Voters west of the Narrows: Ballots are here. Opinions on parks levy are strongly divided
Gig Harbor-area residents have a park district levy renewal and candidates for city council, park district board, school board, and fire commissioner candidates on their ballot this month.
Ballots have been sent out and need to be postmarked by Nov. 7 or returned to a ballot drop box before 8 p.m. that night.
PenMet levy lift
Peninsula Metropolitan Parks District residents will vote whether to renew the district’s parks and recreation levy.
This levy lift “would restore the rate from $.58 to $.75 per $1,000 of assessed value and maintain annual increases of up to 6% (but never to exceed $.75) for six more years,” according to the PenMet website.
The rate decreased because state law limits growth of tax revenue collection to no more than 1% more than the previous year’s budget — it’s a lid on tax collections. Property values grew faster than the 1% cap. This lowered the actual tax rate to $.58 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The levy renewal asks voters to allow PenMet to return the rate back to the full $.75.
It needs more than 50 percent to pass.
“Today PenMet serves more residents than ever before, yet the property tax levy rate was reduced from the $.75 per $1,000 levy rate voters approved in 2017 to $.58 per $1,000 because of annual limits,” according to the Pierce County Voters’ Pamphlet. “If the levy is restored to the rate previously approved by voters, PenMet Parks can maintain its current levels of service.”
A Gig Harbor-area homeowner with a home worth $500,000 would pay $375 per year (an $85 increase) or $31.25 per month.
A homeowner with a $750,000 home would pay $563 per year (a $127 increase) or about $47 per month.
A homeowner with a $1 million home would pay $750 a year (a $170 increase) or about $63 a month.
Levy funds, which make up more than 80% of the district’s annual operating budget, pay for “additional parks and services that our community needs,” according to the PenMet website.
For 2023, PenMet had an annual operating budget of $3.2 million, according to their website.
The agency’s website says that the levy could fund:
- Access to trails, forests, saltwater shoreline, and park amenities like fields, courts, and playgrounds.
- Programs for all ages and abilities, like free community events and programs for seniors, adults, and youth.
- Creating new recreation opportunities and access throughout the district.
The Board of Park Commissioners approved an update to the district’s PROS (parks, recreation, and open space) plan Oct. 17.
In a survey the district put out during the planning process for the PROS plan, responses showed the most important amenities for residents are walking and hiking trails and water access points.
Levy money could help fund parks projects identified in the PROS plan, PenMet spokesperson Zemorah Murray told the Gateway.
For example, Wollochet Bay Estuary Park is one of three underdeveloped parks in the district that officials plan to upgrade. The district is considering upgrades that could include trails down to the shoreline.
Can the district operate at the same capacity if the levy does not pass?
No, according to Board President Steve Nixon.
“PenMet is not immune to inflationary impacts,” he said.
If the lid lift does not pass, PenMet will be limited to a 1% annual increase in levy funding, he said.
Nixon added that operating costs for staffing, benefits, insurance, fuel, utilities, equipment, vehicles and other operational expenses often exceed a 1% increase annually.
If the lid lift does not pass, they will begin prioritizing funding in 2024 based on forecast expenses, he said.
“That exercise will continue as we forecast increases in expenses will continue to outpace the 1% annual levy cap,” Nixon said.
Murray added: “This levy renewal will help ensure that funding levels can keep pace with rising costs and community growth as well as meet the needs identified by the community over the coming six years.”
What things won’t be funded if the levy does not pass?
If the levy does not pass, funding for 2024 will be similar to this year, Nixon said.
When asked how this will affect staffing, Murray said: “The District currently has no plans for layoffs, however if the levy is renewed it would allow PenMet Parks to add positions necessary to align with staffing standards, especially for park maintenance and improvements.”
Without the levy lid lift, those additional positions are not funded.
