Editor’s Note: Renton City Council has Position No. 2 and 6 on the upcoming August primary election.
Armondo Pavone is the incumbent for Position No. 2 and he is running against Diane Dobson and Max J. Heller III.
Ruth Perez is the incumbent for Position No. 6 and she is running against Carl Eshelman and Jami Smith.
These six candidates are participating in an in-paper debate. The Reporter sent them four questions to begin the debate and below are their answers to the first two questions. Next week their answers to the final two questions will run in the second installment of this in-paper debate.
The candidates will also have the opportunity to reply or rebut answers from their opponents.
Ballots for the August election will be mailed out on July 12 and election day is August 1.
Question No. 1: Explain why you are the best candidate for this position. Why did you choose to run?
Armondo Pavone (Position No. 2)
I have owned and operated restaurants in the Renton area since 1985. I have personally met and served thousands of our residents from every neighborhood in the city. I firmly believe good governance can only be achieved through inclusive public engagement. City government is proving to be the last opportunity for the individual to make a difference in their community. As a councilmember, I have proven my ability to be accessible, responsive, inclusive and open to all my constituents. One of the most important responsibilities a local elected official has is oversight of the city spending. My experience operating successful businesses and my work on volunteer boards has given me a deep understanding of the budget process and long term financial planning. My ability to collaborate and candid approach to problem solving has earned me the support of my colleagues throughout the region.
My reason for running for re-election is because the community has been very supportive to me and my family over the past 35 years. Serving on the council affords me the opportunity to give back in a very meaningful way.
Diane Dobson (Position No. 2)
I am the best candidate for this position because I believe in the power of the people. I believe the city belongs to the citizens and our voices need to be heard. I believe the municipality works for the people and not the other way around. I acknowledge the “reality” of the world we live in as I live it, work it and walk it daily. I see first-hand the areas that are challenged and I hear the inconsistent reports coming down from our department heads and administration. I engage with other citizens, no matter their circumstances — from the affluent who live on the lake to the mentally ill and homeless living on the streets. I hear first hand the challenges they face and recognize the disconnect between various elements of our city and our citizens. I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves, get dirty and exert diligence to remove barriers and find solutions.
Why did I run? Because I believe I can make a difference. I am tired of having our public safety, and other issues important to us as citizens, dismissed by the current administration as “perception.” I believe we can make Renton a better place — but we need people in place who acknowledge and understand the challenges we really face in order to come up with solutions that work. If we cannot even agree on the challenges, it’s a hard path to get to the road toward solutions.
Max J. Heller III (Position No. 2)
I am the best candidate for this position because I am the political outsider, I have sat back as a concerned citizen and watched the council’s inability to get anything done to address many important issues facing our community and that have been facing our community for several years.
Homelessness, panhandling and affordable housing are an ever increasing crime rate.
It’s time that serious people address these and many other issues and find a solid solution to the problems.
I am running because I feel I can bring the change to City Hall that is needed to bring progressive and positive changes to our city and that’s why I am asking for your vote.
Ruth Perez (Position No. 6)
It has been my honor to serve as your City Council member for the last three years. I originally decided to get involved in city government because I wanted to make a difference in the community that me and my husband have chosen to call home. From bringing good jobs to our city, to improving our economy, and keeping our streets safe, I am committed to keep building on our success and making our city an even better place to live while making sure your tax money is being spent wisely and efficiently. I have the knowledge, expertise and integrity, including strong financial and community service skills, the vision and leadership to make the tough decisions for the city. During my time at the council we have worked to address difficulties and opportunities effectively. I am proud of the work we have done as a council to engage all interested parties and work through the tough issues one by one together. Our priority is to improve quality of life, including opportunities for all our citizens of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds, and ages and abilities; enhancing Renton’s neighborhoods and housing; and sustaining and bringing new business to the community.
Carl Eshelman (Position No. 6)
I’m the best candidate for Renton City Council Position 6 because:
• I’m not a politician. I have no ties or commitments to any PACs, special interest groups, or large donors. This frees me to do what is best for the residents of Renton without concern about losing endorsements or donors.
• I’m not part of the establishment. I’ve spent the last 30+ years in private industry where tight budget management, efficiency of process, creative problem solving, and accountability are rewarded, not penalized.
• I’m very direct but I am open to new facts and ideas. If you don’t agree with my position on a topic, let’s talk about it like adults and find a solution.
• I believe strongly in win-win solutions. One side doesn’t have to lose in order for the other side to win. In business, the best deals are ones where both sides feel they got what they needed. We need to govern the same way.
Put all of this together and you have a candidate who will work to make Renton and even better place to live and work.
