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

David

W.

Irons Jr.

 

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

 

King County Council, District 12

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              

 

 

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

 

16 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

51 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan          

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  Republican

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

Campaign Name:

Friends to Re-elect David W. Irons Jr.

 

Address:

 

3020 Issaquah-Pine Lake Road, Suite 13

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Sammamish, WA 98075

 

Campaign Phone:

 

(425) 313-9536

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

(425) 391-0266

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

david@davidironsjr.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.davidironsjr.com

 

 

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

 

Elective

 

Jan. 2000-present

 

Chair Utilities and Technology Committee, vice chair Natural Resources, Parks & Open Space Committee

 

Issaquah School Board

 

Elective

 

Jan. 1992-Dec. 1999

 

Board President, Legislative Liaison, member of Washington State School Directors Association Board

 

Board of Health - Seattle/King County

Eastside Transporation Partnership

Cedar River Council

Cedar River Habitat Conservation Plan Advisory Board

Central Puget Sound Economic Development District Board

Growth Management Planning Council

PSRC Growth Management Policy Board

Canvassing Board

 

Appointive

 

Appointive

 

Appointive

Applointive

 

Appointive

 

Appointive

 

Appointive

 

Appointive

 

 

2000-present

 

2000-present

 

2000-present

2002-Present

 

2002-present

 

2000-present

 

2000-present

 

2000-2001

 

 

     

 

 

Co-chair

 

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 


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.)

 

We have accomplished quite a bit during my 3-1/2 years on the Metropolitan King County Council in the areas of growth management, transportation and environmental protection. Much continuing work remains to be done on these issues, however, as well as the attention needed on many other topics. If re-elected, here are my top three priorities:

 

Transportation – My top priority is relieving traffic congestion to improve commerce, benefit the environment and preserve the quality of life for King County residents. I have been able to make some progress through my work with the Council’s Transportation Committee and Regional Transit Committee, with the Eastside Transportation Partnership and the South County Area Transportation Board, and especially with the Regional Transportation Investment District Executive Board to provide comprehensive, coordinated transportation solutions in the Puget Sound region. I am committed to continuing this work and shepherding these efforts through to a positive conclusion

 

Economic Development – Improving the business climate to put more people back to work will boost consumer spending and improve tax revenues. My personal experience as a small business owner gives me the expertise and background needed to find ways to boost the economic climate.

 

Government efficiency – I am anxious to continue my work in finding more opportunities for streamlining county operations and saving money. I have proposed reducing the number of Councilmembers from 13 to 9, and I’ve also introduce a proposal that would allow biennial budgeting at the county level to improve financial planning and make more efficient use of tax dollars. In another money-saving effort, I have advocated for consolidating King County's 33 contracts for mobile phone and pager service into one Request for Proposals for a single contract. The County Executive recently embraced this concept and proposed contracting with a single wireless provider.

 


 

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

 

LISTENING -- The need to listen to all sides of an issue is essential for any public servant. I pride myself on my ability not only to listen to all different points of view, but also to understand what they are saying and to follow-up with questions that will help reveal the motivations behind viewpoints. I believe this in invaluable for making the best decisions for our citizens.

 

REACHING OUT -- Leadership cannot be accomplished from a desk. I believe it is important to be involved in the community you serve. I accomplish this in several ways, including monthly open house public meetings around the district, volunteering with community boards non-profit organizations, and participating in community events. In addition, I focus on site visits to assist constituents with their rural land-use issues, and I host regular meetings with constituent advisory groups and with district mayors.

 

FACILITATING -- Good leadership requires the ability to bridge the gap between opposing viewpoints. I have been able to facilitate agreements on contentious issues from budgeting to transportation, using my negotiating skills to find common ground. By facilitating rather than following, I have been able to make significant progress on projects that benefit my constituents and King County.

 

EXPERIENCE -- With 25 years of experience in private business, and more than 11 years of public service in elected office, I believe I bring a valuable combination of skills and expertise to the Council to improve government effectiveness and efficiency.

 

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. 

 

Of the many accomplishments I have been able to achieve, I am most proud of my work during the last three-and-a-half years on the Council:

 

SOLID WASTE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN -- As chair of the Council's Utilities and Technology Committee in 2000 and 2001, I led the rewrite and approval of the county's updated Solid Waste Comprehensive Plan, the guiding document for King County's solid waste disposal work. Guiding the effort to reach a consensus on this voluminous policy document was a satisfying accomplishment for me.

 

ISSAQUAH HIGHLANDS PARK-AND-RIDE -- In 2002, I learned that plans for a large park-and-ride facility in Issaquah, the fastest-growing city in the state last year,  had been scaled back to 500 stalls. Without rail service on the Eastside, the only mass transit option for commuters is bus service. Because this facility is an integral part of the coordinated efforts to reduce traffic congestion on the Eastside, I mounted an effort to restore the plan to a 1,000-stall parking garage.  I brought together federal, state, county, city and Sound Transit representatives to form a partnership dedicated to ensuring the expanded park-and-ride would be built.  We found enough money from several sources to fund the $25 million project, and the first express bus service will begin operating from the interim parking lot at the end of September, providing a new and badly needed communting option for the rapidly growing Sammamish Plateau area.

