Latest Election Numbers

Below are the election results as of Tuesday, November 19th. These numbers are not likely to change before the election is certified later this month.

Mayor

• 209 - Bruce Hopkins (93.3%)
• 15 - Write In (6.7%)

Position 1

• 196 - Lyle Hardin (95.61%)
• 9 - Write In (4.39%)

Position 2

• 95 - Holland Cohen (37.25%)
• 158 - Deb Kristovich (61.96%)
• 2 - Write In (.78%)

Position 4

• 179 - Jane Krock Hunt (93.33%)
• 13 - Write In (6.77%)

Position 5

• 175 - Bruce Judd (94.59%)
• 10 - Write In (5.41%)

Meet Ruston's Newest Politician

I've asked the candidates for Ruston council and mayor to respond to a few questions. To date, I have heard back from two of the six candidates. I met with Lyle Hardin, the incumbent running to retain his seat on the council. I'll post the notes from our conversation soon. The only candidate to respond directly to the questions is Holland Cohen, who is running against Deb Kristovich for Council Position 2. Read on to learn a bit more about our newest local politician:

Holland Cohen

Why are you choosing to run?

I am running for Ruston Council because I love this community. In Ruston there is a true sense of place - a real sense of community. I know my neighbors; they come to our home for BBQ's and attend our Christmas parties.  In Ruston we take pride in what we do and how we do it. We gather for Easter egg hunts and car shows. And we visit our neighborhood parks or go on a walk along our beautiful new Ruston Way.  I believe we must take great care, and work hard, to preserve the sense of community we enjoy in Ruston. Ruston is the place that I want to call 'home' forever; but I also feel that if this is going to be my home forever I want to do everything I can to ensure that it is a place striving to be its best.

Ruston should be a place we only leave when we want to – not because we need to.  I envision a place that offers a variety of shopping and retail opportunities; restaurants lining Pearl Street, that stay busy morning, noon and night. I imagine what it would look like if our business district were fully occupied, and see sidewalks that are teeming with people - residents and visitors alike - who have come to our beautiful corner to enjoy fully walkable sidewalks, and our safe, passable streets.  I see a place that strives for beauty and art, investing in those little extras that changes ordinary to extraordinary.  I see a town that takes pride in its parks and invests in new play areas for our kids.  I believe that my vision is attainable. And in fact, we may be relatively close. But I also believe that we can do better in preserving and strengthening our community.  I am proud to call Ruston my home.  And I care about doing better. So it’s because I love Ruston that I choose to run.

What are the priorities for Ruston?

I have 3 main priorities if I am elected to serve this community:

First, I will work to implement strategies that grow our economic base. Without an increased tax base our municipal finances are unsustainable. Even with the strong fiscal management implemented under the current Mayor, Ruston continues to run a deficit. We spend more than we take in. This is not sustainable. We have a revenues problem, and a stable fix is to work on strategies that increase our sales tax base. I will work collaboratively and cooperatively with our business community. Streamlined permitting, and efficient processes are critical to all businesses. I will work to update aspects of our code that have become a burden to our local business’s success. We must proactively engage with our local commercial district to help produce a thriving economic base. Increased sales tax revenues will propel our community into the future. We should be a city that businesses want to be part of.  Unfortunately recent decisions have harmed our reputation as a community, and we have relationships to repair with our partners in business. I oppose the Council’s recent decision to impose a moratorium on commercial development and my number one priority is to fix the problems that our local businesses are faced with as a result of our city code.

We are so lucky to be geographically located where we are – the amenities that surround our community place us head-and-shoulders above other parts of Pierce County, and beyond. Point Defiance has 3.1 million visitors per year, and the State Highway serving our state ferry system provides thousands more potential visitors. I will make it my top priority to reach out to the local business community to ensure that our inherent strengths lead to a lasting and continued success. When Ruston’s businesses prosper our city will prosper. Through thoughtful planning, we can create a sustained prosperity for Ruston.   But this means that we must listen to what our residents and business owners are saying. We must ensure that our zoning code reflects the direction and vision that our citizens envision for our community.  We are not Tacoma. Nor are we Gig Harbor, Parkland or Seattle for that matter. We are Ruston. And we must make the best land use planning choices that ensure that our community is best served for future growth and sustained prosperity. I do not believe reactionary planning benefits our town in the long term. We must seek the trust of our business community partners, and make any new businesses know that if they take the risk of setting up shop in Ruston, we will do everything within our power to help them succeed. Arbitrary increases in taxes, moratoriums, and overbearing process will stymie our growth and our community’s future. And while we must ensure that our land use codes are up to date and compatible with our community’s vision, so too must we ensure that our reputation reflects our government as fair stewards of the public's trust.

