The Anacortes Chamber of Commerce recently submitted brief
questionnaires to candidates for public office. Here are the responses
from incumbent Mayor Dean Maxwell and challenger Steve Sonnenberg.
I've chosen to post Maxwell's answers first, strictly by alphabetical order.
1. What is your #1 priority in the coming term? Why are you running?
Dean Maxwell
I am committed to serving Anacortes, and livability is my top priority -- keeping our community economically viable and sustainable. I have enjoyed working hard to add value to the place we call home, working with the council and with the community I serve and love. Community service is something that has always been very important to me, giving back to the town that raised me. Serving in elected office is one of the best ways in which to contribute to your community. Economically, these are some of the most extremely difficult and trying times in America, Washington state and Skagit County. Anacortes has fared well and will weather this economy through the experience of “qualified” leadership. I would feel remiss by not running for another term and leaving a void of history, fiscal conservancy and experience in the mayor’ s office.
Steve Sonnenberg
My number one priority in the coming term will be the long term viability of the economy here in Anacortes. The Futures Report and the Berk Study, which preceded it, both point to potential revenue shortfalls in the near term for the City. At the same time opportunities for avoiding these shortfalls are at hand, namely valuable property of Fidalgo Bay, which has been undeveloped for many years, and the lack of a well thought out economic development plan.
I am running because I feel I have the ability and the vision to preserve and sustain our way of life into the future. I can help our community take full advantage of its assets looking forward toward a prosperous future.
2. In your opinion, what are Anacortes’ main issues going forward?
Dean Maxwell
My primary goals are maintaining a city that is unique, that is safe and livable, a place where we protect our natural beauty and resources and where we continue to be able offer the very high levels of community services to which we have become accustomed. I believe keeping the sense of community that we know and love is extremely important and a constant challenge during times of change. This can be done by maintaining and building upon our job base and adding other elements that the community has identified to further our sustainability and further diversify our economy.
Steve Sonnenberg
Anacortes' main issues going forward are:
- Stem the flow of families with school age children away from the city.
- Provide an atmosphere for identifying and recruiting desirable businesses into the community.
- Utilize the land and infrastructure in such a way as to bring the median income of the residents into line with the cost of housing in the City.
3. What is your vision for Anacortes and how might that be best achieved?
Dean Maxwell
My vision is to continue to add to the excellent infrastructure that has been such a great catalyst and foundation for building a thriving community. We need to continue building a place where we can safely raise and mentor our children, adding value and opportunity, a place where our children will want to raise their families. We need to continue our quest to protect our wonderful forestlands and parks, to add more waterfront trails and connections that improve our transportation systems. We need to continue to keep Anacortes that special place where people want to be for its unique and unmatched quality of life. These goals can be accomplished by continuing the important community discussions that help drive us forward.
Steve Sonnenberg
To preserve and sustain the special place which Anacortes is today, where people of all economic strata can enjoy living in a city which they love. This broad vision can be achieved by:
- Encouraging the development of an attractive and productive Fidalgo Bay waterfront community of businesses and possibly individuals.
- Setting up a well thought out economic development plan for the City, which is adequately financed and staffed to achieve its goals.
- Having a lucid land use and traffic plan for the City on a go forward basis.
- Seeing a master plan, such as that recommended in the Futures Project, through to conclusion.
4. How do you feel that local business interests, especially those of small business, have been represented by local government? What would you change?
Dean Maxwell
There have been many capital infrastructure and improvement programs that have been implemented to help enhance and maintain the viability of the Anacortes business community. Water and sewer services are available and affordable; in fact, sewer codes were specifically modified to help grow our restaurant community by providing more affordable sewer rates. New downtown sidewalks, streetlights and street trees were added in recent years to improve the ambiance of our downtown business community. The city partners with the chamber to water and tend to the wonderful flower baskets we boast in our downtown business district each spring and summer as well as providing $150,000 to the chamber each year for marketing our community. A new downtown archway welcomes visitors to Old Town, a new roundabout entrance welcomes people to our community, and modifications of lease rates on city- owned property were implemented during this difficult economy. Additionally, the city continues to support festivals and other events, build new parks, and improve Washington Park, the Tommy Thompson Trail, Guemes Channel Trail and all of our city-owned forestlands. All of these elements have worked to bring in visitors and provide places for recreation and opportunities to stay for the day or the weekend, and all have made important contributions to the success of the local business community.
Also, local government has led the fight and worked extremely hard to save the state ferry connection to Sidney, British Columbia, twice in the last decade as the state sought to cut the run, threatening the substantial tourism revenue that helps to keep our business community viable.
Steve Sonnenberg
Not very well. Snow removal in the winter of 2008 -2009 speaks for itself. That aside, the needs and welfare of local small businesses are not often well considered by the City when building roundabouts or reviewing sign ordinances. Communication on a human level would go a long way toward mitigating many of the issues confronting small businesses in Anacortes.
5. Have you read the Chamber’s Futures Report? Did you reach any conclusions? How might this information be used in your next term?
Dean Maxwell
I have read the Futures Report many times, offering my comments and additional information so that they may be included in the final report. I am extremely pleased to be a current working member of the Futures Task Force, and I look forward to the broader community discussion to come.
As we move ahead I look forward to offering my historical perspective, my experiences and my thoughts to this ongoing discussion regarding our community’ s future. For over 100 years Anacortes has been a thoughtfully engaged community that has worked hard to provide a roadmap and waypoints for our future and for future generations. From time to time it is important that those waypoints be evaluated and, if need be, re-set to meet our constantly changing times. The information included in the report will be very valuable as we move forward.
Steve Sonnenberg
I have read the Futures Report, more than once. I fully concur with its recommendation that a Master Plan be developed for the City as it moves forward. I am using it every day in my campaign. The underlying data would be most useful in developing the suggested Master PJan and in making day to day policy decisions.
6. What other comments relevant to your candidacy would you like to offer?
Dean Maxwell
The office of Mayor of Anacortes is unique because Anacortes operates under a strong-mayor form of government. Since Anacortes has no city administrator or city manager, a successful mayor needs practical experience in municipal management, labor negotiations, utility management, community planning, fiscal management and a host of other responsibilities that rest with the elected mayor. My prior service on the Anacortes City Council and my continuing service as mayor represent a significant investment in me by my community, and the resulting experience from that service makes me well qualified for another term as mayor.
Steve Sonnenberg
Probably the most far reaching contribution which I can make to the community lies in opening lines of communication among the City, the schools, the port, the Indian tribes, the Chamber and other essential stakeholders on the island. Every group has a voice that needs and deserves to be heard.