Promoting myself to win political office is outside my experience. Asking for contributions. Asking for help with my campaign. Getting help with my campaign and integrating others’ ideas into how best to approach the voters. I find myself focusing on campaign strategy, when I’d rather focus on why I’m running for office.
I’m running for office because I have observed poor stewardship of our tax-payer dollars. I’m running for office because I have observed an adversarial relationship between Council Members, between the Mayor’s Office and Council Members, between citizens and elected officials, between staff and citizens, between staff and Council Members, and (most unfortunately) between citizen and citizen. I am running for office because I have observed that some elected officials think in terms of their own short-term political gain, rather than the long-term stewardship of Edmonds resources and its future economic health.
I am running for office because the finger-pointing and blame game is getting us nowhere. We have well-informed citizens in Edmonds. We have numerous citizens who volunteer their time on the many citizen committees and organizations for the benefit of Edmonds. We have many citizens who dedicate precious time researching issues of importance for our city. All of these voices should be considered when decisions are made about Edmonds. All input must be encouraged, respected, and valued.
I am running for office because I believe that Council Members should be politicians second, and stewards, first. By politicians, I mean, those who, rather than governing, always seem to be campaigning for the next election. By stewards, I mean those who work for the betterment of our city, not just for today, but for future generations.
Stewardship starts with striping concealment from all government activities. If everything is done in the best interests of tax-paying citizens, then there is no reason that we can’t monitor governance as if there were a ticker tape. We have everything to gain, and nothing to lose, from an open government process.
Stewardship continues with efficiency in the use of tax-payers’ money. Yes, if you want a service it must be paid for, but let’s make sure we’re getting our money’s worth. There should be clear, accessible budget reports that can be easily understood by anyone who has interest in reviewing them. Citizens will be better equipped to make decisions about taxing themselves, and about how those tax dollars are spent.
Stewardship includes transparency in all operations of the city. We should be able to access the record of all actions taken on behalf of the citizens of Edmonds, by all of the departments of the city. While the mayor is responsible for oversight of staff, every citizen should have easy access to city operations. Cooperation and collaboration will be fostered when we can all see the inner workings of our government.
Stewardship recognizes that the quality of life in Edmonds is best when all generations can afford to live here — when young families, young adults, and older adults all have available housing appropriate to their current situation. We have many neighborhoods, and they don’t have to look exactly the same.
Stewardship means that Edmonds needs a balance of housing, parks, businesses, and entertainment. To accomplish that we need to guide our City departments to suppress poor development and foster superior development.
Gary,
I wish you the best on your endeavors. Your message of stewardship is a needed effort in Edmonds.
I can’t help but think of all the tax dollars that were wasted on payment to Ogden Murphy Wallace in legal fees as well as numerous staff hours fighting my husband and me with our attempt to acquire a single family building permit for a lot we purchased in 2007 at 9330182th PL. S.W. for $220,000.
Ogden Murphy Wallace was successful in advising us to appeal staff interpretation of storm water management requirements for development of our lot as our only viable alternative to keep our permit application active. We had just paid $1,800 for a building permit application with the promise of acquiring a meeting with city staff to discuss the project and the unreasonable requirement to divert storm flows from the city’s drainage piping system out in the street onto our lot as a condition of building permit issuance.
However, the meeting was cancelled the day before it was to occur, and we were instead advised to appeal staff interpretation for storm water mangement to the Hearing Examiner as our only means of continuing the permit process. The letter we received from the city said, “staff would not talk to us outside of the appeal process.” Unfortunately, I took the bait.
Ogden Murphy Wallace and the city staff used their expertise in navigating the court system and the difference given to the city within the legal system, and ultimately placed a burden on our lot that we must divert storm water from the city’s storm drainage conveyance system and onto our lot as a condition of acquisition of a building permit. Wow, this is storm drainage from a surrounding 6.5 acre urbanized drainage basin including city streets, house rooftops, and driveways. This is absurd, but the city can abuse the legal system to obtain absurd results if they so choose. I have experienced first hand.
The party line that city council heard from staff and legal council was, “We keep telling the Breske’s what to do they just won’t do it.”
Gary, this is code speak for We placed an unreasonable burden on development. No one on the council ever thought to question, hey the Breske’s paid $220,000 for a building lot, it they have been given a reasonable requirement they would have built on the lot.
It is up to the City Council and the Mayor to provide direction to staff and the legal council and how they want their city run. In the city of Edmonds it is not, when you will get a building permit, it is if you will get a building permit.
By the way, I still own the lot and continue to pay property tax on a lot which for all effective purposes is a regional detention facility for the city. If the city wants to lot for regional storm drainage managment, why don’t they just buy it from me.
Sincerely,
Donna L. Breske, P.E.
donnabreske@comcast.net
Phone: 425-334-9980