Secondly, I will work to leverage our partnerships with our local government partners to ensure that our costs are managed as responsibly as possible. For instance, furthering our relationship with Tacoma has the potential to lower our City’s costs and our personal costs. Everybody has a household budget to balance – as does our local government. With Ruston’s utilities all serviced by Tacoma through the willingness of TPU-Power to sell us electricity, TPU-Water to serve our water system, and Tacoma’s general government accepting our sewage, storm water and garbage, we must find more ways to ensure that are costs are kept as low as possible I believe that Ruston pays more than it should for many of the services it receives and we must make sure that our tax payers are asked to pay the least, but receive the best level of service we deserve. If services can be provided through third parties or other municipalities that would meet or exceed the current level of service, then I believe there is no reason for Ruston to continue to provide such services. Examples of partnerships that should be explored include our parks service - we should explore the opportunities for cost savings and partnerships with Metro Parks; planning and engineering services must be examined to ensure that the costs to our business community and citizens are comparable to other municipalities, and if not whether partnerships can be achieved with established planning departments that bring these costs in line with market expectations.  And I believe we should explore third party garbage service. While our city recently invested heavily into its own automated garbage truck and new garbage cans, I believe that we can more efficiently meet our citizens’ garbage needs through third party contracts, removing the burden of maintaining the costly infrastructure from our municipal waste stream. Our local government partners have treated us well and treated us fairly. And we have smartly leveraged these partnerships in many instances, but I believe Ruston can do more to ensure that the expenditures associated with running our government do not continue to exceed the income produced by our community.

My third priority is to continue the betterment of our infrastructure as well as bringing a responsible ‘maturing’ of our land use code. The last four years have seen remarkable change in town – Point Ruston’s completely replaced Ruston Way and the city sponsored sewer replacement project are two projects that we can all be proud of.  These projects took care of some of the most seriously neglected systems in town. But remarkably, these projects were financed by others, with very little cost to the tax payers (though the costs to repay the sewer bonds will be included in the rate-payer structure).  But if Ruston’s antiquated infrastructure is going to keep pace with the pending growth that’s to come, then we must take pains to plan for tackling these every-growing liabilities. We must protect and preserve the stability of our existing neighborhoods by making improvements and maintaining our infrastructure.  At the same time, our zoning code and long range planning must foster a diversity of housing opportunities with a thoughtful eye toward future expansion that stays consistent with the values of the community. However, in pursuing any zoning code changes we must seek-out advice from our resident-citizens and resident-businesses, alike. I pledge to communicate openly and honestly when making decisions that will have an impact and alter the lives of our citizens and local businesses. No decision will please everyone. But I believe it is the duty of our public officials to communicate the rationale for their decisions. Right, wrong or indifferent the decisions that a council makes affects its citizens. Open communication and responsiveness is my promise, and is how I pledge to do this job.

What are Ruston's greatest strengths/weaknesses?

Strengths:

• Location, location, location.   The greatest strength that Ruston has to offer is our location... We are blessed with some of the most phenomenal natural beauty and public amenities of any community around. We are surrounded by peaceful, natural beauty, which is enjoyed by our residents. The natural bowl around which this town was developed sets up some of the most dramatic and beautiful mountain & water views, rivaling anything else on the Puget Sound. As a city seeking financial independence this also gives us a great advantage in promoting tourists and visitors to town (i.e. outside dollars), as well as giving us an advantage in the recruitment of business.
• Emergency Services – Ruston Fire and Ruston Police. We have a low crime rate due in large part to our professional police force, who we are so fortunate to have in town. We also have an amazing volunteer base of emergency responders in our fire department.  I personally have seen them in action saving my neighbor's life and can attest to their absolute professionalism.  Fast response times, localized service. We have the best of both worlds with our emergency service personnel and it is a strength of ours that I will work to preserve.
• Pearl St. Business District. Our Pearl St. commercial district also gives our community a great advantage – if we can capitalize on the traffic that passes through the town along this corridor we will strengthen our town’s bottom line.
• Proximity to the ‘Market’. We are also proximate to a robust job market with Tacoma’s commercial business district only minutes away and also being relatively proximate to the major metropolitan and business districts north (Kent, Seattle, etc.), which allows our residents to enjoy the benefits and beauty of our ‘small town life’, while directly accessing the broader economy and its jobs. 
• Community. And last, but certainly not least, our greatest strength is the true nature of our ‘community’. Our neighbors are nice and engaging. We wave to each other as we walk or drive by. We support each other; and we hold each other accountable. We are small enough to make a meaningful difference in our government and our future, yet strong enough and well positioned to continue to do it on our own. We have stable local business anchors that have served our community for many years, and we are on a trajectory to grow into a stronger tax base as Point Ruston develops the Ruston-side of its project. 