Jami Smith (Position No. 6)
I am a member of the city of Renton’s Planning Commission and the Mayor’s Inclusion and Diversity Task Force, focusing on preparing the city for expansion, evolution and economic development, bringing my experiences to bear for the good of our community. Those experiences include my history as a Six-Sigma certified MBA technology and business professional with more than 18 years of international experience in business operations and process improvement who has worked for top companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Expedia, and the Allen Institute, where I currently work as the Senior Manager of Corporate Services.
I am also a Renton small business owner and angel investor who specializes in helping other small business owners start and manage their businesses, and helping larger businesses expand to their next evolutionary level or just stay alive.
The outcome of the 2016 presidential election impacted me so deeply that I felt that I had to stop hoping and helping others to run for office, and to step up myself. I know that I have the skills, talent, background creativity, and passion for my community to implement effective solutions for Renton today and in the years to come.
Question No. 2: Is the recent increase of economic development in the city addressing the needs of all Renton residents?
Armondo Pavone (Position No. 2)
I believe it is important for us to have smart economic growth strategies to achieve development goals and still maintain our distinctive Renton character. A vibrant economy contributes to living wage employment, affordable housing, access to education and the support of city services. The Sunset Area Plan is a great example of smart growth and planning. The city is working with 28 local and regional stakeholders and partners to help revitalize the area. The result will be a revitalized neighborhood with substantial new, affordable and market rate housing with support and opportunities for low income families. This will also provide a catalyst for more new housing and business investment in the community. Renton’s dedication to progress and commitment to economic vitality has created a positive environment for entrepreneurial growth. Smart, well thought out, economic development improves access to basic necessities as well as social and recreational opportunities.
Diane Dobson (Position No. 2)
No. Look around — we have citizens who are unhoused, citizens without employment, citizens who cannot make ends meet and are foregoing their basic needs of food, clothing, shelter … we have children sleeping in cars, not attending school because they have no home or inadequate clothing, cannot provide an environment conducive to learning … we have people eating out of garbage cans, mentally ill sleeping in doorways, transients preying on Renton resources and resources infighting rather than collaborating to bring about the most good. So to simply answer the question as posed, NO, we are not addressing the needs of ALL Renton residents.
Max J. Heller III (Position No. 2)
I don’t believe so, I believe that the needs of ALL Renton residents are not being met.
We still have high homeless population, panhandlers on virtually all our street corners, housing that is not affordable for the average working family and a minimum wage that is NOT a livable wage.
We need better jobs, higher wages, more affordable housing and rent that families can afford.
We have a long ways to go and we need elected officials that are going to step up and do what needs to be done and make prosperity a reality for everyone in Renton.
Ruth Perez (Position No. 6)
Renton has done a good job maintaining our financial stability through economic development. We have diversified our employers so we are not totally dependent on Boeing for employment but we are committed to doing our part to protect Renton’s position as the center of aerospace in the Puget Sound area. Last year, we had well over $2 billion invested in our community, bringing more jobs and financial security to our residents. With this prosperity, issues related to homelessness and traffic congestion have increased. That is why I have engaged in Olympia and in Washington D.C. asking for assistance to help deal with these issues in our city. However, I believe we can continue to do a better job addressing the needs of all Renton residents. We must continue and enhance our economic development programs, continue to aggressively attract additional jobs and help to promote local employment opportunities through job fairs and education job skill training to really address the needs of all Renton residents.
Carl Eshelman (Position No. 6)
The recent economic development is beneficial to Renton and its residents. Do the residents of Renton need a four-star waterfront hotel or 900,000s/f of Class A office space? No. Will it benefit the city and its residents by encouraging additional economic growth? Absolutely. Does this development help improve our schools or lower our crime rates? Not directly. But the tax revenues and jobs it brings with it will.
At the same time, many locally owned small businesses have been negatively impacted by the current development boom. Some have been displaced from locations they occupied for many years, forcing them to move at great expense or permanently close their doors due to buildings being repurposed or rents skyrocketing. Others have been hit hard by the impact the construction has had on traffic flows and foot traffic. And general aviation is being pushed out of the Renton airport as Boeing expands.
The boom in economic development is great for the future of Renton and I fully support it. If elected will work to encourage more development. But economic growth is a balancing act and I will be sure not to overlook the negative impacts it can have as well.
Jami Smith (Position No. 6)
I believe that the City is doing a good job of working to address the needs of Renton residents now, but we can always improve, especially as we see more people moving to our community to escape high residence costs in Seattle and Bellevue. I believe that we can be proactive in providing options for affordable housing while helping current Renton residents stay in their homes, and forward-thinking in positioning Renton to be the center of new technological and small business development in the Pacific Northwest.
To that end, I believe that we should be looking for more ways to further diversify our job base, provide training and support to Renton residents who may be able to take advantage of job opportunities coming to our region, and actively recruiting companies to locate in our city.