 

CPR -- Last year, at a public meeting about transportation in Kent, an elderly man had just finished testifying when he collapsed. I remembered enough of my cardiopulmonary resuscitation  training from 20 years ago to determine that the gentleman was not breathing and didn't have a pulse. With the help of another staff member, I initiated CPR while others called for emergency medical assistance. I continued administering CPR while medics set up equipment and took over. I was extremely glad to hear that the victim survived his heart attack. Later, I received recognitions from King County Medic One and from the King County Sheriff's Office for taking the initiative to help another in an emergency. I have been able to use this experience to urge my fellow citizens to get involved and take action for the good of the community.


 

 

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.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

CEO of CCPI, a Telephone/Internet company – 1997 to present

Chief Operations Officer of Brigadoon.com, an Internet company – 1995 to 1997

VP & co-owner All Points Cable TV – 1982 to 1995

Real Estate Agent for Kamas Realty – 1979 to 1982

Construction Superintendent for Mueller Group – 1977 to 1979

Alaska Pipeline construction – 1975 to 1977

 

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:

Metropolitan King County Councilmember – January 2000 to present

   * Growth Management and Unincorporated Areas Committee -- 2000 to present

   * Budget and Fiscal Management Committee -- 2001

   * Utilities and Technology Committee, chair -- 2000-2001

   * Law, Justice and Human Services Committee -- 2000-2001

   * Natural Resources, Parks and Open Space Committee, vice chair - 2000-present

   * Transportation Committee -- 2000-present

   * Regional Transit Committee -- 2000-present

   * Regional Water Quality Committee -- 2000-present

Republican Party, Precinct Committee Officer – 1992-96

Republican Party, Chairman 5th District – 1993-96

 

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE:

Habitat for Humanity of East King County Board of Directors – 2003 to present

Friends of Youth Advisory Board – 1996 to 2000

Fund Raising Co-Chair, Volunteers for Issaquah Schools - 1998

Ski Instructor, teaching 6 to 12 year olds, 1990 to 1998

Salmon Days Volunteer & Parade Announcer, 1992 to present

4th of July Kids Parade Volunteer & Parade Announcer, 1991 to present

Heritage Day Volunteer & Parade Announcer 1996

Volunteer & Run Announcer for Ski-for-all - 1997

Rotary Club of Issaquah - 1990 to present

            President - 2000

            President Elect - 1999

            Board of Directors, Vocational Education – 1994-95

            Chairperson Middle School Scholarship Program

            Co-Chair Issaquah Rotary Run Race Course – 1994-98

            Co-Chair Rotary Golf Tournament to benefit DARE, High School and Middle School

            Scholarships

Issaquah School Board – 1991-99

            President – 1994-95

            Legislative Representative – 1996-98

            Federal Relations Network Representative – 1996-99

            Mascot Review Committee - Issaquah High School

            School Board Rep for the teachers contract negotiations, 1997-98

            School Board Rep for the bus drivers contract negotiations, 1998

Board of Directors - Washington State School Directors Assoc – 1993-99

            Unanimously elected twice to this position by Puget Sound School Board

            members

Board of Directors - King County Directors Assoc. Buying Coop – 1991-95

            President - 1993 and 1995

Member Faith United Methodist Church, Issaquah

 

 

 

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

 

1. The primary duty of a Councilmember is to represent the needs and desires of the constituents in making public policy and spending public money.

2. A Councilmember must ensure that government is accessible and accountable to the constituents, by providing assistance in navigating the bureaucracy and by responding to the requests, comments and concerns of the citizens.

3. A Councilmember must make it a priority to ensure that the county provides the necessary public services to the constituents of the district.

4. A Councilmember must demonstrate regional leadership on issues of concern to the district that also extend beyond the boundaries, such as transportation, growth management, economic development and environmental protection.

 

 


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.

 

Oakland University, California

Bellevue Community College

Bellevue High 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.

 

Habitat for Humanity of East King County Board of Directors – 2003 to present

Friends of Youth Advisory Board – 1996 to 2002

Fund Raising Co-Chair, Volunteers for Issaquah Schools - 1998

Salmon Days Volunteer & Parade Announcer, 1992 to present

4th of July Kids Parade Volunteer & Parade Announcer, 1991 to present

Rotary Club of Issaquah - 1990 to present

Co-Chair Issaquah Rotary Run Race Course – 1994-98

Co-Chair Rotary Golf Tournament to benefit DARE, High School and Middle School

            Scholarships

Issaquah School Board – 1991-99

Board of Directors - Washington State School Directors Assoc – 1993-99

 

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