Certain projects would also not be funded. According to the district’s Levy Renewal Impact Summary those project’s include:
- More access to beaches and trails at Wollochet Bay Estuary Park ($5,671,325)
- Providing lights and turf at outfield one ($1,736,438) outfield two ($1,823,259) and outfield three ($1,914,422) at Sehmel Homestead Park
- Developing parking at the McKee property to serve the ballfield and watercraft launch ($738,565)
- Implementing features from what comes of the 2026 Master Plan developed for Maplewood ($2,915,276)
- Construction of additional park amenities like playgrounds, picnic shelters, courts, and fields to advance level of service goals for the district ($1,914,422)
- Pedestrian safety improvements ($63,814), restrooms, and playground improvements ($607,510) at Rosedale, as well as lights and turf on the ballfield at Rosedale Park ($1,291,597)
- An update to the Kopachuck Heights master plan ($191,442)
- An update to the Harbor Family Park master plan ($191,442)
What residents against the levy lift said:
Craig McLaughlin, a member of the “no” committee against the levy renewal, told the Gateway he’s skeptical of some of the identified PenMet projects.
“PenMet has owned all of these properties for years and done nothing with them,” he said. “Why, all of a sudden, are they key projects for 2024?”
McLaughlin also said that PenMet’s own 2021 cash flow study determined no levy lift would be needed in 2024.
“Yet, here they are demanding millions more,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said going from $.58 to $.75 is a 30% increase. He also argues that PenMet should be held accountable for irresponsible management and spending.
“Any accusation of misappropriation of funds is unfounded,” Nixon said. “PenMet has a track record of fiscal accountability and compliance with state, federal and district policies.”
The “no” campaign’s statement in the voters’ pamphlet argues that PenMet needs to “get its house in order,” and address irresponsible management, including poor employee treatment and child safety concerns (such as pests and mold).
Nixon said the board is committed to providing safe parks and facilities for the community.
“PenMet has been working hard to overcome deferred maintenance issues and updating aged facilities to meet the needs of the community,” Nixon said. “Our staff has been challenged in years past to utilize some of our facilities to host programs. We have improved our internal processes and procedures to ensure we are providing programs in facilities that are safe.”
Jim Braden, a resident of Fox Island, told the Gateway he feels PenMet hasn’t shown why it needs the increased tax dollars.
Braden said he’s concerned about the size of the executive staff and about PenMet acquiring properties that don’t get worked on or used for a long period of time.
The Peninsula Gardens facility and Harbor Family Park are two examples of that, Braden said.
Betty Lilienthal, a member of the “yes” campaign, argued it’s better the park district is acquiring the land, rather than independent developers.
“I love that we have parks and I will support them,” Braden said. “But, I cannot vote for this levy until PenMet comes forward with a clear and complete explanation of the need for such an increase in taxes. We voters have an obligation to hold our governing entities accountable for informing us of the facts ahead of an important vote like this. Tax increases, especially considering the financial challenges that many families face in these uncertain times, shouldn’t be taken lightly. “
What residents who support the levy said:
Lilienthal is asking voters to think about the needs of senior programs.
“I speak from experience and I know how important it is to stay active both mentally and physically,” she said.
Lilienthal and her husband decided to retire in the Gig Harbor area 20 years ago, and quickly noticed senior programs were missing in the park district.
Lilienthal and other seniors brought their concerns to the board in 2019. At the time, the park district had zero hours of senior participation, she said.
This year PenMet anticipates about 5,000 senior participation hours in their programs for 2023, Nixon told the Gateway.
“We are anticipating increasing that number with passage of the lid lift to about 15,000 for 2024 since the community continues to ask for more,” Nixon said.
Lilienthal said her favorite programs are Tai Chi and S.A.I.L (Stay Active and Independent for Life).
“We have expanded programming to include socials, art and watercolor classes, fitness classes in various formats, bowling, day trips, walking and hiking clubs,” Murray said.
PenMet also hired a senior coordinator.
“The population of 55 and over in Gig Harbor is over 40% of the demographic makeup and PenMet Parks provides active recreation options for everyone,” Murray said.
Lilienthal would like to see more programs for seniors and a place they can meet regularly — maybe the Community Recreation Center that’s being built or the Peninsula Gardens property, she said.
“A space to get outside of our home, with a roof over our heads to hang out and hang our coffee mugs,” Lilienthal said.
Heather Maher is a mother of two elementary aged children, and is also a member of the “yes” committee for the levy.
Maher and her family spend a lot of time at the parks in the district, she told the Gateway. Her kids have also been part of PenMet’s summer camps.
“Summer camps are a lifeline for working parents,” she said. “We cannot have the kind of community we have in Gig Harbor without PenMet.”
With the growth Gig Harbor continues to face, Maher is concerned PenMet will have to make cuts to staffing and programs if the levy lift does not pass.
