The Municipal League of King County

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224

Seattle, WA 98104

 

2005 Board of Trustees

 

Rita Brogan, Chair

Mark Troxel, Vice Chair

Beth M. Arman, Secretary

Harold Taniguchi, Treasurer

 

Putnam Barber, Executive Alliance

Vaughnetta J. Barton, community volunteer

Jill D. Bowman, Stoel Rives

Patricia Bowman, human resources manager (ret.)

Bruce Carter, judge pro tem, Seattle Municipal Court

Kevin Carter, Safeco

Stephanie Cirkovich, Pike Place Market PDA

Peter Coates, Building and Construction Trades Council

Chris Cooper, CHHIP

Paul Demitriades, Medina City Council (ret.)

Sandra Driscoll, City Attorney (ret)

Deborah Eddy, Consultant

Keven Franklin, King County

Mary Gates, Consultant

Norma Jean Hanson, Norma Jean Hanson Paralegal Services

Robert Klein, McNaul, Ebel, Nawrot, and Helgren

Eric Laschever, Stoel Rives

Steve Marshall, Snohomish PUD

Rob Neate, Puget Sound Energy

Jennifer Piccolo, citizen activist

Charles Redell, Reporter

Tami Ritoch, Fireside Homes Real Estate Associate

R. Todd Slind, CH2MHill

Lucy Steers, public participation consultant

Harold Taniguchi, King County Department of Transportation

Rashelle Tanner, CRISTA Ministries

David Tarshes, Davis Wright Tremaine

Kate Tate, Weyerhauser

Philip Thompson, Perkins Coie

Mark Troxel, City of Seattle

Wes Uhlman, Wes Uhlman & Associates

Rich White, Boeing

2005 CANDIDATE BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRE
FOR NON-JUDICIAL CANDIDATES

 

The Municipal League of King County requests every candidate who participates in the candidate evaluation process to submit background information prior to his/her interview with a candidate evaluation committee.  The questionnaire is the basis of the League’s research and interview process.  The League’s ratings are non-partisan; they are based on standards of Involvement, Effectiveness, Character, and Knowledge, all of which have been developed and refined over the past 90 years.

 

A printed version of the questionnaire is available for candidates who prefer to use the traditional format.  To obtain a hard copy, please contact the League office.  A copy of this questionnaire will be provided to Candidate Evaluation Committee members to help them prepare for your interview.  Candidate responses, except the confidential section, will be available to the general public at the League website. 

 

The Municipal League requests the following materials from candidates.  Please check to make certain you have sent in your:

 

      Candidate Questionnaire

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Resume (education, employment, and professional activities)

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

               Check here if you DO NOT want your resume posted on the Municipal

                   League website

      Campaign Materials

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Constituent Newsletters and other publications

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Photograph

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

 

Note: Electronically submitted questionnaires are strongly preferred. All materials can be emailed to rebecca@munileague.org.  They can be processed and made available on-line far more rapidly than handwritten or typed submissions.

 

For non-electronic submissions, please print clearly and legibly and return the application as soon as possible in order to allow the committee the greatest amount of time to prepare a complete report on your skills and experience.

 

If you have not yet been contacted to schedule an interview, or if you have questions about the candidate evaluation program, please contact the League office at 206-264-1070.

 

If you have a disability and require accommodation to participate in the candidate evaluation process, please contact Rebecca Cooper at the League office.

2005 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

Jim

     

Fuda

 

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

 

King County Sheriff

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

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

 

52 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

52 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Fuda For Sheriff

 

Address:

 

2313 46th Ave SW

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Seattle, Washington   98116

 

Campaign Phone:

 

206 412 5547

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

425 822 2355

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

jamesfuda@msn.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.jimfuda.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)

N/A

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

N/A

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 spent 32 years with the King County Sheriff's Office and feel a deep loyalty and commitment to the citizens of King County and to the employees of the Sheriff's Office. I believe the past/current administration has not allowed the agency to live up to its full potential as a Regional Provider of Law Enforcement services to the varied communities within the County, and I believe we can produce more with the same tax dollar.