Weaknesses:

• Business Climate. Ruston has a reputation for not working well with the business and development community. The 10 empty storefronts along our Pearl Street business district are a reminder of our community’s struggle to balance the business community’s and residential interests in town. While empty stores are certainly a sign of the times due to the recession, Ruston residents should not need to leave town for their shopping and entertainment needs.  The potential of our business districts to offer retail shopping and dining is far superior to many other competing areas, yet Ruston is struggling to make common sense zoning decisions that give our commercial landlords and business owners the certainty that they need and deserve to make long-term commitments to our town. Reactionary decisions, be it zoning codes or other regulations that interfere and alter the way an organization conducts its affairs, are not fair and do not create a climate to attract growth.  We can, and we must, do better.
• Failing Infrastructure. Our sidewalks and streets are not walkable. Even the newest sidewalks built when Ruston replaced the sewer system were not fitted with curb-cuts and ramps. This is not good planning and difficult on our disabled citizens and those of us with strollers (try getting a double stroller lifted up onto every curb at every street you cross).   Also, our recreational spaces are becoming run-down and if left to decay will become nuisances to our neighbors and liabilities to the town. We must prioritize our spending in a way that leverages capital improvements in a meaningful way that provides long term answers to our antiquated infrastructure and town assets. 
• Community-Wide Involvement.  We must do better to include a much more diverse group in our decision making process. While I am amazed to be the only person to file for a council position other than the incumbents, our council must be inclusive and welcoming as possible. So often the red-tape of process gets in the way of progress. I believe this is off-putting to those who would otherwise be interested to serve on the town’s various committees and boards. Our code should be stripped of arduous, duplicative laws that result in process. Progress should trump process, and as a council person I would focus on ensuring that we proactively reach out to include community-wide voices in our government choices, instead of sitting back and waiting for the community to come to the council. We are only as strong as the electorate.
• Utility Costs and Govn’t Expense.  We must do more as a government to control the costs for both our residents as well as our municipal costs. Our utilities and garbage can be provided more cheaply. We don't have access to the same recycling programs Tacoma does, and yet we pay more for our garbage collection. Paying more for less is a disservice to our community. We can do better.  

How do you view the balance between residential and commercial interests?

It's important to recognize that both sides sustain each other.  Without commercial growth, our town would not have the financial resources to exist at all.  Growing our commercial sector while sustaining our existing businesses is good for our residents, and good for our government. More commercial options for our residents benefits our neighborhood by not only providing great, localized services, but also sustains our tax base.  However, we must take great care in preserving the charm of our community through thoughtful planning and regulation. 

What are the revenue/expenditure priorities?

Ruston must increase its  revenues if it is going to survive over the long term. We cannot sustain deficit spending forever. The best way to do this is to ensure that we attract new businesses that generate sales tax. There is very little residential property tax value that can be added to our tax roles. There are, however, significant revenues to be had if our commercial business district is built out and fully developed. Ruston must make a concerted effort to ensure that our local business climate is hospitable to new entrants into town, and the best way to do this is to make our land use and zoning codes easy to understand and implement. Our reputation can be made through a simple code that creates a climate that is easy to do business in.  But Ruston’s reputation in the business and development community must first be corrected if we are going to increase our revenues in the pursuit of a sustainable tax base.

My top budget priority is public safety.  Maintaining our police force and emergency response capacity is crucial.  We must invest in a 24/7 police force. It is inexcusable that we are denied full time police protection. Secondly, we must maintain our infrastructure systems and invest in improvements that beautify and benefit our city.   Our streets should be maintained better and those with past due maintenance issues should be made a priority, while focusing on a strategic plan that ensures that we have safe and accessible streets and alleys. Our city must be kept clean as well – regular pick up of litter should be a priority and adequate funding should be provided for garbage cans at strategic corners in the most heavily used parts of town. We also should make better use of our city’s assets – one example is the historic school house. There is unused space in our historic school house, yet City Hall is located in a separate house away from the Council Chambers and the police department, which are located in the school.  This is redundant and costly. For a small upfront investment Ruston could and should co-locate City Hall and Council Chambers together in the school house with the Police Department.  We also must study the other redundancies that can be removed from our small system, and understand whether outside partners would serve us in a more efficient way.

