We endorse: For Pierce County Council, no shortage of talent to fill four open seats

Change is coming to the Pierce County Council, and that should make constituents on both sides of the political divide breathe easier as they elect new leaders to four-year terms.

For too long the council has been a hotbed of petty differences and playground politics. It’s relied too much on costly studies, not enough on decisive solutions.

That won’t cut it when it comes to public health, economic development and other problems facing our region, all exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pierce County needs fresh eyes and diverse views. It’s through this lens that we make our recommendations for three open council positions — Sarah Rumbaugh, Ryan Mello and Jason Whalen — while taking a pass on a fourth.

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Our choice to replace departing council member Pam Roach in District 2 was a tough one. This area includes much of the Puyallup Valley plus Browns Point, Northeast Tacoma and the Port of Tacoma.

Running for the seat are Democrat Rumbaugh and Republican state Sen. Hans Zeiger. Either would bring strengths to the office and much more civility than the incumbent. But ultimately we were swayed by Rumbaugh, a first-time candidate and small business owner whose background spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Rumbaugh, 52, of Northeast Tacoma, knows about the paycheck-to-paycheck struggles of folks in her district, in part from her service on Tacoma’s Human Rights Commission and on the Associated Ministries board. Cultivating public-private partnerships is what she does best, and that skill could help the county address escalating rents and home ownership disparities.

A former city planner for Kent, Rumbaugh will pump the brakes on any growth-management plan that doesn’t include infrastructure and affordable housing. And her master’s degree in environmental studies gives her knowledge, not just passion, to address regional concerns over greenhouse gas emissions.

Zeiger, 35, is District 2’s solid conservative choice. The Puyallup native has effectively represented East Pierce in the Legislature for a decade. Since his youthful years on the far-right fringes, he’s shown remarkable movement toward the middle. But Zeiger won’t commit to supporting a small sales tax hike for behavioral health, which Republicans on the council have long blocked. After five years of study and debate, and a pandemic that’s now pushing people to the breaking point, Pierce County can wait no more.

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The District 3 seat regrettably gets no endorsement because our primary election endorsee, Democrat Marcus Young, didn’t advance after falling short by less than half of one percentage point. Two Republicans now go toe to toe on Nov. 3, including one we decided was unqualified (Joe Zaichkin) and one who declined to participate in our interview (Amy Cruver), which is required for endorsement consideration.

That said, Cruver is a shoo-in to replace termed-out Republican Jim McCune. She’s been his council assistant 14 years, and voters in the Spanaway, Frederickson, Roy, Graham and Eatonville area can expect an echo of McCune’s hard-line conservative doctrine.

High housing costs have pushed families toward the Mount Rainier foothills, so the winner of this contest must be responsive to changing demographics; District 3 needs an advocate for better access to healthcare, public transportation and higher education.

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District 4 would do well to replace termed-out Connie Ladenburg with fellow Tacoma Democrat Mello. It’s been nearly a year since the 41-year-old wrapped up his decade-long Tacoma City Council service, and as we said before the primary election, he’ll be ready for action on day one.

Name an influential community board and Mello has likely served on it or led it. From the Pierce Transit board to Equal Rights Washington, the downtown resident has pushed for policies that move the dial toward equity and fairness. And as executive director of the Pierce Conservation District, he brings expertise in preserving dwindling farmland and natural resources.

Javier Figueroa, 68, is familiar in local Republican circles. The University Place City Council member, former UP mayor and Army veteran wants to put people back to work in a new economy, but Mello is the better fit for a district with a strong progressive bent.

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Finally, the open District 6 seat features two quality candidates. Republican Whalen and Democrat Jani Hitchen are both determined to improve the lives of people in Lakewood, DuPont, Steilacoom, Parkland and local island communities.

Hitchen, 47, is a Parkland resident and public high school teacher. Her elected record is limited to the party precinct level but she makes a good case that average people feel disconnected from politicians. She clearly expresses the challenges faced by working families and, like all good science teachers, zeroes in on solutions supported by data.

But Whalen, 57, offers the complete package of experience to replace Doug Richardson, the termed-out council chairman. Whalen’s work as a small business attorney gives him insight into COVID shutdown impacts; his decade on Lakewood City Council gives him training on government budgets and policy; and his background as an Army officer gives him credibility at JBLM and with the district’s many veterans.

What really sealed it for us is Whalen’s unequivocal support for a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax for behavioral health. “The time is now,” he told us with a boldness that’s rare among council Republicans. (Figueroa also says he supports the tax.)

This bodes well for a more well rounded and open minded Pierce County Council.

No more pet projects. No more entrenched ideologies. This next group of seven members must listen to constituents and get straight on shared priorities.

ABOUT OUR ENDORSEMENTS

The News Tribune Editorial Board interviewed candidates and did other research before making our picks for the 2020 election. Endorsements are intended to promote civic discourse and encourage voters to dig deeper. Board members in this set of interviews include: Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and publisher; Matt Misterek, editorial page editor; Karen Irwin, editorial writer; Matt Driscoll, local news columnist; Pamela Transue, community representative and former president of Tacoma Community College; and Jim Walton, community representative and former Tacoma city manager. Read more about the candidates in our online Voter Guide.

This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 5:45 AM with the headline "We endorse: For Pierce County Council, no shortage of talent to fill four open seats."