1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
5. How long have you resided in King County?
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6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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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) |
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge. These are defined as follows:
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.)
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The Seattle Monorail Project is a great opportunity to improve transportation in the city. If properly executed, the plan has broad implications for land use, employment, and Seattle’s economy. I’m running for this office because I want to make sure the plan is properly executed on time and within budget. I believe that questioning widely held assumptions and seeking answers is the highest form of citizenship. I will be able to move the project forward by acting as the public’s financial watchdog.
The Seattle Monorail Project has a volatile mix of financial and political elements. At $1.75 billion, it is the largest public works project undertaken in the city of Seattle. Except for some small exhibition systems, the Seattle Monorail will be unique in the United States. The financing is supported by a single, thus potentially vulnerable, revenue source--motor vehicle excise tax. For the Phase I Green Line, there is no federal or state financial participation, thus no third party regulatory oversight. The Monorail is the “People’s solution” but was approved 56% yes to 44% no vote. This has left a residue of polarization in the city.
Like politics, I consider public finance the art of the possible. I am the only candidate with 26 years of public finance experience in large, complex projects. I want to add this badly needed experience to the Board of Director’s overall skills and experience portfolio. The Monorail needs a fully functioning Board that can objectively and realistically evaluate risks to the project and direct management to address them. I consider the Board of Directors to be the first line of defense for the project. It doesn’t matter if the Monorail Project has widely hailed public art and MWOBE programs if it has not paid attention to interest rate risk relative to its financing, to the difficulty of obtaining surety bonds to cover construction, or to delays and shortages in the monorail vehicle industry. Any of these risks can bring delay or increased cost in debt or construction.
The issues raised above are not yet being widely discussed. Much of the campaign debate focuses on the rear-view mirror of Monorail history and accomplishment. I believe the scenery is beginning to change; that we are moving from Seattle and its neighborhoods to Wall Street and the financial markets. We always need to address issues of the city and its neighborhoods, but we also need to present the project to a national audience of Investment bankers, the rating agencies, and the investors, large and small, who will buy our bonds. These groups will demand financial discipline. They will assess the Monorail’s ability and willingness to repay and ultimately determine the cost of this project.
Twenty years ago last month, the largest municipal bond default to that point ($4.5 billion) emanated from the Tri-Cities. At the heart of the default was a true believing, unsophisticated board of directors that failed to question long-term electricity demand forecast assumptions, construction change orders, and the corrosive effect of interest rates on borrowing until it was too late. Over the past year, we’ve had spectacular board of director crashes in the corporate world—boards that claim ignorance of management activities. I want to contribute my financial skills to those of other Monorail Board members, question and mitigate risks, and uphold the confidence of the public in this important project. I value Monorail history but I am focused on the Monorail’s future. |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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As a Monorail Board member elected by the public, I believe my most important personal traits are integrity, honesty, and credibility. As I work with my fellow board members, the management team, the neighborhoods, and the public at large, they need to know they can trust my word and my conduct. I have demonstrated these traits during my 26 years of public finance experience as State Finance Officer and Deputy State Treasurer.
As the Monorail Board confronts the challenge of financing the system, my initiative and creativity with respect to financing problems and solutions will be an asset. I will help the board maintain effective oversight of management and contractor activities and plans.
Large, complex financing of the type contemplated by the Monorail may take considerable time to complete. My experience with the expansion phase of the State Convention Center project demonstrates my perseverance and follow-through. These are important qualities in keeping the public interest paramount during the financing process.
Finally, I have a collaborative style that is valuable to a board working under the public spotlight. I will not be a divisive force as long as I can get answers to problem areas. I often use humor to defuse tense situations, realizing that conflicts can be worked through and resolved if the temperature is turned down.
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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.
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.
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(a) Washington State Employees Credit Union, elected to Board of Directors, 1999 to 2005 (Chair in 2003), ability to work through issues with other individuals, be responsible for a 120,000 member “public” and be familiar with their issues. (b) Volunteer, (1998-2003) Friends of Grand Army of the Republic Seattle City Park, East Howe Street, park cleanup, involvement in refurbishment and design, flag duty. Park is center of neighborhood. Appreciation for the our sense of community and special places in other neighborhoods (c) (d) (e) (f) Family,
frequent childcare for granddaughter (born (g) Family,
attending and contributing money to live theatre, festivals, opera, and area
museums (last 20 years). Enriched by cultural experiences, appreciation
for (h) Family, outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, cross country skiing with my parents and siblings, my children, and now my young nieces (50 years). A reminder of the special place we get to live in and a way to build strong relationships among generations. (i)
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The most important duties are an ombudsman function with neighborhoods and the community at large, oversight of the project and project management, communication with the public, project financing control, and leaving a project legacy.
Ombudsman I think one of the most important duties is to serve as a point of general public access and input to Monorail Project decision-making. I have already had the experience of being contacted by a property owner in the area along the route about his concern for his business. In this role, I will balance community needs and financial realities. I will seek accommodation and compromise between the Project and the communities. In a project of this magnitude in a built-up urban area there will inevitably have to be some sacrifices. The Board must balance the needs of individuals and smaller communities to the cost to all city taxpayers. Did we do everything we could to avoid a “zero-sum” solution? I will listen and exercise fairness and objectivity in carrying out my duties.
Oversight I have noted before that the Green Line has no state or federal financial participation. That means there is no third party oversight of the project. Another very important duty of the Board is filling this role. The Board must consistently question the plans and actions of management in executing the project. I want to protect the public’s considerable investment in this project, however, I will not be an obstructionist.
Communication The Board must communicate with the public. This is the execution of the principle of transparency adopted earlier by the Board. If communication is effective, it will keep “surprises” such as the reports on the first month’s motor vehicle excise tax collections from being unnecessary distractions. The Board must attend to the public’s need to know the critical factors influencing the project. I will promote regular reporting of financial data to the public. Frequent, understandable reports and presentations on project status and financial condition are essential.
Project Financing Control The Board has a critical role to play in the financing phase. Oversight, approving actions, such as authorizing the issuance and sale of bonds, and reviews of project execution are all important Board duties. I have dealt with some emerging issues in #1 above. Transparency and management accountability for execution of the financing must rule the day. Interest rate scenarios and risk strategies must be reviewed. The Board must continually ask hard questions about the appropriateness of financing tools relative to given market conditions and project objectives.
Project Legacy Finally, I think an important duty of the Board is leaving a legacy. My opponents and I are running as first-ever elected Monorail Board members. I want to set an example for future elected Board members. I want to participate with a strong Board that works constructively, but not in lock step with, Monorail management. The Board has a fiduciary duty to act in the interest of the entire city. I want future passengers of the Green Line to look with appreciation and pride at what we accomplish.
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EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY
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.
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B.A., Political Science, (1967), Masters of Public Administration, (1973), Masters of Business Administration, (1997), all from University of Washington |
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.
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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.
Candidate Evaluation Coordinator: Rebecca Cooper
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org