By Polly Keary, Editor
Upper Sky Valley voters will vote in five races this fall, including three city council races in Sultan and a school board race in Index, as well as a county council race (see Election 2013, pg. 1)
Ten more candidates for electable positions are running unopposed.
Sixteen more candidates are running unopposed for a variety of offices, include water district commission seats, school board seats, city council positions and fire commission seats.
In following weeks, we will introduce those candidates who are running unopposed, and later in the summer, we will return to the contested races one at a time for in depth interviews and information.
This week, we meet the candidates for those contested races for an overview of the campaign landscape of 2013.
Each candidate was invited to supply a short statement on why he or she has decided to seek the office, and what qualifications and experience that candidates can bring. The candidates are presented in the order their statements were received.
Sultan City Council-á
Sultan City Council Position #1
Ken Marshall
Experience and skills
I graduated from Sultan High School Class of 1999. Prior to graduating I attended Sno-Isle Vocational Technical Skills Center where I completed courses in diesel mechanics and construction trades. I became an apprentice electrician at Rob's Electric at age 16 before becoming a journeyman electrician and working at Rob's Electric for about 14 years.
I have volunteered to set up, maintain, and run the electrical for Shindig every year. Last year I was able to increase the capacity of the electricity needed for our current vendors, allowing us to increase the amount of vendors, which meant more revenue for Sultan. I held a position on the Planning Board Commission by appointment from Aug. 25 to Nov. 22, 2011 when I was appointed to the city council. In December 2012 my wife, Pennie Marshall and I held the Sultan Lighting Festival that united approximately 250 community residents. The lighting contest we did involved students nominated from our local schools.
Why I decided to run
My true motivation in holding my current Position 1 on the Sultan City Council is to continue working towards building our community in a positive and productive manner for the benefit of all of us and our future generations who are proud to call Sultan home. I have really enjoyed being on the city council and appreciate everyone's involvement from the elderly, adults, and children working together because we really do have the best community and I would like to thank you for the opportunity to continue to make this such a great place!
Bob McCarty (McCarty did not submit a photo)
Experience and skills
I moved to Sultan in 2000, purchasing my home in Eagle Ridge, in which I still reside. I graduated from Grays Harbor College with an Associate in Science degree, and Washington State University with a Bachelor's degree in wildlife habitat management. I worked for the State of Washington for 28 years. After managing several liquor stores I retired as the liquor store manager in the city of Sammamish. While employed as a manager I negotiated contracts for the Washington Public Employees association with the Liquor Board.
I am currently the treasurer of the Sultan Sportsman Club, a Crest supporter of the Snohomish County Sultan Basin Shooting Sports Park, promoting economic development in our area. I am the daytime hospitality lead at the Northwest Folk Life Festival. I also serve as a part time security person for the Evergreen Fairgrounds. Being a retiree gives me more than enough time to fully study the various issues that will come before the council. I will then act with the best interest of the citizens of Sultan in mind.
Why I decided to run
My objectives are to listen to the citizens, and help deliver the needed services to them at the lowest possible cost.
It is a crying shame that private citizens such as myself must use their own time and money to force city officials to legally and properly spend utility fees they collect from all of us.-áI am proudly part of the Sultan Utility Stakeholders' Group attempting to do just that.
Somebody has to be looking out for the folks. I want to join in that endeavor.
Sultan City Council Position #3
Kay George
Experience and skills
My unique qualifications for this position are as follows:-áCurrent Sultan council person; lived in Sultan since 1997; graduated business school with a 4.0 G.P.A; legal assistant for 12 years; have owned a real estate brokerage for 18 years, 15 of which have been in Sultan; W.S.U. Master Gardner which is helpful in Parks Department decision-making; a scholar of the CATO Institute which promotes liberty, limited government, free markets and highlights that the Constitution matter; have been in the Sky Valley Historical Society and Sultan Sportsmen's Club and have a strong commitment to public service.
Why I decided to run
I was honored to be elected with 70 percent of your votes to Sultan City Council, Position 3 during the last election cycle.-áI ran for office to accomplish the following goals for our residents:-á1. Reduce utility bills; 2. Reduce unnecessary costs; and 3. Improve the city's reputation.