        With that said, the Sheriff's Office needs to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to develop a plan to reduce duplication of services with regards to Air Support, Marine, SWAT, and other "high-dollar" services that are necessary to provide public safety to our region as a whole.  I feel that my"negotiations background will be paramount in bringing agencies together to coordinate and blend our equipment and resources.  In turn, this will allow ALL agencies in King County to re-deploy assets to better serve their individual communites.

          As I'm sure you are aware, the Sheriff's Office provides contract law enforcement to cities within King County.  The cost of providing these services are on an increase each year to the point where many of these cities are studying the option of forming their own Police agencies. As already stated, I have a deep commitment to the Sheriff's Office and want to make sure that my agency is providing services long after I retire.  I also want to help initiate a change in perception that some citizens have of the men and women in law enforcement. I have provided more than three decades of community service so far in my career and yet I am still excited to go to work each and every day. I am 52 years old, single, my two children are grown, and I have the time and energy to dedicate to the position of King County Sheriff. 

        I also feel that the King County Sheriff's Office has been less than adequate in reflecting the make-up of its hiring process with the diverse make-up of the communities it serves.  I will make every effort to represent the community cultures in the Sheriff's Office. I will make "quality of life issues" a priority if I am elected to this position.  The ability to reduce crime and the fear of crime for every citizen is first and foremost on my agenda.

 


 

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

 

Inter-personal skills……I have the ability to work with anyone and have a strong sense of fairness. I treat everyone with dignity and respect, which is a reason that I have had success in the hostage negotiation and teaching arenas.

 

Organizational skills……In my duties managing the Marine Unit, Search & Rescue, Hostage Negotiations Team, Honor Guard, and Dignitary Protection Unit, my duites are a daily "juggling act".  I am constantly evaluating and prioritizing the many facets of my responsibilites.

 

Effectiveness under stress……Having been a member of the Sheriff's Office for 32 years, I have proven myself to be an effective leader during stressful situations., to include hostage/barricaded subjects, shooting situations, homicides, etc.  My past evaluations have always been "exceeds standards", especially in this category.

 

Decision making……..I have been commended on my ability to make decisive decisions, many of  these during life-threatening incidents. I have responded to over 300 critical incident negotiation incidents in my career that involved the planning and execution of decisions in very stressful situations.

 

In addition, I am very proud to say that I have been awarded the endorsement from the King County Police Officers' Guild, which, in my opinion, is a vote of confidence in my abitlities as a leader.

 

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. 

 

1)  World Trade Organization Meetings……….I was an integral part of the King County Sheriff's Office planning team for the WTO that was held in Seattle in Nov/Dec 1999. I coordinated with many agencies in the following:

       ……..Museum of Flight Dinner….I coordinated with the Secret Service, the Washington State Patrol, the Tukwila Police Deaprtment and the Seattle Police Department for that particular event.

      ………Arrivals/Departures security for all incoming dignitaries.  I wrote the operations order for the President of the United States and every foreign dignitary that attended this event. This included an extensive airport security plan that encompassed 30+ Deputies/Officers to totally secure the airport for the entirety of the WTO meetings.

     ……….Labor Union Rally…….Three days prior to the opening of the WTO, I was tasked with organizing a plan to secure the Labor Union Rally for 5,000+ participants that was held at the Key Arena. This plan enlisted the services of 80+ Deputies and was coordinated through the Seattle Police Department.

…………..Identification Security…..This was a coordinated effort of the FBI, Secret Service, Seattle Police Department, Washington State Patrol, King County Sheriff's Office, Tukwila Police Department, to name a few. This was a huge responsibility to ensure tight security to all events related to the WTO.

