Snoqualmie Valley School District, even though both opponents and supporters of the bonds suggest a future school bond question could be threatened by the community center bond effort.

James Joyce, another Ridge resident, said he felt “this just isn’t a good time” to ask voters to approve a bond issue, given the pending need by the school district to pass a bond issue of its own.

“There just seems to be a lot of unknowns,” Joyce said, “and it would be a shame to endanger the school bond issue. And, quite frankly, this seemed to be very rushed … it smacks of the city trying to push this thing through.”

Reach reporter Ed Farrell at efarrell@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

Laura Hernandez, 25, waited for her local bus at the Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride Sept. 25. Every day she takes Sound Transit’s 554 express bus to and from Bellevue Community College, then hitches a ride on the King County Metro Transit’s 269 bus back to 228^th Avenue. Then she walks to her home in the Summer Ridge neighborhood.

“It requires a lot of planning to take the bus,” Hernandez said. In the winter, the waits for each bus can be excruciating with the rain and wind.

“Then I’m cold, wet and cranky,” she said.

Hernandez said she hasn’t studied up on Sound Transit’s Proposition 1, and doesn’t know which way she’ll vote, but in general, she’s in favor of more bus service.

“I’m always waiting for buses. If there’s more of them out there, that gives me more options,” she said.

Sound Transit’s plan does seek to offer Hernandez and Eastside riders like her more options. For an estimated $17.9 billion over 15 years, the plan would use taxpayer dollars to fund light rail construction from Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond; it would also pay for expanded bus service around the Eastside, including Redmond and Issaquah.

The proposition, also known as Sound Transit 2 or ST2, will appear on county ballots Nov. 4 for voters in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.

The math

Sound Transit’s estimated $17.9 billion would be spent from 2009 to 2023 and would include capital costs, operations and maintenance fees, reserve funds, bond payments and inflation, according to Geoff Patrick, a spokesperson for Sound Transit.

Taxpayers would continue paying the increased sales tax after the 15-year period. Sound Transit’s projections include an additional $4.9 billion accumulated in interest fees from bonds.

Patrick said there is a rollback provision that would cause the sales tax to return to its pre-Proposition 1 status after the projects had been completed and paid off. Sound Transit estimates the rollback would take place around 2038.

Taxpayers would pay for the $17.9 billion from a sales tax increase of about five cents added to each $10 purchase. For the typical adult, the increase would be about $69 per year, according to Patrick.

The organization’s definition of “typical adult” assumes that the median income for a taxpayer in the Sound Transit District is $64,405. The district includes urban areas of Snohomish, Pierce and King counties.

Of course, the cost varies depending on spending.

“People who spend more, pay more,” Patrick said.

Patrick said increased bus service is one difference from last year’s failed Sound Transit proposition.

About 26 percent, or $3.5 billion, of the $13.4 billion in capital costs would go toward expanded bus service, whereas less than 5 percent was allotted for the same purpose last year, according to Patrick.

What would change for the Valley

Passage of Sound Transit 2 would not bring more buses to Snoqualmie and North Bend, but would provide for additional connections for King County Metro Transit riders to the Sound Transit system.

On Sept. 22, Metro kicked off Route 215 bus service to Snoqualmie Ridge, offering for the first time direct access to Seattle and other Metro and Sound Transit service locations.

Route 215 runs from the Mt. Si Senior Center in North Bend to Olive Way and 5^th Avenue in Seattle.

The route also offers connections to the Sound Transit system, including a stop at the Issaquah Park & Ride, Eastgate Park & Ride in Bellevue and the I-90/Rainier Avenue connector locations, all of which, if SR2 is approved by voters, will see additional service from Sound Transit buses.

Potential problems

Some critics say Sound Transit 2 doesn’t benefit Eastside voters enough to justify its cost.

Jim Horn, Chairman of the Eastside Transportation Association, is one of those critics.

“It costs too much. It does too little. It is too late. And there is a better solution,” Horn said.

Horn levels many criticisms at the proposition, but one is that there should be more bus service and no light rail on the Eastside. 

“The amount of bus service increases that they’re offering is minimal. Why don’t we just do the bus service and forget the light rail?” He said.

Horn is a former city councilman for Mercer Island and a former state representative for the 41^st District.

Part of his association’s solution for providing Eastside commuters better transportation across the 520 and Interstate 90 bridges is carpooling.

“We can have people carpooling for virtually a one-tenth of the cost and we can carry 50 percent more riders than the light rail does,” he said.

The key to increasing carpool numbers across the region is in aggressive advertising, Horn said.

Horn added that he believed the light rail portion of the proposition would have negative environmental impacts to the area, would be logistically challenging to design and implement over Lake Washington, would be too expensive and would not offer enough ridership capacity to commuters.

Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.

The city of North Bend anticipates little, if any, financial impacts to result if Initiative 985 is approved on Nov. 4 ballots.

The initiative would open all carpool lanes during non-peak hours to all traffic. During peak hours, the use of carpool lanes would be limited to vehicles carrying two or more persons, or motorcycles carrying one or more people.

Initiative 985 would requires cities and counties to synchronize the traffic lights on heavily traveled arterials and streets within their jurisdictions to optimize traffic flow, while state and other local governments would be required to synchronize traffic on heavily traveled arterials and streets within their jurisdictions.

North Bend does not control any High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, does not use cameras to collect stop-light fines and faces only the potential cost of synchronizing its three traffic lights, according to City Administrator Duncan Wilson.

“We really have no idea as to what the costs may be,” Wilson said. “We haven’t done an analysis.”

Wilson said efforts are already underway to synchronize the city’s three signal lights, all located on a stretch of Bendigo Way.

A portion of the revenues collected through the levy of the state sales tax (15 percent of the amount of sales tax revenue collected from the sale of motor vehicles, except for retail car rentals) would be placed in a Reduce Traffic Congestion Account established by the measure. In addition to the sales revenues, the following revenues would be placed in the new account: certain tolls and charges; revenue from certain infractions dedicated to reducing traffic congestion; and one-half of 1 percent (.05 percent) of the money appropriated for any transportation-related public works project.

Proponents of I-985 say that signal synchronization alone could reduce traffic congestion by 6 percent to 7 percent, while opening carpool lanes during nonpeak hours also would reduce congestion.

Opponents argue that I-985 shortchanges taxpayers across the state by concentrating resources in congested areas in and around Seattle. They also say that opening HOV lanes to single-occupant vehicles would create safety hazards and thereby make congestion worse.