Mark Lamb has spent six years in the mayor’s seat on the Bothell City Council. Tris Samberg has almost 14 years of service under her belt as a Bothell planning commissioner and councilmember.

In the upcoming general election, they’ll go head-to-head for Position No. 6. Ballots will be mailed to residents Oct. 20 and the votes will start to be tallied Nov. 8.

“I am extremely proud of the Bothell City Council that I have led for the last six years,” Lamb said.  “This council has cut taxes, increased reserves when times were good, had Bothell’s credit rating upgraded twice, and planned to build for our future when costs are low.”

Added Samberg of her city-service experience: “I have a perspective that allows me to value the past while planning for the future. I have demonstrated that I study issues thoroughly, ask tough questions, bring a balanced approach and am responsive to citizen input.”

Bill Evans has been involved in municipal government for 38 years, including four with the city of Bothell, and he’ll welcome the challenge of  newcomer Nicholas Carlson for Position No. 4.

“It is an exciting time for our city and it has been rewarding to be involved in planning for our current and future generations,” Evans said.  “Having recently celebrated Bothell’s 100-year anniversary, it is important to plan for the future well being of our community and maintain a healthy environment.”

Carlson feels that Bothell City Council leadership is “poor,” and he hopes to give the city a fresh voice and perspective.

“A majority on the council has been quite intent to push through highly controversial proposals on some occasions and to ignore common sense on others,” he said. “They want to reward their political supporters and disregard the pleas of the council minority, not to mention the community at large. Such a consistent split in the council is the clearest indication of dysfunction.”

Over at Position No. 2, Adam Brauch and Andy Rheaume hope to win a council seat for the first time.

Brauch aims to represent the citizens of Bothell with a positive, independent voice.

“I am a strong supporter of the downtown development direction and creation of jobs,” he said. “Attracting McMenamins and Google came from strong leadership and policies, such as no tax increases, that have created a positive economic position for Bothell.”

Rheaume possesses more than 11 years of experience working in senior-level positions for the cities of Redmond and Seattle.

“I know how cities function from the inside, and what it takes to be effective on City Council,” he said. “I want to be on City Council because I want to give back to my community in a meaningful way, as I’m well-qualified for this leadership role.”

The Reporter asked the candidates why they are running, what the top issues are and why people should vote for them.

Here’s a sample of their responses:

Lamb

• I am running for re-election to protect Bothell’s taxpayers and increase the number of good jobs in our city.  While other jurisdictions raised taxes on their citizens and cut public safety during the recession, Bothell chose a different path.  We cut utility taxes by hundreds of thousands of dollars and built up our reserves in good times so that the city could move forward in this recession with projects when costs were lower.   Bothell’s credit rating has been upgraded twice during my time as mayor, allowing us to refinance the police-station bond and save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest payments.  I refused to raise property taxes and convinced a majority of the council to support me in having no property tax increases during my six years as mayor.

I am also running to complete the exciting vision for our downtown that we created by listening to our citizens. This vision will enhance our city with more gathering places and retail options for families while protecting our historic character.  My opponent was the only member of the City Council to ignore our citizens public testimony in favor of the McMenamins-Anderson School agreement and to vote against this historic public-private partnership.

Samberg

• I have been involved with the development of the downtown plan since its inception as a planning commissioner and now as a councilmember.  I want to continue the work of turning that vision into reality that will lead Bothell through the 21st century.  If elected, I will apply my experience, hard work and passion for Bothell to all of the major issues facing our city.  These include annexation, supporting our businesses during road construction, construction of a new city hall, maintaining and improving existing infrastructure and preserving our forests and streams.

Finally, I am running to change the dynamic that currently exists on council in which debate is limited and major decisions are made in a single evening.   I have in the past, and if elected, would continue to encourage input from citizens and fellow councilmembers. I believe that thorough discussion and compromise result in great products and do not slow down the decision-making process.

• The citizens can count on me to not waste their tax dollars, whether on unnecessary million-dollar land purchases, council benefits and bonuses, or $5,000 spending on studies with questionable benefit to the citizens of Bothell.

Evans

• I am running to continue working to enhance that quality of life we enjoy in Bothell and keep it an exceptional place to live, work and raise families.  Since moving to Bothell in the early 1970s, my family has benefited from the countless services that make Bothell a great place to call home.

• In these economic conditions, cities and government in general are struggling financially to maintain their level of service.  We are fortunate in Bothell to have a balanced budget and still provide the services our citizens are accustomed to.  We have accomplished this by encouraging operating efficiencies and maintaining adequate reserve funds to help us through this difficult time. It is imperative that we continue to live within our means and look for opportunities to secure financial stability.

Continued implementation of the downtown plan will provide smart and stable growth for the future.  Housing, retail, office, entertainment and mixed use development will foster a healthy, safe and vibrant community for many years to come.

Acquisition of additional park land and permanent funding to develop programs and facilities for all ages will significantly enhance the quality of life in our city.

Carlson

• I have three top issues.  First, the City Council is seriously considering a new city hall that would cost a total of about $43 million.  The construction price tag makes it almost twice as expensive per square foot compared to Kenmore’s new City Hall.  This is a giveaway to developers, including Paul Allen, and it must stop.  Second, the downtown revitalization is going nowhere even though many businesses have been destroyed and others are hurting.  Why has construction not been expedited?  Third, the council itself operates with less accountability than ever.  For example, they schedule meetings late at night and don’t offer some of their own members the opportunity to review proposals before votes.  It is undemocratic and completely inappropriate.

• People should vote for me because I have a strong business background.  I am considering starting my own business soon, but currently my work is as a human-resources professional, so I understand budgeting, cost analysis, asset allocation and strategic planning. I can look at city employee compensation and say whether it is a good value for the employees and the city.

Brauch

•  I will support policies to encourage businesses to locate in Bothell while at the same time advocating for protecting our neighborhoods from any adverse affects.  In my own neighborhood, I advocated for sidewalks and pedestrian safety while addressing extensive flooding issues.

As your councilmember, I will bring my experience of working with diverse groups of people.  I am a high-school counselor and work not only with students and their teachers, but moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, and other caretakers everyday to solve problems, connect people with resources, and plan positive futures.  I want to continue working with people and for people in Bothell in a practical way that inspires people to be informed and let their voices be heard.

•  We need to continue to attract new, exciting businesses to Bothell to create jobs and energize downtown.

I will be a strong supporter of every effort to ensure that our police and fire services are second to none.  I know we are all grateful for those times we have needed to call on emergency services.

Rheaume

•  I’m running because I’m concerned about the direction our city is heading in regards to protection of our natural assets. I professionally focus on this aspect of local government and I’m not impressed with the way things are going in Bothell.  I want to see Bothell grow smartly, while not compromising the natural assets that define our city.

• I want to see Bothell blossom into the location it should be and I want the Downtown Revitalization Plan to become a reality.  People are questioning the slow rate in which projects are being completed (i.e. Wayne Curve, state-routes 522/527 realignment).  I understand delays occur in municipal road projects, but it seems that these projects have been poorly managed and/or funded.  We shouldn’t have a multi-acre dirt pile as the center of our city for over a year.

People are concerned that Bothell will lose its hometown feel.  I’m a Bothell native; it means a lot to me when I hear “Bothell’s hometown feel.” I attended St. Brendan, Kenmore Junior High and Bothell High School.  I’m determined to get back our sign, “Bothell — for a day or a lifetime,” I think the sign defines us in the region and I want it back.