It’s good the courts put Solan on the ballot, regardless of his merits | Opinion

Solan should be on the ballot

The Solan ballot issue should concern anyone who cares about fair elections, regardless of political affiliation or opinion of the candidate himself.

Washington law already provides a process for challenging candidate eligibility through RCW 29A.68.011, requiring an affidavit from an elector and judicial review. In this case, there was no formal elector challenge before the county removed him from the ballot after his filing had already been accepted and publicly posted.

I previously supervised candidate filing operations in Pierce County. The consistent guidance from the secretary of state was that filing officers verify basic statutory requirements such as voter registration and residency, while qualification disputes belong in court.

George “Zamboni” Scannell appeared on the ballot for Washington Supreme Court multiple times despite not being a licensed attorney. The secretary of state still processed those filings because election officials are not meant to adjudicate every substantive qualification question themselves.

Recent court rulings involving sheriff candidate qualifications further show why election administrators cannot realistically or constitutionally investigate every qualification issue for every candidate.

The courts restored Solan to the ballot. Election administrators should err on the side of protecting ballot access and constitutional rights.

Damon Townsend, Gig Harbor

Recall Tacoma parks board

Tacoma taxpayers are watching a system that is clearly struggling on multiple fronts. Parks Tacoma is facing significant budget shortfalls, between $7 million and $9 million, along with layoffs, reduced services and cuts that directly impact our community.

At the same time, a state audit identified weaknesses in financial controls, raising serious concerns about oversight and accountability at the highest levels.

Public safety concerns have also emerged. A Parks Tacoma maintenance worker was charged with felony harassment after allegedly making inappropriate comments toward two young girls and later threatening a family at Titlow Park.

As a former park safety volunteer with 36 years in military public safety and 20 years as a Washington State peace officer, I personally raised concerns about employees and volunteers not receiving appropriate background checks. I was repeatedly told those concerns were unwarranted because volunteers did not have direct contact with juveniles, an explanation that is deeply troubling in hindsight.

Taken together, financial instability, declining service levels and serious safety concerns point to a breakdown in leadership. If the board cannot ensure accountability, proper vetting and responsible management, voters have every right to demand change through a recall and restore public trust.

Robert MacFann, Tacoma

Historic Preservation Month welcome

Tacoma’s observance of Historic Preservation Month offers an opportunity to reconsider what preservation actually means. Too often, local history is reduced to landmark architecture or prominent civic figures, while the histories of working-class neighborhoods, immigrant communities and ordinary residents receive far less attention. Yet these stories are equally essential to understanding Tacoma’s development.

Public historians increasingly argue that preservation should extend beyond individual buildings to include community memory, neighborhood identity and the lived experiences attached to local spaces. In Tacoma, rapid redevelopment and housing expansion make these conversations especially urgent. Once older homes, storefronts and community gathering places disappear, the historical record they contain often disappears with them.

Researching local history through archival maps, city directories and property records demonstrates how much historical evidence still exists within Tacoma’s neighborhoods. Preservation is not simply about nostalgia; it is about maintaining a fuller and more inclusive understanding of the city’s past.

Cat Johnson, Tacoma