Forgetting who you’re serving at the Sammamish City Council

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All too often, elected officials forget who they were elected to serve. This unfortunately is the case with some on the Sammamish City Council.

Artwork via Google images.

During the course of this year, Sammamish Comment chronicled a number of important issues in which the Council and the City Administration practiced benign neglect. In many cases, individual Council Members have pursued personal agenda, played follow the leader or blamed citizens for being whiners or misunderstanding what they are supposed to understand.

These attitudes are why Washington D.C. and Olympia (WA) are so dysfunctional and failing to serve the peoples’ interest in pursuit of their own. It’s why Sammamish citizens voted to incorporate in 1998: to get out from under an unresponsive King County government that ignored our wishes and needs.

Certainly being our own City proved far more beneficial than being under the King County Council. We have roads and parks we weren’t going to get under the County rule. We have community events, notably our Fourth of July, Sammamish Nights and similar activities we’d never get under King County.

But the City is letting citizens down in a number of areas due to the benign neglect and personal agendas referenced above. For example:

Skipping the Cascadia Rising earthquake drill

There are a lot of things in government that fall within the category of “What were you thinking?”

Skipping the Cascadia Rising earthquake drill tops the list.

The Sammamish Comment revealed October 5 that the City skipped the sign-up deadline last year to participate in a regional Cascadia Rising earthquake preparedness drill that outlines a scenario of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hitting Sammamish. (The scenario’s epicenter is the Cascadia Subduction Fault off the Washington coastline, with a 9.0 epicenter magnitude.)

Sammamish had no plans to participate. Until after The Comment began making inquiries.

This is a huge public safety issue. This is the worst example of benign neglect yet by our City and City Council. Read the details here.

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Tom Hornish for Sammamish City Council Position 6

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Position 6: Tom Vance (Incumbent) vs Tom Hornish

Tom Hornish, candidate for Position 6 on City Council.

Tom Hornish, a newcomer to Sammamish politics, deserves your vote.

Hornish is a lawyer, entrepreneur, former chief executive officer in private enterprise and a veteran of the US Air Force and USAF reserve with 33 combat missions during the 1991 Gulf War, Desert Storm, in fighter aircraft.

He is president of the Sammamish Home Owners, a group that represents property owners who lives along Lake Sammamish.

Hornish is challenging Mayor Tom Vance, who is finishing his first term on the Sammamish City Council. Vance also ran for Council in 2009 but was defeated in his first attempt.

Here’s why Hornish deserves your vote:

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Ramiro Valderrama for Sammamish City Council Position 4

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Ramiro Valderrama, Sammamish City Council Position 4

Sammamish voters should re-elect Ramiro Valderrama-Aramayo to Sammamish City Council Position 4.

Valderrama has been a thorn in the side of the Gang of 4 and of the City Administration. He asks questions that need to be asked, often to the point of irritation. He challenges the leadership to the point where they actively sought people to run against him. He challenges the City Manager and the City Staff.

This is how it should be. We don’t need a Council of “yes men.”

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City Council election ballots on the way

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Ballots for the November 3 Sammamish City Council race and a couple of County races are being mailed this week and should be hitting local mailboxes in the next few days.

There are three positions up for election in Sammamish:

  • Position 2: Christie Malchow vs Mark Cross. This is an open seat being vacated by three-termer Nancy Whitten.
  • Position 4: Ramiro Valderrama (incumbent) vs Hank Klein (who dropped out of the race in July, too late to have his name removed from the ballot). Valderrama is seeking a second four-year term.
  • Position 6: Tom Vance (incumbent) vs Tom Hornish. Vance is seeking a second term.

Links to their websites are in the right-hand column.

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Christie Malchow for Sammamish City Council Position 2

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Position 2, Open Seat: Christie Malchow vs Mark Cross

Christie Malchow for Sammamish City Council Position 2.

Christie Malchow is the best choice for Sammamish City Council Position 2.

Malchow is a dynamic newcomer to Sammamish, having lived here four years. She was interested from the start in getting involved in Sammamish public service. She filed to run for City Council in 2013, but withdrew due to family considerations that existed at the time. She announced for City Council well before last May’s filing date, and chose to run for Position 2, a seat held by Nancy Whitten, who decided at the last minute to retire after serving three terms.

Only after Whitten made her announcement did Mark Cross file to run across from Malchow. Cross reportedly originally intended to run for water commissioner for the Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District. Cross served two terms on the Council, from 2004-2012, including a stint as Mayor. He did not seek reelection in the November 2011 election due to work requirements. He seeks to return to the Council after a four year absence, mimicking the pattern set by Deputy Mayor Kathy Huckabay, who served consecutive City Council terms, retired for four years and then was elected to the Council again in 2013.

Despite Cross’ well-qualified background and his previous experience, Malchow is the better choice. Here’s why:

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