SEQUIM – These two tales of City Council hopeful Ken Hays are as different as they can be.
Hays is running unopposed – with a declared write-in challenge – in the Nov. 6 election for Sequim City Council’s position 7.
“Hays is not the type of person who should be holding public office,” said Larry Freedman, chairman of the Sequim Planning Commission, who, with fellow developer Allen Grant, has funded campaign fliers for Marge Williams’ write-in campaign.
“He’ll be nothing but disruptive on the City Council,” Freedman said.
Patsy Mattingley, the Sequim City Band organizer who’s worked with Hays for five years, said Hays is not only qualified for city leadership, but well-suited to it.
“He is very deliberate and very thoughtful. I’ve never found him to be one who raises his voice.”
Hays said that when it comes to getting work done, he’s no hothead.
He couldn’t have made a living as an architect in Sequim for 20 years, he said, if he couldn’t get along with people.
“The nature of some projects is contentious,” Hays said.
“You’ve got construction firms trying to get along, you’ve got egos involved.”
On such jobs, Hays said his role is to listen to the various viewpoints and help the parties move together toward a finished product that works.
“I’m running because I care,” he said.