Why should Ruston vote for you?

Ruston should be a place that people want to visit - offering shopping, restaurants, and vibrancy. Ruston should also be a place where people want to live.  We are located in one of the most unique, beautiful settings, right next to the water and all of nature's beauty.  Ruston must treasure what it has, but also strive to gain what it is missing. I believe our town is a place that we can all be proud of.  I believe I have a few good ideas. But I also know that there isn’t a single person in town that knows it all, and I welcome your input and ideas. I will be your voice to help make those ideas become reality. I pledge to be accessible. And I pledge to be responsive. I look forward to talking to the community and learning more about your specific issues, and I can’t wait to meet you at your front doors as I begin this adventure to represent this community that I love so much.

Quiet Election Season

Very little change is likely for the next four years in Ruston, at least on the political front. All four council members and the mayor up for election have filed to retain their seats. Only one race even drew a second candidate. Residents will actually have a choice to make for Position 2, now held by Deb Kristovich. Holland Cohen has decided to venture into the local politics.

Here is a breakdown of the ballot this fall:
Mayor - Bruce Hopkins
Council Position 1: Lyle Hardin
Council Position 2: Holland Cohen vs. Deb Kristovich
Council Position 4: Jane Hunt
Council Position 5: Bruce Judd

Four of Five Council + Mayor Seat Up For Grabs

During sleepy political times like this, getting Ruston citizens interested enough to run for office is a challenge. It will be interesting to see if that trend holds true next week when election filing opens. We could face another quiet season where the biggest challenge is finding even one candidate to run for each office, much less two candidates so voters have some choice.

Out of the five council seats, four will face election this fall. The position of mayor is also open. Ruston could see a major change in direction or more of the same. We will know more by next Friday. Offices facing election are:

• Mayor (currently held by Bruce Hopkins)
• Council Position 1 (currently held by Lyle Hardin)
• Council Position 2 (currently held by Deb Kristovich)
• Council Position 4 (currently held by Jane Krock Hunt)
• Council Position 5 (currently held by Bruce Judd - appointed and must run for election for the remaining unexpired term)

Although no one wishes to return to the cantankerous political fighting we have experienced in the past, it would be wonderful for Ruston voters to have more than one choice on the ballot. Even if you've never considered serving your community in this way before, please think about running for office. We need fresh perspective and new voices. The list of open offices can be found via this link. Details about how to file for election are on the auditor's web page here...

Referendum Anyone? (Opinion)

The recent council decision to change Ruston to a code city has not generated much discussion around town. I've talked to several people and done some research, but haven't uncovered many details about what the change will mean. Other than what the town attorney already outlined in her presentation supporting the change (here), here are a few things I discovered:

• Power: It's a basic change in focus - Ruston is assumed to have all powers not explicitly forbidden; as a town they only had powers specifically allowed under state law. That distinction has been important in some recent lawsuits. It brings Ruston in line with most other municipal governments, but is more governmental power always a good thing?
• Under the new system, the council can declare an emergency for most ordinances and pass them on first reading. The council is now conducting most of its business via resolutions so there are not many second readings anyway. Again, not always a good thing.
• Ruston can establish a planning agency and eliminate the planning commission - and hire a hearing examiner.
• Local Improvement Districts or special tax assessments are now allowed.
• Citizens now have the power of initiative and referendum. Many felt this was a good change and reason enough on its own to make the switch. There was once talk of a citizen initiative to shut down the casino, so there is probably support for this new power.
• The mayor will now have veto power and a tie-breaking vote under certain conditions.
• Ruston can appoint a mayor pro tem for two years rather than the previous 6 month limit.
• Mayoral appointments can be subject to council approval, reducing the independence of the executive branch.
• Under this new system, only two appointments are required; police chief and clerk.

The council had the option of putting this change out to a vote. If they had scheduled a vote with the general election this November the cost would be about $800. Town residents have until September 8th to file a referendum to force a public vote by gathering 28 voter signatures (although the deadline to make the November ballot is early August).