There has been much resistance to achieving these goals, but I am making progress.-áI will always vote for the interests of the people over the interests of my colleagues at city hall. This has been and will continue to be my pledge. We have a wonderful community which can be kept that way at reduced costs to its citizens through proper use of public funds.-áA better reputation is not only critical to gain the confidence of our citizens, but also investors who will bring jobs and prosperity in future years.
Rocky Walker
Experience and skills
I graduated from Sultan High School in 1976. I served five years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT for the Sultan Fire Department, five years of middle management experience in the manufacturing sector and 10 years of running my own design and marketing business.
I have a strong background in people skills, communication, problem solving, leadership and budgeting, and six years of volunteering for the City of Sultan. My volunteer experience includes but is not limited to: Block watch captain; COPS grant oversight committee; team leader of the graffiti removal squad; supervising crosswalk and parking stripe painting; supervisor of court-ordered community service; co-founder and manager of the Annual Safety Fair at Sultan; assisting with the Annual School Evacuation Drill; pressure washing and city-wide clean up; and emergency flood response coordinator.
Why I decided to run
I grew up in Sultan and this city has been my home for the greater part of my life. After returning to Sultan again several years ago I have dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours toward making Sultan a better place for people to live and raise their families. I have been urged many times to join the city council and help steer the city toward a brighter future and I feel the time is right for me to do that. The council will be faced with many challenges over the next four years concerning budgets, growth, police contracts and other issues of major importance. I feel I have the knowledge and skill it will take to work effectively with the Mayor and Council to do what is right for our citizens in these tough economic times.
Sultan City Council Position #6-á
Marianne Naslund
Experience and skills
I received my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 2007. I hold FEMA certificates in emergency management, incident command system and continuity of government. I worked at Sultan City Hall for three years and the Sultan School District for 12 years. I worked in the private industry for seven years at a popular car dealership in Everett. I have volunteered as Gold Bar Elementary PTA Board Secretary/Treasurer; Sultan High School Senior Parents Association President for the class of 2010; the Highway 2 Traffic Safety Coalition secretary, the Planning Commission Secretary; and a one-year appointment to the City Council in 2011. I now volunteer as the Assistant Cheer Coach for Sultan High School, the Sultan High School Senior Parents Association President for the class of 2013, I have been the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce Sultan Summer Shindig Street-Fair Coordinator since 1997. Most recently I was named the April 2012 Reader's Digest Hometown Hero for my work with a local teenager and received a Community Service Award from the Masons in February 2013.
Why I decided to run
I am motivated to run for public office because Sultan is my home and I care deeply for the people who live here. My husband and I bought our home in Sultan in 1993 and have enjoyed raising our kids in this close knit community. Working for the school district has allowed me to hear firsthand not only from my neighbors but from students, parents, and staff members on what kinds of things bother them about our local government and the services they provide. I don't have all of the answers. No one does. I can however use my technical skills and research abilities to seek answers that are for the common good. If I had to sum up my top three issues that I can make a difference in by serving on the Sultan City Council, it would have to be public safety, property owner's rights, and economic development.
Geoffrey Evans
Experience and skills
I have lived in five states in towns ranging from under two thousand to over six hundred thousand. I have started my own business and worked for some of the largest corporations on the planet. From rebuilding motors to designing databases to renovating a house, I have realized that my big passion in life is to learn how something works and make it a little bit (or a lot) better. As a recent addition to the city planning board, I have had a chance to network with our city administration, learn the people, and begun building a trust with my neighbors. We can give Sultan a thriving future without losing touch with our vibrant history.
Why I decided to run
Running for public office was an easy decision for me. As my fianc+¬ and I plan our future, we think about our children and what we want them to see and experience. Keeping utility costs in line (who wants to tell their kids we can't play in the sprinkler because it's too expensive?), keeping public spaces safe and inviting, and ensuring that our streets and schools are in good repair are part of it. Keeping businesses thriving and our town prosperous gives all of us and our children opportunities to set deep roots. I can think of no better way to ensure that all of our children have a bright future than to get my hands into the dirt and start making that future happen.
Neither candidate for the Index School Board sent information.
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