Only one person filed to run for mayor in Sumner, where she’s cut hair for decades
Kathy Hayden moved to Sumner the day after she graduated from Puyallup High School in 1972 and never left. Now, she wants to be mayor.
She likens the city of 10,000 people to living in Disneyland.
“I just love Sumner, and I want to see it thrive,” she said.
Hayden, 67, has been involved in Sumner for decades. She served on City Council for eight years, five of which have been as deputy mayor. Previously, she served on the Planning Commission for six years.
Hayden also has been involved in the Sumner Rotary Club. She was named Rotarian of Distinction in 2018 and is the founder of Sumner’s EarlyAct, a volunteer-based group for children.
She is the only candidate who has filed to run for mayor to replace Bill Pugh. She is running unopposed, according to the state’s May 21 candidate filing list. If she is not outvoted by write-ins, her term will start next January. The mayoral position earns $2,500 a month.
Pugh is serving on her campaign. He said knowing she would run made the difficult decision of stepping down easier. After four years, the 71-year-old mayor said he wanted to spend time with family.
“You never know how much time you are granted on this planet,” he said. ”It’s tough to leave, you get a certain commitment to it.”
Pugh spent 33 years in Tacoma in public works, eventually becoming the public worlds director and then the assistant city manager. He moved to Sumner in 2008 as the public works director for nine years. He then became Sumner’s mayor in an unopposed race in 2017.
He believes Hayden has three crucial elements of a good mayor: relationships with staff, experience of being on the council and community connections.
“I believe she has a love for Sumner,” he said. “It was a sense of relief when she said she was going to run.”
The pandemic and priorities
Hayden knows the pain many business owners have felt of shutdowns and reduced capacity during the 14 months of the pandemic.
She owns a barber shop and has been cutting hair in Sumner for more than 42 years. She and her late husband, Doug Hayden, ran Doug’s Barber Shop at 332 Valley Ave. until 2017. He passed away a few months after retiring.
Hayden said she had to close her barber shop for the first four months of the pandemic and it hurt.
“I couldn’t work. It’s not easy, and it’s not fun,” Hayden said.
The City of Sumner is expected to receive $2.2 million in federal funding to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Hayden wants Sumner’s downtown staples of Rhubarb Days and the Sip and Stroll to bring customers to the businesses.
“I want to see our events come back and see the pandemic go away so we go back to some normal,” she said.
The downtown area of Sumner is undergoing development changes.
Pugh said he sees increasing housing prices across the county as a top, growing concern. Sumner has worked with Bonney Lake to create an affordable housing plan, which includes increased options for “accessory dwelling units” like backyard cottages, and building varied housing types.
An apartment complex will be built in a parking lot near the Sounder station to bring more housing into the city.
“It’s something that needs to be done,” Hayden said.
One of the biggest projects Pugh said Sumner is undergoing is the White River Restoration Project. The $102 million project hit a funding milestone when the state legislature approved a $15.24 million grant.
The project would restructure the river, creating additional pathways to prevent flooding in North Sumner’s industrial area.
“Our White River setback is huge, and protecting the industrial area from disaster and flooding is so important,” Hayden said. “The industrial area brings 16,000 jobs that we don’t want to put in danger.”
Road work near Sumner is always a certainty. The council has approved a legislative agenda prioritizing the 166th Avenue and state Route 410 interchange upgrade. The estimated $11 million project would widen lanes and add roundabouts at state Route 410 westbound ramp and at 64th Street.
Hayden said she was sad to see Pugh go, but she hopes to follow in his footsteps.
“I’m just hoping to step in and continue what path has been laid out,” she said.
This story was originally published June 7, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
