2003 Candidate Questionnaire

 

SECTION I               

 

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

 

1.      Name as it will appear on the ballot

 

First Name

Middle Initial or Nick Name

Last Name

r

B

Hammond

 

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

 

Metropolitan King County Council, District Nine

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes               

 

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

 

Sixteen Years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

Twenty five years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan             

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  Republican

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

Campaign Name:

Friends of Steve Hammond

 

Address:

 

718 Griffin Ave., PMB #1188

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Enumclaw, WA 98022-3462

 

Campaign Phone:

 

360/802.6277

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

360/802.6277

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

shammond@integrity.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.stevehammond.us

 

 

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

 

1.   Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held.  Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.

 

Public Office

Elective or Appointive?

Dates Held

Leadership Role (if any)

King County Council

 

Appointive

 

6/03 - present

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

 

Office Title

Year of Run

House of Representatives - 31st District

 

2000

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 


SECTION III

 

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

 

  • Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?

 

  • Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought?  Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?

 

  • Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer?  Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?

 

  • Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt?  Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought?  Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?

 

 

1.      In a page or less, why are you running for this office?  (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)

 

Over the past years I have become very involved in the South King County community.  I had the priveledge of getting to know and work with Councilman Kent Pullen on many issues.  He was a true champion of our region.  I, like many people in the region, was sadden when Kent passed away this past spring.

I was honored when the Republican PCO's and the King County Council followed through on Councilman Pullen's wishes and selected me as his replacement.  There were many career politicians who attempted to obtain the seat. Yet, through the process it became evident that I had the integrity and drive to best represent the people of the 9th district.

There are many issues that are important to me and the people of the district.  Like many local governments, King County is facing a budget crisis.  As I meet with constiuents, I often hear that people can't afford more new taxes to balance our budget.  I am constantly asked to look for new ways to improve the effeciency of government first, before looking to new taxes.  I pledge to do this.

Transportation problems are greatly affecting our way of life.  We need to work on solutions that will get people out of congestion and thus doing more productive and meaningful activities.

Property Rights are also very important in our district.  I have long been active on this issue and I will continue to be a strong advocate on this issue.

Much of the 9th District is rural and thus has very different needs then the rest of King County. The district needs a representative who can effectively articulate these needs and has the respect and trust of the fellow Council members to pass needed legislation. 

 


 

2.      Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

 

Honesty, Integrity, Determination

 

3.      Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud.  These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking.  These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. 

 

Father and Husband

My most meaningful accomplishment is that of being a father and husband.  My wife, Jenny, and I have raised 8 kids.  This has not been easy.  With all the many outside influences a child has today, it is quite a chore to keep them focused and on the right track.  Through love, patience, and our faith we are proud of each of our kids.  Part of my decision to run for this position is my desire to ensure that our community remains a place where there are numerous oportunities for the next generation.  This is not simply campaign lingo, but something that I truly believe and desire.

 

Mayor's Council on Jobs

One summer I noticed a group of young people "hanging out" near some businesses. The businesses were complaining that the young people were scaring off potential customers. In speaking to these young people I found out they wanted jobs.

I approached the mayor and asked if would let me design a program to teach interview and work skills to a group of young people.  With the mayor's full cooperation, I worked with the group, successfully placing many in employment. At a city council meeting the mayor presented appropriate awards on behalf of himself and the city council honoring those who succesfully worked the program.


 

4.      Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek.  Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved.  Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.

 

As a pastor of a church, I have worked on budgets where need clearly outstripped resources (this is the current status of King County). I have helped make the basic decisions about which needs rose above others in priority. These are hard choices and ones which are always subject to second-guessing and criticism.

 

I have worked with my local church to help needy in our community. This is done both with our own church, and with a community of churches working to provide food and low cost items for those who need help.

 

I have been a leader within the Private Property Rights community.  This is a growing concern within rural residents and one that I hope to work with other Council members to understand.

 

I designed and implemented a local youth program to teach necessary interview and work skills to young people.

 

I have coached Little League, helped as an assistant coach. I have, on a number of occassions filled in as a substitute umpire.

 

I served on the board of a local swim club. I also served as president of the club.

 

 

 

 

  1. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

 

I want to be an effective advocate for the people of the 9th District on the County Council. Since much of the District is unicorporated, many of the decisions made by the Council greatly affect the people of the district.  Many of the Council members' districts do not contain any unicorporated areas and thus they are not aware of the impact their decisions have.  Often these decisions appear heavy handed to those in rural communities. The 9th District needs an effective and trusted advocate on the Council to let their voice be heard. I wish to work to restore confidence that government is of the people, by the people and for the people.

 

I wish to influence budget considerations so that more equitable distribution of assets can be achieved. I will bring a closer scrutiny of the services the county should be providing.

 

I want to help make sure that legislation does not affect our property rights.  This is a growing concern within the district.  For too long the collective concerns of our region has relegated property rights to the back burner.  I will continue to be a strong advocate on this issue and work with other Council members to help them understand why this is so important to our district.

 

I will work hard to ensure that the limited transportation funds that are available are spent on projects that relieve congestion in South King County.  Since the 9th District is a major transportation route to and from the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle, Eastern Washington and the hundreds of warehouses in the Kent Valley, this will not only benefit the district, but also the entire region.


EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website.  It includes a summary of the candidate’s education.  Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined).  The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry.  Suggested order is (degree)  (subject)  (school)  (year, if desired). 

 

Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.

 

High School Diploma, College Prep, Roxana High School

Bachelor of Arts, Christianity/Psychology, Southwest Baptist University

Master of Ministry, Ministry, Southern Baptist School

Doctor of Ministry, Ministry, Southern Baptist School

 

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement.  Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below.  We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted.  Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined).  It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.  If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes,  deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed. 

 

Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report.  If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.

 

  Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.

 

     

 

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org).  Mail and fax numbers are listed below.  If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.

 

Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League:  a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials.  Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

 

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

 

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

 

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org