Since January, I have attended numerous community meetings where the future of the Wayne Golf Course land was the major topic. James McNeal was present at all of those, calmly advocating for this green and wonderful community space. When others were outraged and disgusted, his was the calm voice of reason and community working together. When others freely gave their opinions as to what activity they wanted the land to support, James held back, wanting the community to have time to consider the options. James was instrumental in securing the state and county funding toward the purchase of part of the Wayne Golf Course. He can collaborate with all sides of an issue. He is a connector. He asks people what they think – and then he listens to them.

It means a lot that the non-profit organization he co-founded to deal with the Wayne Golf Course land issue is named “OneBothell.” This very name reminds all of us in Bothell that what we want is a community that expresses the shared vision of all citizens, not just the agenda of a few enterprises. This vision will inevitably call for discussion and compromise as consensus is reached. James can facilitate that discussion.

We need James on the council to continue his work of calmly listening to citizens’ concerns and then to consult with the rest of his fellow councilmembers as they deliberate the best solutions for all of us. Bothell is a wonderful place to live, grow and thrive. We’ve always been living and growing here, but now Bothell has a chance to truly thrive and become the vibrant community that we all want and need.

I hope you will carefully consider the choices as you vote in this important election. We need to have James McNeal on the Bothell City Council.

Marcia Stedman, Bothell