Bonney Lake will have a new mayor for the first time in 15 years. Here are his plans
Bonney Lake residents are ready for a change — at least from Michael McCullough’s perspective.
Once McCullough is sworn into office in January, he will be ending Neil Johnson Jr.’s 15-year tenure as the city’s mayor.
As of 2 p.m. Nov. 15, McCullough has 2,560 votes or about 53.1 percent of the vote. Johnson has 2,252 votes or 46.7 percent. Out of the 13,923 registered voters, about 35.9 percent cast their ballots. The city has more than 20,000 residents.
McCullough’s full-time job is with the King County Department of Public Defense, working as a public defender. He is originally from Texas and settled in Bonney Lake in 2007.
Although becoming mayor will be a “daunting task,” McCullough said he is happy with the results. One of the first steps he wants to take is to get acquainted with city employees and raise their morale, he said.
“Every single employee of Bonney Lake is important,” McCullough said.
McCullough’s job as a public defender will help him with his mayoral position because public defenders are cognizant of the law and how it works for people, he said. Being able to listen as well as digest and disseminate information are other skills he will bring to the table, he said.
“That’s a talent that a good mayor and a good leader should have,” McCullough said.
Moving forward, McCullough plans on hosting town hall meetings to better engage and receive feedback from residents. He said he plans on partnering with local service groups such as the Bonney Lake Kiwanis Club to host those meetings.
National, big chain developers may become drawn to the city in the future, but he wants to make sure the community’s voices are heard throughout the process, he said. He wants opportunities for small businesses in the area to thrive, he said.
McCullough said the elephant in the room is the city’s water and sewer rates. Throughout his campaign, he assured people that he will look into whether there is a way to lower utility rates, he said.
It may take a couple of months after McCullough gets into the office before changes can be made to residents’ utility bills, he said. He is aware that some utility infrastructures are outdated and need to be replaced, which tends to raise rates, he said.
“Everybody is concerned about that, and I was very careful in saying that … I don’t want to overpromise anything,” McCullough said.
Neil Johnson Jr. said he is proud of what he and his team were able to achieve over the years he was mayor. He was not expecting to leave his position yet, but he thinks “things happen for a reason,” he said.
Before giving the reigns to McCullough, Johnson said he plans to secure a new turf field for Allen York Park. Opening a public services building for Public Works is another goal, he said.
“He inherits a great team and very strong city,” Johnson said. “I know the team’s gonna really work hard for the new mayor to make sure they help him out.”