“PenMet won’t be able to meet the needs of our community now and five years down the road if the levy doesn’t pass,” she said. “We will feel the strain as a community. They will not have the funds to keep going.”
Program registration is already tight, according to Maher. She said she sets an alarm for when registration opens for certain camps and programs to secure a spot for her kids.
More information about the PenMet levy lid can be found at https://penmetparks.org/levy-renewal-faqs/.
PenMet commissioner candidates
The PenMet Board of Commissioners has five members. They each serve six-year terms. Amanda Babich, who currently holds position No. 5, has decided not to run for reelection.
Steven Nielson and Billy Sehmel are vying for her seat.
Nielson is a senior program quality manager in rocket engine production for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, he previously told the Gateway.
He’s also been a little league coach with PenMet for the last five years. That gave him the opportunity to bond with his daughter and get to know the park district after moving to the Gig Harbor area in 2018.
About 10 years ago he reached out to the city of Orting about volunteer opportunities. When a position opened up on the Orting Parks and Civil Service Commission, he jumped at it, he said.
The position involved the hiring and firing processes for the Orting Police Department and giving the council suggestions for improvements, maintenance and the creation of city parks, Nielson said. He served in that position from 2013-2015.
As a coach in the league and a parent to kids who use the parks, safety is a priority for Nielson, he said.
“We hear weekly that there’s been another smash-and-grab break-in on a vehicle in the parking lot of Cushman Trail,” Nielson said.
Whether it’s park development projects or land acquisitions, Nielson said he believes it should all be done through the lens of conservation and preservation efforts.
“We live in a very unique part of the world,” he said. “We have an opportunity to impact globally by efforts that we’re doing locally.”
In the time he’s lived in Gig Harbor, he said he’s also learned about the community’s need for pickleball courts.
He said he’s met with a group of supporters that has ideas for indoor and outdoor court locations.
When asked what sets him apart from Sehmel, Nielson said he’s a concerned taxpayer who wants to make sure the park district is safe and transparent.
“If you, as a voter, are content with candidates who are agreeable with the status quo, I am not your candidate,” he told the Gateway.
The five current parks commissioners unanimously endorsed his opponent.
“I do not have the time to simply go be agreeable,” he said. “The commission has unanimously endorsed my opponent, but I am not looking to join a club. I am not bringing a pet project or a special interest to the post, but as a father, a concerned taxpayer and a responsible member of our community I want nothing more than to ensure that our parks are safe, to ensure that we maintain and beautify our current parks and properties within our current budget, and to ensure that we leverage our natural resources to locally impact global environmental concerns.”
You may recognize Sehmel’s last name.
The 40-year-old is the fifth generation of the Sehmel family and the last to live on the Sehmel family homestead before it was turned into a park, he previously told the Gateway.
He’s worked in the technology industry for over 20 years and currently leads a team of virtualization software engineers at IBM, he said.
His father was an original PenMet board member.
“I’ve kind of grown up with it in my blood,” Sehmel said.
In 2019 Sehmel brought his technology expertise to PenMet. He volunteered on the Information, Technology and Communications Citizens Committee. During the two years he served, he helped with the organization’s online communication and outreach.
In 2022 and 2023, he was on the Citizens Advisory Committee examining the placement of parks, capital projects, improvement projects, and maintenance projects.
“I think the area needs sports courts, pickleball courts, and smaller fields for the youth,” Sehmel said.
A possible partnership could be with the school district, he suggested.
He’d also like to see programs for adults and seniors.
Sehmel is endorsed by all five members of the board.
When asked what sets him apart from Nielson, Sehmel said it’s his longtime residency and perspective of what it was like when there was not a park district serving the community.
“Over the past 19 years since the inception of PenMet as a park district, I’ve witnessed the remarkable benefits it has brought to our community,” Sehmel told the Gateway. “I have a deep understanding of the district’s history, its properties, and I am eager to contribute to its guidance if elected, aligning its growth with the desires of our community to create an inclusive park district for everyone to enjoy.”
Gig Harbor City Council candidates
Position No. 4
Council member Mary Barber was appointed to the council in 2022 after Tracie Markley vacated her seat to become mayor.
Barber is a small business owner of 22 years and has over 40 years of experience in communication and public relations.
Barber will “serve this community by making sound decisions to protect its character, heritage, and quality of life,” according to the voters’ pamphlet.