One neighbor asked me if I trusted my elected officials to thoroughly research this issue and make the best decision on my behalf. On some issues, yes, I trust my government leaders to decide for me. But in my opinion, a change this significant should have been made by all the voters. Despite my opinion, I don't see enough here to fight this battle. If anyone out there has the energy to start the town's first referendum and force a vote, let me know. I'll be the first to sign!                       

Karen

Ruston Council Ready To Change Town Form of Government Without A Vote This Time

After loosing an election on the issue in 2008 (story here), the Ruston Town Council appears set to give up its designation as a town without a public vote or even special notice to their citizens at their council meeting Tuesday night. Town Attorney Jennifer Robertson is recommending the council approve Resolution 509, which changes Ruston's designation as a 4th Class Town to a Code City. It sounds like citizens have 91 days to respond with a referendum to force an election. Resolutions such as this (as opposed to ordinances) do not require a first or second reading, so the council generally votes on them at the same time as they are discussed.

The memo from the attorney is available here, the outline of the options is available here, a PowerPoint presentation on the issue is available here and Resolution 509 is available here. The agenda for the full meeting is available here.

Newly Elected Council Member No Longer In Ruston

Dorothy Bailey, who was elected to the Ruston Town Council on Tuesday no longer lives in Ruston. It appears the council will have to appoint someone to fill the 4 year term in January. Ms. Bailey responded to my email asking if she was still a resident this morning (below), announcing that she has moved out of state.

Ruston has seen many different seasons, from intense political battles to quiet ignorance. In my time here, this is the norm; where it is a struggle to find someone willing and able to give their time to serve. The political quiet does come with some cost...      Karen
______________________
It is accurate. I'm now living in Chicago. I found out we were moving after it was too late to remove my name from the ballot so I will be contacting the mayor to officially resign from my new position. I regret putting the town in this position, but I tried everything I could to get my name off the ballot an wasn't able to do so.

Dorothy

Election Results

Politics have grown so quiet in town these days, it's hard to even recognize there were two Ruston council races decided Tuesday. With only one candidate for each position, the vote tally for each stands at 100% in each race. As of 3:57 pm today, the votes are as follows:

Council Position 3:
Jim Hedrick - 157 votes

Council Position 5:
(being vacated by Bradley Huson)
Dorothy Bailey - 122 votes

Election Results

UPDATE: 10:37 PM: The earlier numbers were all absentee votes, the numbers below include some of what came in via the polling booth today. I'll have more in the morning....

Mayor:
84 ~ Bruce Hopkins (86.6%)
13 ~ Write In (13.4%)

Council Position 1
76 ~ Lyle Hardin (82.6%)
16 ~ Write In (17.4%)

Council Position 2
72 ~ Deborah Kristovich (86.8%)
11 ~ Write In (13.2%)

Council Position 4
58 ~ Jane Krock Hunt (59.1%)
37 ~ Bryan Ficiala (37.8%)
3 ~ Write In (3.0%)

__________________________________________
I'll keep a running update for a few hours tonight of the Ruston election numbers ~ then a daily update on the side banner for a few more days. You can always check the results yourself on the county elections page here....

Mayor
73 ~ Bruce Hopkins
13 ~ Write In

Council Position 1
65 ~ Lyle Hardin
16 ~ Write In

Council Position 2
62 ~ Deborah Kristovich
11 ~ Write In

Council Position 4
48 ~ Jane Krock Hunt
36 ~ Bryan Ficiala
3 ~ Write In

ELECTION DAY TODAY!!!

Today is an important day for Ruston. We will set the direction for our community for the next 4 years. Voters will elect a new controlling majority of council members and new mayor. The people we put into office today will lead us towards a stronger community where dialogue is possible even when we might not agree; or back to the days of political games and attacking those we label as enemies.

On a side note, I confirmed with the elections office this morning that Bill Walker has registered as a write in candidate, but Dan Albertson did not register before the deadline. That means any vote for Dan will not count.

So, I urge all of us to take the time to vote today. We have a unique opportunity here in Ruston. Our vote counts for so much more ~ many of our elections are decided by only a handful of votes. Research the candidates and vote for those you think will lead Ruston forward, those who can be a positive influence. Just my opinion ~ I welcome yours.

Karen

Last Minute Candidates

UPDATE: Thursday, October 29th, 6:49 pm:

I confirmed with Pierce County today that Bill Walker has filed at the elections office as a write in candidate for mayor. In order for write in votes to count, candidates must be registered before election day. Dan Albertson has not filed as of this afternoon, but he has until close of business Monday to register.

