Click in image to enlarge.
Three Sammamish City Council Members are up for election this November: Tom Vance, Ramiro Valderrama and Nancy Whitten. Whitten has been on the Council since 2003. Vance served on the Planning Commission and other council-appointed committees before being elected four years ago. Valderrama is completing his first term.
None has announced if he/she will seek reelection. Whitten has alternately indicated she may not seek reelection or she may switch seats and challenge Vance. It’s expected Vance will seek reelection, according to City Council Members I’ve talked to.
Only one candidate, Christie Malchow, a newcomer to the local political scene, has announced. She hasn’t announced which seat she will be running for.
So how do the favorables/unfavorables stack up for the three incumbents? The last time I polled the entire City Council ratings was in November 2012. I’ve run a new poll during April. Here are the results and the comparisons:
Tom Vance’s Unfavorables have taken a steep dive compared with 2012. Ramiro Valderrama has increased his Favorables. Nancy Whitten has seen a major shift from highly Unfavorable to Favorable. This is an unscientific poll, but similar polls in the past have correctly predicted overall trends. Click on image to enlarge.
All Council Members except Valderrama had Unfavorable ratings in 2012. Vance then was rated 55% Unfavorable; Whitten had 59% Unfavorable. Today Vance’s Unfavorables increased to 80% while Whitten, who has been challenging the Gang of Four majority on the Council (as has Valderrama) on a regular basis, turned her Unfavorables around to a 53% Favorable and 33% Unfavorable.
Major controversies have dogged the City Council just this year:
- The East Sammamish Lake Trail
- Barricades
- A Stealth Campaign against the Advisory Vote on the Initiative/Referendum and Citizens for Sammamish.
Filing for election begins May 11.
Sammamish Comment 
Unsure of many aspects of this Blog. Why would we needed new direction on the council? Crime rate too high? Not at all! Not dealing w/ budget properly? We have $$ in the bank, no tax increases. Sure we have to spend money on major road improvements but I don’t think a “new direction” is needed! Crime and police is not an issue. Continued improvement of parks and open space! The new community center Is a major win for Sammamish citizens!
Major controversies? Of course the Trail has been an issue but ‘major controversy” I think not! Personally can’t wait for it to open. If all the walkers, bikers, stroller Moms, etc that do & will walk that trail commented the approval would be sky-high.
ive retread your stealth campaign blog a few times and still fail to see a ‘campaign’ or any unlawfull actions. Certainly some personal pettiness of which you share the guilt. Barricades! No one wants barricades except a few but resolving them take time. I’m ok with that as long as they get it right! The one on SE 32 is a good example. But “major controversy” only when they come down!
That’s enough to of my rant!
@Ace. As you are a neighbor to one of the council members, I certainly appreciate your comments. But you and I have differing views of what’s going on behind the scenes here. The basic issues are serving your citizens and the gross failure of our government to exercise oversight of King County on the trail to the detriment of our citizens; and public integrity and the gross misrepresentations on the part of one council member specifically and the campaign by the city to keep citizens uninformed on the Initiative.
As for the Trail: I’ve been a supporter since before we were a city. In fair weather or better, I’m on it 4-5 times a week, and I’ve even walked the North end even though it’s not open. But what’s happened by King County to our residents is a scandal.
Finally, the question asked was, Is a fresh perspective needed? Not Is a new direction needed? Two very different things.