“I have the experience and documented leadership experience to do the job I’ve been doing for almost two years,” she told the Gateway.
Barber said she “has the endorsement of four of my council colleagues and a strong working relationship with the city staff.”
“I work with our community to make strategic data-based decisions that will help us maintain the small town charm of the city we love while accepting that change is here,” she said. “How we plan for that change will determine the success of our city in the long run.”
She said she’s helped bring infrastructure improvements like the roundabouts on Stinson and Harborview and Harbor Hill and she helped budget for four new police officers and the sports complex project.
If reelected, she said, some of her priorities are focusing on revitalizing downtown to support business longevity, addressing housing needs, and fighting for a new community center.
Nadler is challenging Barber for the position.
Nadler does not have any former elected experience. He values the importance of preserving the area’s charm, according to the voters’ pamphlet.
He moved to the Gig Harbor area with his wife in 2016.
Nadler retired in 2019 from US Oil & Refining Co. in Tacoma, he told the Gateway.
“I was part of the leadership team which supported more than 200 union and non-union employees,” he said. “Part of my responsibility was working with officials at the City of Tacoma, Olympia, and the Port of Tacoma.”
He worked with the military to supply fuel to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, he said.
“I’ll bring a fresh business perspective to the council,” Nadler said.
“Preserving our community requires care and consideration,” he said in the voters’ pamphlet. “The state mandate: we have already met 2030 targets. Growth has overburdened our infrastructure. We need solutions.”
“Gig Harbor is a vibrant community with three distinct areas providing shopping, dining, living and tourist attractions,” he told the Gateway. “When planning for our growth, we need to consider all three areas. We can no longer rely solely on development and property taxes to fund our city. These areas have unique opportunities for business development that can fuel our local economy and provide employment options for citizens.”
He said he also values community safety and staffing law enforcement and fire departments.
“I do not claim to know better than the citizens of our city,” Nadler said. “I will not engage in partisan politics, especially for a non-partisan council position. Listening to what matters to the citizens is my platform. Honoring the will of the community is my only special interest.”
Position No. 6
Council member Le Rodenberg is running unopposed for reelection to the council. He’s held the position since 2019.
Position No. 5
Ben Coronado is running unopposed to replace Julie Martin, who was appointed to the council in January.
Martin filled the position vacated by Robyn Denson, who was elected to the Pierce County Council.
The Gig Harbor City Council heard from seven candidates who wanted the role. Martin and Coronado were two of the three finalists.
When asked why she was not running for reelection, Martin told the Gateway: “I had some personal things to attend to during the campaign season and did not believe I would have had the time to run a campaign, be on council, and take care of things.”
She said she enjoyed her time on the council, wishes them the best, and that she might run for an open council position in the future.
Coronado is a longtime Gig Harbor resident and the current Parks Commission chair.
He did not respond to the Gateway’s request for comment.
He wrote in the voters’ pamphlet that his community involvement has included helping create an Urban Forest Management Plan, serving on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Subcommittee, serving on the Planning Commission, being part of a Community Recreation Center focus group, and volunteering for PenMet.
Maintaining Gig Harbor’s maritime heritage is important to him, he wrote.
“I care deeply about preserving our natural resources, enhancing our quality of life, supporting local businesses, improving our infrastructure, expanding recreational and cultural opportunities, promoting equity and inclusion, and ensuring public safety and health,” he wrote.
Peninsula School District school board candidates
Board of Directors Position No. 1
Jack Mende is going up against Peninsula School Board incumbent Chuck West.
Mende did not fill out any information about his former elected experience, professional experience, or education in the voters’ pamphlet.
“As a public servant, I want to inspire a love of learning and share my enthusiasm for the arts, trades, health, and STEM programs,” he wrote.
He called himself “a lifelong learner,” who is “passionate about self development” and “finding reasons to celebrate learning,” according to the voters’ pamphlet.
If elected he plans to focus on advocating for students with disabilities or unique learning and teaching styles, he wrote.
Mende did not respond to the Gateway’s request for comment.
West has held the position since 2019.
Last year, West ran for a seat on the Pierce County Council. He lost to Robyn Denson.
West owns a small business as a licensed general contractor and is a former firefighter of 35 years, the Gateway previously reported.
He graduated from the Washington Fire Academy in 1986 and became a certified IFSAC fire service instructor and officer. He also took classes from Tacoma Community College and Pierce College in technology and history.
