But, unlike the other races, the quest for council Position 3 is the only one that pits an elected incumbent against a newcomer. Councilwoman Rhenda Strub is running to keep her seat, and challenger Nathaniel Jones would like to join the council.
As incumbents often do, Strub is running on her elected experience. She cites the new environmentally friendly City Hall that opened this year and the Hands On Children’s Museum that will open next year. She said the city’s new fire station off Lilly Road, which opened this year, would not exist if it wasn’t for her.
Strub also takes credit for pushing for Quixote Village, a permanent encampment for the members of the homeless tent city known as Camp Quixote. She cites the formation of a $20 car tab fee that funds transportation projects, such as the recent roundabout at Boulevard and Log Cabin roads. Lastly, there’s a dog park at Sunrise Park that she often advocated for.
“I’m proud of my record, and I’m ready to keep working,” she said.
Jones said his background in regional planning qualifies him. His work has taken him from being a planner in the Lincoln, Neb., planning department to transit agencies in San Antonio and Pierce County, to managing buildings for the state General Administration department, now known as the Department of Enterprise Services.
“My whole career I have been working with cities and counties to develop regional solutions to regional concerns,” he said.
Both candidates readily criticize each other. Jones says Strub doesn’t engage the community enough before making decisions, and on one key issue ignored the public, who mostly came out against raising height limits on the downtown isthmus.
Strub’s “record represents a different approach than what I would bring,” Jones said. “I believe in and have called for more public involvement and meaningful public engagement in the city’s processes.”
Strub joined a majority of council members to vote to raise building height limits on a portion of the isthmus to as tall as 90 feet in 2008, which would have allowed a proposed condominium project. She voted again in 2010, with new council members, to drop height limits to 35 feet on the portion of the isthmus.
Jones, who noted that incumbents who favored taller height limits were defeated two years ago, said the council is dysfunctional.
“I don’t believe that people look to the City Council for leadership in this city,” he said.
Strub defended her vote for taller height limits by noting that she voted against height limits on first reading, and had worked with opponents of taller height limits to find an alternative location for the condominium development. She said that compromise unraveled when she learned her son had muscular dystrophy. She was devastated and could no longer press the issue, she said.
“That’s my biggest regret,” she said.
Strub said she reversed her decision on the second and final vote for taller height limits after vandals defaced property including Capital Playhouse, where Jeff Kingsbury, then-councilman and supporter of taller height limits, was then artistic director.
“My opponent’s campaign lacks substance,” Strub said. “He hasn’t promoted a single idea that we aren’t already doing.”
Strub readily promotes new taxes to spare city services from being cut any further. According to City Manager Steve Hall, 9 percent of the city’s positions have been eliminated since the economic downturn began. Notable cuts include those to park maintenance, street sweeping, popular after-school programs and downtown police walking patrols.
Strub proposes asking voters on the ballot to raise two taxes – property and sales. The one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax hike would go to fund police and social services.
“It’s time to ask the citizens of Olympia if they want us to continue to cut services or if they want to raise their taxes,” she said. “It requires only that the City Council outline a plan and put it on the ballot.”
Jones criticizes Strub for proposing putting the sales tax measure on this year’s ballot, saying there needed to be more public process. He doesn’t have a specific tax proposal.
“I think that the issue of city budget is more than just looking at the revenue side,” he said. “I think we need to make sure that we have efficiencies, particularly in core services.” He said the city needs to stimulate commerce.
Improving downtown is a major goal of the City Council, which is considering a ban on some high-alcohol drinks, working with bars to prevent over-serving patrons, and declaring part of downtown blighted in order to buy derelict properties and sell them for redevelopment.
Strub says the city’s approach is good, and that by gaining sales tax revenue the downtown walking patrol could be restored. It was eliminated in one of several recent rounds of budget cuts.
Jones agrees with restoring the walking patrol. He said that restricting alcohol and working with taverns is “important work,” and the ability to buy blighted areas “makes good sense.”
He also said people on the street need direction and help to meet their needs.
Both Jones and Strub favor a park on the isthmus, the goal of a local citizen group, the Olympia Isthmus Park Foundation. The group proposes acquiring park land through a combination of private and public dollars, but nothing has been acquired.
Jones said the area needs to have something of a destination. “Personally, I don’t feel that a blank greenspace is the best use of that one,” he said.
Strub said she’d rather ask voters what should go on the park, and that acquiring isthmus land could be part of a tax increase proposed to voters.
Strub favors a ban on fireworks. Jones said “I honestly don’t know” how to vote on the issue.
Ultimately, Olympia voters will decide, on the Nov. 8 ballot, both the fireworks issue and their choice for City Council.
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869
mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
