Tacoma City Councilman Jake Fey got back to me in an e-mail, addressing questions and speculation about why he was fundraising for his council position, even though he is unopposed for a second term.

A couple of dozen people commented on my earlier post about the pace of fundraising for this year’s City Council races. Some asserted there was something fishy about Fey raising money for an unopposed position. Others pointed out that it’s neither illegal nor unusual.

Here’s what Fey had to say:

“My campaign budget for this election is substantially lower than four years ago. From the time I announced for re-election I decided that I would not take this campaign and my re-election for granted and would communicate with voters in the 2nd District. I committed to a campaign manager and I plan to doorbell voters in order to make sure I stay in touch with residents of the district. To pay for a campaign manager and print a campaign piece costs money and I do not want to incur the kind of campaign debt I did last time. Election time is a good opportunity to stay in touch with the voters and hear from them about their concerns.

As of Friday’s PDC record, Fey has raised $18,953 and spent $8,101, mostly for his campaign manager.

John Henrikson, The News Tribune