West was with Key Peninsula Fire as a battalion chief until June of 2021.
When asked what sets him apart from his opponent, West said his experience and commitment to the community.
Aside from his time on the Peninsula School Board, he said he also raised his kids in the community.
He’s president of the Key Peninsula Community Council, served on the Key Peninsula Land Use Advisory Board as chair for eight years and has sat on the Pierce County Flood Control Advisory Board since its inception.
West has faced criticism in recent years for comments he made on social media. The Gateway reported that in posts on Facebook West suggested that “inner city Black men commit a disproportionate amount of the violent crime,” and therefore have more encounters with police. That comment was in response to an article about a report in 2020 that found Black people were arrested disproportionately in Pierce County.
He was also criticized for seeming to downplay the seriousness of the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob and for comments he has made about the pandemic, the Gateway reported.
“Why is the media and big corporations shutting down the other side? What little I have been able to hear from unbiased sources it seems the attack was limited to a handful of people, that the peaceful protesters even tried to stop,” West said in a comment on a post from Congressman Derek Kilmer after the riot.
Some pandemic-related content West has shared on Facebook in the past has been labeled false or partly false by independent fact checkers, according to labels on the website.
Asked about his social media presence as an individual and as a public official, and if he’d posted things in the past that no longer reflect his beliefs, West told the Gateway June 24, 2022: “I remember a friend telling me back when the (violent crime) social media post was written, saying she concurred with what I had said, but we can’t talk about it because we’re gonna offend people. We live in a society today where we are so worried about offending everybody, it’s sad. I grew up in the ‘60s and the ‘70s, where everyone was offended. We were pushing civil rights, and offending a lot of people. But it was okay to do that and talk and have those conversations. Today, we can’t do it. Today we’re shut down. And it’s just scary, the censorship we’re beginning to see in social media.”
West told the Gateway previously that one of his first experiences working with local communities was on a project he started for his son.
“Starting as a volunteer firefighter it really got me into the volunteering aspect of things. When my oldest son, Zech was growing up he needed a place to skateboard and at that time back in the ‘90s, skateboarders were frowned upon. I had to change the mentality and wanted to give him a place to skateboard out here in the rural community, where we didn’t have big parking lots and malls. I approached the park district and then built a small wooden skate park,” West said.
Later in life his son, Zech, died in a car accident in 2004. He was active-duty Navy, stationed in Italy at the time.
After the death of his son, West put together a nonprofit foundation, fundraising to build a lasting skate park.
“It has concrete that will last as long as concrete lasts,” West said. “It was a great motivator for me to realize that I could do something like that. I volunteered a lot in the community as a firefighter, doing little projects. And then I worked myself into different leadership positions.”
Board of Directors position No. 3
Lori Glover is running unopposed for reelection. She’s held the position since 2018.
Board of Directors position No. 4
Natalie Wimberly is running unopposed for reelection. She’s been on the board since 2019 and is the current board president.
Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula fire commissioner candidates
Gig Harbor Fire Commissioner position No. 2
Alex Wilsie is running unopposed for reelection to the position that he’s held since 2018. He used to be an assistant fire chief at the Tacoma Fire Department.
Key Peninsula Fire Commissioner position No. 3
Although it appears that Shawn Jensen is also running unopposed for reelection on this year’s ballot, there is a write-in campaign for an opponent, Hal Wolverton.
Jensen has held the position since 2016 and did not respond to the Gateway’s request for comment. He is also a Key Peninsula Parks Commissioner.
The Key Peninsula News reported that Wolverton, who is a retired Key Peninsula Assistant Fire Chief, registered with the Pierce County Auditor’s Office as a write-in candidate Oct. 5.
Wolverton first filed to run in May, but a family emergency caused him to withdraw, according to the Key Peninsula News. He changed his mind after discussions with the Key Peninsula Volunteer Firefighters Association, the Key Peninsula News reported.
He moved to the Key Peninsula in 1973.
In 1990, he became a volunteer firefighter with the Key Peninsula Fire Department.
“I loved the work so much I became a career firefighter in 1992,” he told the Gateway.
“During my 31 years of service, I achieved the ranks of lieutenant, captain, battalion chief and eventually the role of assistant chief until my retirement in April of this year,” he said. “During my time of service, I received 21 awards and commendations.”
