Candidates for the fall elections gathered in Buckley Thursday night, giving voters some insight before they’re asked to cast their general election ballots.
A debate, sponsored by The Courier-Herald and staged at the Glacier Middle School annex, brought together candidates for Enumclaw City Council, Buckley City Council and the Enumclaw School Board.
The most contentious pairing of the evening was between Enumclaw City Council incumbent Rich Elfers and challenger Darrel Dickson.
The theme for the evening was Dickson claiming that current city difficulties would never happen “in my world” – that is, the business world. Dickson owns rental properties throughout the region and boasts a payroll of 45 employees. Elfers repeatedly countered with the claim that Dickson “just doesn’t understand how government works,” citing his opponent’s “narrow business perspective.”
The two shared some areas of agreement, but often disagreed, and were entirely separate on the big picture of small-town politics.
Asked if he was satisfied with the current state of city affairs, Dickson replied, “No, I’m not. That’s why I’m running.” He alleged the council has shown a lack of vision and added that, during troubled times, the city needs people who can both see and create opportunities.
“We’re headed for a train wreck,” he concluded.
Asked the same question, Elfers again alluded to Dickson’s lack of understanding.
“It’s easy to take shots if you’re not involved,” the incumbent said. “It’s not so easy to be there.” He said the full council “is doing the best job with what we have.”
The Buckley council races have Marvin Sundstrom paired against Bryan Howard and Milt Tremblay squaring off against Sandra Sundstrom.
Marvin Sundstrom, a frequent critic of Buckley’s administration and council, maintained his stance during Thursday’s debate.
“A lot of people are employed by this city who don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said at the outset. He also harped on the city’s use of paid consultants, claiming employees should be competent to handle nearly anything thrown their way.
His opponent, Howard, spoke of a professional career highlighted by increasing responsibilities, along with a lifelong history of involvement in the Buckley community, including service on the volunteer fire department.
Sandra Sundstrom cited her 20 years as a business owner and made it clear her primary reason for running is a belief that Buckley’s utility charges have gotten out of hand.
Tremblay said he’s running to continue his commitment to community service and to put his professional skills into local practice. He was instrumental in the building of White River High School and now oversees facilities for the University of Washington Tacoma. In the community, he has coached various sports at a variety of levels.
The only contested Enumclaw School District race has Tina McGann and Dan Peterson vying for a vacant seat.
McGann pointed to her extensive involvement with the district, through the Black Diamond Elementary PTA and Enumclaw Schools Foundation.
“I know what the issues are,” she said, noting her three-year run of attendance at school board meetings. She cited her familiarity with the district budget as an asset.
Peterson told the audience he has experience working on big projects for Boeing and is savvy when it comes to current technology needs. Having retired, he said, he now has the time to get involved.
Both candidates praised the job done by the present school board in negotiating with YarrowBay, the development company attempting to bring two housing developments to Black Diamond.
Asked about the most pressing issues facing the district, McGann cited a need for constant communication between the district and the community. Peterson noted the need for transparency – “what’s the district doing with our money?”