___________________________________________________

I’m late getting this posted (been in flat, friendly, beautiful Texas on business). Some have encouraged me not to respond to this issue. I understand the concern about giving credence to marginal campaigns and candidates who didn’t take the time during the normal filing period to run for office. But it’s also important to me that I address things happening in Ruston.

The following email was sent out by Virginia Carpio (former editor of the Ruston Connection newsletter) soliciting votes for the write in campaign of her domestic partner Bill Walker. Walker and Carpio were most recently noted as some of the petitioners suing the Town of Ruston over Point Ruston’s shoreline permit. What follows is my opinion. I welcome your opinion too. Email me at kpickett22@yahoo.com so I can post your thoughts. ~ Karen
_________________
--- On Fri, 10/16/09, virginia carpio <vacarpio@hotmail.com>
wrote:
From: virginia carpio <vacarpio@hotmail.com>
Subject: RECOMMENDED WRITE-IN CANDIDATES
To:
Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 9:21 PM

Hi,

Absentee ballots were mailed today and, if that’s the method you use to vote, you should receive your ballot tomorrow or by Monday, at the latest. Three of the four open positions only have one candidate running, unopposed.

I’m contacting you to ask you to consider writing in WILLIAM ‘BILL’ WALKER FOR MAYOR, and DAN ALBERTSON FOR COUNCIL POSITION #1 (against Lyle Hardin). Why? I don’t think it’s healthy for us residents to have leaders advancing their agendas unquestioned, because there was no competition during the campaign. Here are some conditions in Ruston many of us, including write-in candidates Bill Walker and Dan Albertson, want addressed and changed for the better.

Why do we pay a small fortune to take our dump materials to the landfill?

Why do we have no choice but to use the one and only company that the Town contracts with when it comes to cable T.V.?

Why don’t we have free public library service? As job seekers, computer users, researchers, and readers, we pay taxes into Ruston’s coffers and we need and deserve these library services as much as any of our neighbors in Tacoma and most of Pierce County.

Why does the Town impose double utility deposits on a house and collect up to $400 per house if it happens to be rented instead of occupied by the owner? Is this fair?

Why hasn’t there been regular monitoring of the safety of our streets near the boundaries of the Point Ruston/Asarco site? Dan Albertson recently presented the findings of an independent laboratory in Seattle to the Mayor and Town, Council. The lab took soil samples on Bennett Street, 51st Street, and on Ruston Way near the tunnel. The amounts of arsenic in those samples were elevated - all exceeded the State Department of Ecology acceptable limit - and Dan is trying to get regulators and our Town government to address this issue.

If these issues and others are important to you, then please vote, and make your voice be heard. Thanks for considering writing in and BILL WALKER, FOR MAYOR and DAN ALBERTSON, FOR COUNCIL POSITION #1.

Sincerely, Virginia

Now for the rest of the story….

Garbage: Ruston residents pay the same rates at the Tacoma municipal landfill as any other resident in Pierce County. We do not pay taxes to Tacoma, therefore we do not get the same rate as a Tacoma taxpayer. There are landfills operated by the county where we would be charged the same rate as Tacoma residents. If paying the same rate at Tacoma is important, I’d suggest going to one of the county landfill locations.

Cable: At this time, only one cable company is available to Ruston. It’s not some collusion between town officials and the cable company to keep out competition. The City of Tacoma has not made its Click network available to most areas outside their boundaries (including Ruston). Cable companies operate as utilities and are required to contract with local municipalities in many cases. In the recent past at least – these were many of the reasons for the limited choices we have for cable service. I don’t think this is a priority issue that our elected officials should be spending their limited time and energy to address.

Library: There is no such thing as “free” library service. Tacoma has an excellent system, but again Ruston residents don’t pay for that system. Tacoma taxpayers do. It makes sense that residents within their taxing jurisdiction should have access to the system they are paying for.

If we really want to access Tacoma’s libraries, the Town could explore incorporating into the tax boundaries for that service (same goes for Metro Parks). But not all of us want to pay higher taxes. Bear in mind Albertson and Walker are the same folks who oppose any tax increase on our utilities. If Albertson and friends don’t want our utility rates equal Tacoma’s, why would they push for higher taxes for access to libraries? Under the current system, we can pay to use Tacoma’s libraries if we want rather than have everyone taxed for the service.

