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

Ron

     

Harmon

 

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

 

Kent City Council Position Number 7

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  No

 

 

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

 

10 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

29 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?              Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

Campaign Name:

Ron Harmon

 

Address:

 

PO Box 1384

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Kent, WA 98035

 

Campaign Phone:

 

206/356-1767

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

None

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

reharmon@hotmail.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

None

 

 

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)

Kent Land Use & Planning Baoad

 

1995

 

Current

 

Chairman 3 years

 

Kent Drinking Drivers Task Force

 

2002

 

Current

 

Steering Committee Member

 

2001 Kent Fire Strategic Planning

 

2001

 

Current

 

Steering Committee Member

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

None

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 


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.)

 

I have lived in the city of Kent for 10 years and in the area for over 25 years.  I was appointed to the Land Use & Planning Board in 1995 at the request of the Mayor of Kent, Jim White.  I have served as chairman of that committee for 3 years.  I have served as a steering committee member of the Kent drinking & drivinbg task force for 2 years.  Also I was appointed by the fire  of Kent, to the 2001 strategic planning committee.  I have seen city government in work and been part of the process for over 10 and I know that with the background in serving on various committees  a small business owner, and manager of a large transportation company, I can help my city.  Public safety, fical accountabilty, traffic congestion, over building of multi family units, redevelopment of Kents downtown are my issues that need to be addressed.  I want the best for the city.  I  offer my experance and engery to bring about a better place to work and live.  I am semi retired and have the time to spend as a council member.  I want to continue the positive direction of the City of Kent.

 


 

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

 

I am a great father of one daughter who is 26 years old. She graduated from the Univerty of Wisconsin, Madison.   I "m a honest person and I look at both side of an issue before making  up my mind as to what side of the issue to support.  I want to make  the best decisson for the citizens of Kent, and not a few people that are advancing the issues.  I have been employed in the transportation business for over25 years working for only 3 companies and a small business owner for 5 years.  Being a council member I will owe no one person any favors as I have never run or held  office.   I have shown this leadership as chairman of the Land Use & Planning Board.  I have been endorced by the Kent fire fighters and have the backing of many of the council members, and mayor.  I am the best choise for the open council seat number 7.    

 

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. 

 

While living in Spokane I was active in the Spokane JC"s, a service group of men under 30 years of age.  I was nominated by the president of my club to be considerd for one of 10 outstanding JC';s of America.  We ran several community projects benifiting the youth of Spokane and served a counslor to a group home for troubled youth.

 

I have been active in my city as stated above and belong to the local Rotary club of Kent

 

I hold my privite pilots licence with instrument and commerical ratings.


 

 

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.

 

Member of Kent Rotary 2003

Committee member(chairman 3 years) for Land Use & Planning Board 1995 to present

Streering committee member Kent drinking drivers task force 2002 to present

Steering committee member Kent fire department 2001 to  present

School bus driver transporting special needs childern 2000 to present

 

 

 

 

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

 

City ofKent Council position 7, to refect the general wishes of the citizens of Kent.  To provide the best possible answers to issues that arise that effect the general pub;lic interest.  To keep the trust that the citizens of Kent have given me as a public servent and never betray that trust.  To provide the best possible place for people to work and live. 


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.

 

General education High School Portland, Oregon

 

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