 

             I mention this event because it proves that I can work in a diverse environment under strict time constraints, manpower shortages, budget issues and severe political pressure and still was able to complete these assignments.  This includes the ability to work well with other agencies.  Because of the knowledge gained through this event, I developed a course through the Department of Justice for the Indonesian National Police and taught this course in Jakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia.

 

2) As the Honor Guard Commander for the King County Sheriff's Office, the American Red Cross nominated me for a Heroes Award for my work with the families of Police Officers who are killed in the line of duty. I help organize funerals/memorials anytime an Officer is killed while performing law enforcement duties.  I told the Red Cross that I would like to accept, but would not do so unless the team of Officers that assist me in providing this service were honored as well, to which the Red Cross readily agreed.  I have always felt that one should give credit where credit is due and I was honored to have my co-workers from the Seattle Police Department, the Washington State Patrol and the Concerns of Police Survivors recognized as well.

      In addition, our same group was recognized by the Washington State Attorney General's Office where we received an award for our work in assisting families in their time of need. To date, I have honored 27 law enforcement Officers who have given their life in the line of duty.

 

3) Just last week, the King County Police Guild took a vote of the membership for their endorsement in the King County Sheriff race.   I would add that I have been a member of this organization since its inception and was a local #519 member prior to the formation of the Police Guild.  I am very proud to say that I received 63% of the votes that were cast, which shows a tremendous amount of support from my peers. 

       With that said, I feel that to lead any organization, the support of your staff is extremely important. My staff professed their support to me and I was given the endorsement from the people that have confidence in me that I can comand the King County Sheriff's Office.


 

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.

 

 West Seattle/Highline Soccer coach……When my children were much younger, I coached youth soccer for 15 years.  This required a huge time commitment, especially when I was working the night shift and coaching two teams….an older team for my son and a team that was 5 years younger for my daughter.

 

  Board of Directors for the West Seattle YMCA…..I was on the Board for approximately 3 years while working a night shift for the Sheriff's Office.

 

  Past member of the International Sons of Italy……while a member, I spoke around the Northwest talking about law enforcement related issues to the various groups.

 

  I organized regional training in the hostage negotiations field where 400+ law enforcement oficers would attend. I felt that it was more cost-effective to bring many negotiators together in one facility, bring in noted speakers from literally around the world, and then educate all of us at the same time. This was very well received by all who participated.

 

   For the past 3 years, I have been an Advisory Board Member for the Dartmouth Medical School Virtual Reality Terrorism Training Project . This is a reality based training program for first reposnders to a terrorist act involving Police, Fire, and EMS perosnnel.

 

  The main point I am trying to make is that I have networked extensively throughout the country and certain parts of the world (Europe and Southeast Asia) in many aspects of police work and have been recognized internationally for my work. This type of networking makes it much easier to share ideas and gain information when you can put a "name to a face" .

 

 
       

 

 

 

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

 

The King County Sheriff is responsible for the following:

 

   Management of 1000+ employees of the Sheriff's Office…..this includes 700+ sworn Deputies and 300+ professional staff. Also, to maintain a consistent work ethic/standard for which the whole agency can follow.

 

   Public safety for the whole of King County with emphasis on the unincorporated King County and its 13 contracts that include Metro and the King County international Airport.

 

   Management of an approximate 110 million dollar public safety budget.

 

   Coordinate public safety efforts with other public safety entities within, as well as outside, King County.

 

   Work with the King County Council on public safety/budget isssues.  This would include justification to increase personnel and equipment purchases.

 

   Seek public safety grant funding, whether Federal or State, to advance law enforcement efforts in the community.

 

   To raise Quality of Life standards in King County by reducing crime and the fear of crime in our diverse communities.

 

 

The above listed duties are all important to help create a consistent work environment for its employees, a safe place where its citizens can live and raise families, and should be accomplished in the most cost-effective manner in providing these services to the public.


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.

 

     

 

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: 206-264-1070                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

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