Tacoma’s South End considers itself a step-child compared to other parts of the city. Surveys indicate its citizens are the least happy in Tacoma. Voter turnout is low. Neighborhoods worry about the re-emergence of gangs, the proliferation of prostitution and the recurring problem of graffiti.

All three candidates for District 5 of the Tacoma City Council agree that the council and the city manager should earmark more resources to the South End. And each thinks he or she is best suited to pry more money out of the council and help make neighborhoods more livable.

Beckie Summers Kirby, Joe Lonergan and John Miles are the trio running in the Aug. 18 primary. Each wants to replace Connie Ladenburg, who is finishing her eighth year on the council and can’t run again because of term limits.

“I’ve lived here the longest. I’ve stayed active in my community,” said the former Beckie Summers, who is married to state Rep. Steve Kirby, a Democrat and a fixture in Tacoma politics for more than three decades. “It’s not something that I just picked up recently.”

She moved from the North End to the Fern Hill neighborhood seven years ago when the couple married.

The Kirby name figures prominently in her campaign. Eight of the 12 precincts in 29th Legislative District also lie in Tacoma’s 5th Council District, and Kirby is chairwoman of the local Democratic club. Also, like her husband, she has the backing of Tacoma’s police and fire unions.

She has raised twice as much ($13,000) as her closest competitor, Lonergan, who has $6,500.

“She is the one who has been around the longest,” said Miles, who moved into the South End about three years ago. “But I’m the candidate who has actually transformed our neighborhood.”

Miles cited weekly meetings with police and code enforcement officials, car prowl awareness campaigns, neighborhood cleanups and other efforts that have cleared about 100 tons of trash from the neighborhood.

Miles said he’s not surprised to learn Sound End residents generally aren’t happy with their lot, “but you’ll find that’s not true in our neighborhood because we’ve got it cleaned up.”

He said he wants to use the same approach to other neighborhoods in the district.

Miles and Kirby are in transition when it comes to employment. She was laid off from Harkness Furniture in June. He started working for the state Department of Revenue as a tax collector two weeks ago.

Lonergan has worked at The News Tribune as an advertising account executive for eight years. He is the son of Mike Lonergan, an at-large Tacoma councilman.

Joe Lonergan’s door-belling and voter surveys indicate the district’s residents are most concerned about the three G’s – gangs, guns and graffiti.

District 5 is beginning to get more city resources, he said, but it needs more.

“The current council and manager have worked to make sure there’s a more equitable distribution (of money) than there has been, to spread it around more evenly,” Lonergan said. “For residential street repaving money, the South End has actually gotten more because it needs more because it has been neglected.”

Lonergan said he works well with others, listens well and is a person of action.

“With me you’ll get someone who is willing to work and make good, informed decisions with the people in mind instead of some special interest,” he said.

Kirby has a long list of individual endorsements, including the main labor unions. She and Lonergan got a dual endorsement from the Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective. But other groups tend to wait until after the primary election cuts the field from three to two for the Nov. 3 general election.

Unlike at-large council positions, which are elected citywide, the District 5 seat is limited to voters who live in the district. Based on past elections, about 9,000 voters are expected to turn out for the district’s general election.

joe.turner@thenewstribune.com

Joseph Turner: 360-786-1826

blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics

Beckie Summers Kirby

Age: 52

Occupation: Campaign consultant, self-employed

Education: Bachelor’s degree in politics and government, University of Puget Sound; Stadium High School

Experience: Tacoma Human Rights Commission, Tacoma Civil Service Board, Tacoma Public Library Board of Trustees, Pierce County Charter Review Commission, former vice chairwoman of Pierce County Democratic Central Committee and current chairwoman of 29th District Democrats

Campaign contact: beckiesummers.com; becitha@harbornet.com; 253-473-3663

Joe Lonergan

Age: 32

Occupation: Advertising salesman, The News Tribune

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Eastern Washington University; Tacoma Baptist School

Experience: South End Neighborhood Council board member, Wapato Park advisory committee member, Blueberry Park restoration volunteer

Campaign contact: joelonergan.com/home; Joe@JoeLonergan.com; 253-473-1640

John Miles

Age: 39

Occupation: Collections agent, state Department of Revenue; former math teacher

Education: Master’s degree in education, Pacific Lutheran University; bachelor’s in math and physics

Experience: Vice chairman of South Tacoma Neighborhood Council

Campaign contact: johnandkaymiles@hotmail.com; 253-722-9400

MORE ONLINE: For more on these and other candidates in the Aug. 18 primary election, see our online voters guide. Follow the link from our homepage, www.thenewstribune.com.