He’s a former president of the Key Peninsula Lions Club and is currently the vice president, he told the Gateway.
Over the past three decades, Wolverton has seen a lot of changes in the district, he said.
“Some good and some not so good,” Wolverton told the Gateway.
“During the past administration we experienced out of control spending that I believe does not reflect the values of the Key Peninsula,” he said. “We have to control spending to ensure the future of the Key Peninsula Fire Department.”
One of his priorities would be the volunteer program, he said.
“Since 2019, the department has restricted the volunteer program by adopting a model that is not sustainable,” he said. “The program has been defunded, causing the elimination of the Volunteer Academy, restricting their response to a single station and providing inadequate equipment.”
Wolverton said increasing the volunteer staff will provide “the needed personnel to serve the community by adequately handling house fires, auto accidents and limit our mutual aid request,” he said.
He’s also concerned about the upkeep of certain fire stations.
Fire stations are underfunded for maintenance and upkeep, he said.
“A sink hole remains yet to be addressed, HVAC systems have not worked for years, the Wauna and Longbranch stations have not been painted since they were built and lastly, we have serious seismic upgrades that need to be addressed,” he said.
He also said the fleet needs a plan for replacement.
“Our suppression fleet is at the end of its life expectancy and there’s no real apparatus replacement plan,” he said.
Key Peninsula Fire Commissioner position No. 5
Cambria Queen and John Pat Kelly are running for the position formerly held by Ben Rasmussen.
Queen is an attorney and a former business owner and real estate agent, according to the voters’ pamphlet.
She also was previously the vice president of the Key Peninsula Fire District’s Advisory Board.
“Using my skills and experience as an attorney, I will ensure the laws are followed in an effort to help improve the Board’s decisions,” she wrote in the voters’ pamphlet.
The Key Peninsula Firefighters IAFF Local 3152 endorsed Queen for the position.
Queen did not respond to the Gateway’s request for comment.
Running against Queen is Kelly, who is the secretary of the KPFD’s Citizens Advisory Panel.
Kelly originally filed to run against Jensen, but pivoted after learning of a “write-in” candidate, Wolverton.
As secretary he organizes community forums for residents that often have guests such as government officials or law enforcement officials.
Formerly he was a wedding officiant, and he has 20 years of experience in sales and administration, according to the voters’ pamphlet.
“I am running for KPFD Commissioner to return fiscal responsibility to the Board,” he wrote in the pamphlet.
He also opposes merging with any other district, the pamphlet said.
“My motto is that even a dollar of taxpayer money wasted is too much,” he wrote.
When asked what sets him apart from Queen, Kelly said his financial priorities.
“My campaign is a community-driven effort to return fiscal responsibility to the Key Peninsula Fire District No. 16,” he told the Gateway.
He said upgrading the agency’s fire engines is the first thing he thinks needs to happen.
“Our fleet is aging and becoming expensive to maintain and repair,” he said.
Secondly, he wants to expand the volunteer department.
“Our volunteers need to be fully funded and play a bigger role in protecting our community,” he said.
“We also need to rebuild our financial reserves that have been depleted due to poor decision making and a lack of due diligence by the current board,” he added.
Key Peninsula Parks
Commissioner position No. 5
Kip Clinton is running for reelection. Challenging her is Kenneth Lee.
Neither responded to the Gateway’s request for comment.
Clinton started working for the district in 2003, according to the voters’ pamphlet.
She’s held commissioner positions in 2004, 2005, 2011, and 2017 to present.
She’s served on the Key Peninsula Advisory Committee since 2020.
“I believe in being fiscally creative and inclusive while building a park system for all recreational interests,” she wrote in the voters’ pamphlet. “Citizens are financially stressed by inflation and emotionally stressed from the last 4 years; you need parks to relieve that stress. I have a duty to you to continue developing the parks system you use and enjoy — in a fiscally responsible way.”
Lee does not have any former elected experience.
He belongs to the South Sound Pickleball Club, is the district pickleball ambassador, and is the president of a nonprofit, according to the voters’ pamphlet.
“I love to help people have fun,” Lee wrote. “I also like to keep things simple. I am very interested in helping people to be active and engaged. In particular, I would like to provide more fun athletic activities for all ages especially like pickleball.”
He has experience in running sports tournaments and refereeing.