Utility Deposits: As owners of several rental properties in town, I can understand why this is an issue for Bill Walker and Virginia Carpio. Ruston requires a utility deposit from the property owner for each property, and one from the tenant. It’s the cost of business when using your property for income. You’ll recall Ruston recently had to write off $11, 294.00 in unpaid utility bills. The town is acting as wise stewards of our money by holding both the tenant and property owner responsible for these expenses.

Environmental: There has been a multi-million dollar clean up done on Ruston right-of-ways and yards. With this recent report, there is no mention of what the sample results were from the specific locations listed. It is likely the higher number came from the area outside the Point Ruston fence on the Tacoma side of the tunnel – an area that has not been remediated yet (but will be).

The clean-up program allows soils to remain in place that are above the state’s limit. There are many, many areas all over Washington that exceed this limit. Those soils left behind are addressed with an educational program that encourages folks to wash their hands after working in the dirt, not chew gum while gardening, etc. There was some resistance in the past from town leaders about having an constant blitz to area residents about “bad dirt”. The goal has been finding a reasonable message that let’s folks know what is going on without creating fear or stigmatizing the town again.

EPA has been very involved in oversight of both the residential clean-up and of Point Ruston. The federal government has contractors watching almost constantly. The state also sends people out to watch. To say the issue has not been addressed is simply false. These same samples are being used by Jobs For Justice and others (including Walker and Carpio) in their attempt to control and/or hurt the Point Ruston project. It’s important to see the big picture and understand the consequences of reacting out of fear before all the information is presented and understood.

In my opinion, these are not the most pressing issues we face. Our budget deficit, aging infrastructure, declining tax base, struggling businesses, challenges for our major development projects – these are the issues where we should focus our limited resources first. We have a wonderful community with close connections. We are healing from some contentious divisions – finally talking across political boundaries and learning to trust each other. The leaders we elect next week are critical to continue that healing or return us to the battleground attacks and misunderstandings. Please research the candidates carefully and vote for the leaders that demonstrate the consensus-building skills Ruston needs to keep moving us forward.

More Campaigning

Another piece of campaign literature arrived today, this time for Lyle Hardin who is running unopposed for council position 1.....

Campaign Season

This letter arrived recently from Jane Krock Hunt, who is running for Ruston council position 4. Bryan Ficiala is running against her.

I hope to get everyone's information out as they release it, but Jane is the first to send out anything. I have posed a series of questions to each of the official candidates as well. I will post their responses as they arrive.

Remember to vote on November 3rd!!!
~ Karen

Reasons Wendell Withdrew

I ask former Council Member Mike Wendell, who had filed for election for this fall, why he decided to withdraw his name. Here is Mike's response:

On the 10th on this month I had my second surgery on my spine. My first was last July on the 3rd of 08. One month later, on my first day back to work on I-5, I was hit from the rear end quite severely while at a dead stop. This fouled up my back even worse and hence the need for another spine surgery, the one on the 10th of this month.

I registered for position #4 just before this last surgery, thinking I would be up for the task. Then, just prior to this latest surgery I had a discussion with my surgeon and we decided that to effectively campaign for the position I would be putting the healing process of my surgery in severe jeopardy.

That is the main reason I backed out, but there is another. Jane Hunt has changed considerably since I was on the council looking out, and she was Joe citizen looking in. I guess, as you must know, there really are two sides to every political situation, and after some time on the council, she to has figured this out. Anyway she is not so bad now and at the moment I just don’t have it in me, maybe next time.

Final, Final Slate?

UPDATE: 6:15 pm:

I spoke to Kim Wheeler this afternoon. He confirmed that he has withdrawn from the upcoming election. His sole reason for running was to be sure citizens had a choice other than the incumbent, Wayne Stebner. Since there were no candidates for this position on final day of filing week, he signed up.

He spoke to Ms. Kristovich over the weekend and felt he could support her candidacy. So he withdrew his name on Monday morning. I have not heard back from Mr. Wendell yet as to his reasons for withdrawing.

____________________________________________

The auditor updated the list of candidates today with some changes in the Ruston races. It appears Mike Wendell and Kim Wheeler have withdrawn. I have an message in to both of them asking for confirmation and details.

Here is the unofficial slate of Ruston candidates as listed by Pierce County Elections Department at 8:23 am today:

• Mayor: Bruce Hopkins, running unopposed
• Council Position 1: Lyle Hardin, running unopposed
• Council Position 2: Deb Kristovich, running unopposed
• Council Position 4: Bryan Ficiala and Jane Krock Hunt

This means Ruston voters will not have any races to vote on in the August primary. The only real choice will be for Council Position 4 on November 3rd, unless someone mounts a write-in campaign.

