I strongly support Monica MickHager for Port Townsend City Council.
She has more than 16 years of combined experience on the city’s advisory boards and Planning Commission.
I have watched her preside over public meetings and elicit thoughtful discussions of complex city issues which occasionally can be controversial and contentious.
She is skilled at engaging the public, making all feel respected while directing the discussion to a useful conclusion.
She is always an honest broker.
Over the last eight years, city council has frequently refinanced our non-voted, councilmanic debt, always increasing the total debt.
This has resulted in an increase in our annual debt payment from $1 million in 2011 to $1.7 million this year.
Thus, much of our meager tax increases go to paying our growing debt service rather than the growing need to maintain our roads and other infrastructure.
This is not sustainable.
MickHager understands that council must have the will to take control of our debt and focus city priorities on meeting the needs of local families.
To make the difficult choices of how we apply our limited tax dollars to these challenges will required an open and thoughtful dialog amongst residents.
We need to change the city council to have this discussion.
Please join me and vote for Monica MickHager for city council position 3.
Rick Jahnke,
Port Townsend