Thompson has positive ideas

I write in support of Mason Thompson for Bothell City Council, Pos. 2.

Mason is a lifetime resident of the area and has served Bothell as the chair of the parks and recreation board and as a capital facilities planning committee member. He has positive ideas on how we can better deal with Bothell’s growth. Mason understands that we need to have affordable housing that is close to transit options. This will lessen the impact of rising traffic volumes on our residents. He also knows that development must be sustainable for Bothell’s budget.

And, finally, Mason has been endorsed by six of the seven current Bothell City Council members, as well as by our new Sen. Derek Stanford, our new Rep. Davina Duerr and Rep. Shelley Kloba.

I urge you to join me in voting for Mason Thompson for Bothell City Council, Pos. 2.

Marcia Stedman

Bothell

Thompson is the best choice

Mason Thompson (www.electmason.com) is the best choice for Pos. 2 on the Bothell City Council.

Mason is the current chair of the parks and recreation board, has served on the capital facilities planning committee and is endorsed by six current city council members, along with both state representatives and a state senator from Bothell.

Mason is a longtime resident and cares deeply about our city. His opponent Leigh Henderson, also a longtime resident, has chosen not to serve on any Bothell boards or commissions. Although Ms. Henderson claims in her literature that she’ll keep taxes low, five years ago she chaired a committee supporting a $42 million bond (the one that implied it was for open spaces and parks but really was mostly for road improvements). This bond (backed by former Mayor Joshua Freed and Councilmember Mark Lamb) would have increased city property taxes by 20 percent in order to complete construction of Hwy 527 and downtown Main Street, where her business is located. That measure failed, yet funds were later raised from other sources, not Bothell taxpayers, and the road projects were completed.

We don’t need a councilmember who will put her business interests and those of developers ahead of the interests of Bothell citizens.

Ernie Bellecy

Bothell

Thompson listens

Mason Thompson will make a good council member because he listens, is honest, is curious and he cares!

I listened to him at the Bothell City Council forum on Oct. 7 and he is obviously knowledgeable about the issues facing our city. He has called on more than 5,000 residents and understands that though people have similar concerns, every person has their own perspective and Mason values that fact and indicates that he will take the concerns of his constituents into consideration when making decisions about the future of our city.

Mason knows that much of the city’s work gets done with volunteers, some of whom serve on boards and commissions. He currently serves on the parks board and was a part of the 2018 capital facilities planning committee helping to decide what capital projects we choose to fund into the future. He knows about how the staff and council function to manage the city.

Mason grew up in and now lives in Bothell. He has seen the growth of population and jobs and how both continue to change Bothell. He gets the frustration with traffic and taxes and the sense of loss that comes with rapid change.

In this time of rapid change, we will be well served by Mason who is curious about what people think and listens. What he learns from residents will inform his leadership on council. Mason is running to make sure government is working for all the people.

Judy Gratton

Bothell

Vote for Prop. 1

Northshore Parks and Recreation Service Area Prop. 1 will insure our 30-year-old Northshore Senior Center will receive the funds necessary for much needed repairs to keep the buildings safe and operable.

The senior center provides an amazing number of activities for seniors and people with disabilities. And one of the best things about the center is that they provide low-cost lunch meals for our seniors, plus a nice coffee shop to sit and chat. The frosting on the cake is the camaraderie for those who stop in.

We need this for the thousands of seniors in our area. For less than $2 per month, we can continue to maintain one of the largest and best senior centers in the United States.

Patti Bellecy

Bothell

Okoloko deserves your vote

As director of the Snohomish County Office of Public Defense, I am proud of the work public defenders do for the accused and underprivileged. It is from that place that I concernedly write about representations made by Anna Alexander, candidate for judge.

I have known this candidate as Anna Goykhman for the 12 years I worked as a public defender. She had a successful career representing the accused as a public defender and as a for-profit defense attorney. Her advocacy for those accused of sex crimes and domestic violence offenses is well-known.

However, Ms. Goykhman/Alexander now claims in campaign mailings that she is a “former prosecutor” and civil lawyer completely omitting her important work as a public defender. She was hired as a public defender out of law school. Her prosecutorial experience was strictly limited to a brief period as a student intern. Her online profile shows that her work is devoted exclusively to criminal defense.

Public defenders give voice to the underprivileged and serve as a check on government overreach — without these public servants, the court could not function. So it concerns me when a judicial candidate who will hear criminal cases changes her name and resume retreating from the important work of defending the accused.

Misleading voters is unacceptable. If judges must be anything, it is honest and fair, which is why I am joining other lawyers and judges in supporting judge Okoloko.

He is a man of integrity whose resume speaks for itself. He deserves your vote.

Jason Schwarz

Seattle