Final Slate

Here is the final slate of candidates running for election this fall in Ruston:

• Mayor: Bruce Hopkins, running unopposed
• Council Position 1: Lyle Hardin, running unopposed
• Council Position 2: Deb Kristovich and Kim B. Wheeler
• Council Position 4: Bryan Ficiala, Jane Krock Hunt and Michael Wendell

The primary election will be held on Tuesday, August 18th for Council Position 4. The top two candidates will move on to the general election with the rest of the positions on November 3rd. Here's hoping for a spirited, civil election season in Ruston.

Monday Candidate Filings

A list of the candidates running for election will be available each day via the county elections web page. Ruston candidates filing for office today (Monday, June 1st) are:

• Position 1: Lyle Hardin
• Position 4: Jane Krock Hunt

It's Election Season In Ruston

Monday is the official start of the election season. Ruston will choose three council members (a majority of the 5-member council) and the mayor this fall. Election results could mean another dramatic shift in direction, or endorse the direction of the current majority.

Up for grabs are:

• Council Position 1, currently held by Dan Albertson. Albertson was appointed to the position in December 2007 to fill the last two years of Bob Pudlo's unexpired term. The person elected to this position will serve 4 years.
• Council Position 2, currently held by Wayne Stebner. Stebner was elected to this seat 4 years ago. This is the only position that has not been vacated by a resignation. The person elected to the seat will serve 4 years.
• Council Position 4, currently held by C. Jane Krock Hunt. Hunt was appointed to this seat in February 2008. Any appointment only lasts until the next regular election. In this case, Hunt's appointment was for the first half of the 4-year term. The person elected to this position will serve the remaining two years for Position 4 (until the next regular election cycle in 2011).
• Mayor, currently held by Bruce Hopkins. Hopkins was appointed last November after the mayor's seat sat vacant for several months. Council Member Bradley Huson acted as Mayor Pro-tem until Hopkins was appointed. The vote this fall will fill the unexpired term until 2011 only.

Candidates must file for election before Friday, June 5th at 4:30 pm at the county elections office. Updates on who files for which position will be posted here as soon as possible. Remember that candidates can change during the week; it's only the names on the dotted line at the end of the day Friday that count.

More information on how to file for office is available on the elections main page. Filing fees for the Ruston council positions are $10 each and $60 for the mayor's position.

Is Ruston Keeping Its Mayor?

The votes from election day have been tallied. Those who voted for changing Ruston's form of government numbered 63 (43.45%), but those who wanted to keep our current structure were higher at 82 (56.55%). This is a fairly low vote total, even for Ruston.

Either this was not a big issue for local voters or there are still lots of absentee ballots in the mail. It may be several days (or weeks) before we can be sure the council's proposal had been defeated.

In the meantime, the council will need to appoint a mayor who is willing to serve under the current structure through the end of 2009. Given the comment by Council Member Hunt at Monday's meeting (that Everding resigned a week early), the task may be unexpected.

What are your thoughts on the election? On the mayoral appointment? On life in Ruston? Are things getting better or worse? What do you expect over the next year until Ruston elects its new leaders in 2009 (3 of 5 council members and a mayor).

UPDATE: 7:22 pm Today's numbers added to the lead of the "don't change" vote. The count is now 66 in favor (42%) and 91 opposed (58%). Scott Fontaine of the News Tribune is working on a story, too. An early version is on their political blog here...

VOTE TODAY!!!!

Ruston voters will decide today if we should change the form of government for the town. I hope everyone will vote and have a say in this important decision. Absentee ballots must be mailed today or vote in person at Point Defiance Village on Vassault Street. ~ Karen

UPDATE: Election results are available on Pierce County auditor's web page (click here). As of 8:30 pm, absentee ballots through today show 50 Ruston voters want to change to a council/manager form of government and 48 want to keep an elected mayor. Ballots that were cast in person at the precinct polling place are due to be counted and added in by 10:30 pm tonight.

UPDATE, 10:45 pm: It's another Ruston nail biter. The count is now 55 in favor of changing, 60 against. There is another update scheduled for midnight, but I'm not planning on staying up. The final update hits at 3 am. In the last election in Ruston, we had one council member elected by 8 votes, with the late absentee ballots playing a big role in his victory. Every vote counts around here!