Sammamish City Council Candidates

Residents of the new city of Sammamish will go to the polls Feb. 2 to vote in their first City Council primary election. The two top finishers in each of seven positions will advance to the April 27 ballot.

Today we profile positions 1, 2, 3 and 5 and tomorrow we profile positions 4, 6 and 7. Among the questions we asked to seek information voters could use to make a decision, candidates were asked to identify their political philosophies. In that spirit, some chose to reveal party affiliations. The council positions are, however, nonpartisan.

Position 1

Jeffrey Blazier

Personal: 31. Married, two children. Inglewood Glen resident. Game programmer and project leader at Electronic Arts, Bellevue. Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington. Grew up in Factoria; has lived on the Plateau four years.

Politics: Was inspired to enter politics by the movie "Dave." Sees a nonpartisan council as great start because he's a moderate not affiliated with political parties or Plateau activist groups. Won't take campaign donations.

Campaign: Favors keeping taxes where they are or lower. Doesn't support a moratorium but wants more efficient growth management and assurance that development fees are used locally. Wants to work with other cities on runoff into Lake Sammamish, and to see fair and balanced government. "I don't want to see parts of our city left out because other people have a louder voice."

Phil Dyer

Personal: 45. Married, two children. Lives in Monohon. Medical-malpractice-insurance consultant, former state representative. Bachelor's degree in political science and economics from Oregon State University, graduate degree from Army Command and General Staff College, retired National Guard major. Served on the state Health Care Commission, Kiwanis and Issaquah school committees. Eighteen-year Plateau resident.

Politics: Former three-term Republican legislator noted for leadership on health-care issues. Says he was "drafted" for council by political associates and friends, including Metropolitan King County Council members. Interested in becoming Sammamish mayor. Not affiliated with Plateau activist groups.

Campaign: Says his experience and recognition will "get this set up right," and help create ordinances and negotiate with county. Says growth moratorium would be "premature" and have little effect. Wants to provide realistic expectations about what city can do for the area. "I think I'm the one candidate in there who has had a lot of experience in elected office."

Di Irons

Personal: 44. Married, two children. Lives near Tibbetts Station. Legislative aide to County Councilman Brian Derdowski, former small-business owner. Bellevue Community College general-studies graduate. Involved in Sammamish Homeowners-Renters United Together (Shout), youth sports, children's programs, Kiwanis Club and Operation Santa. Born in Seattle; has lived 10 years on Plateau.

Politics: Worked on numerous political campaigns but would not say which ones or for which party (father was Republican state Senate candidate in 1996, brother is GOP candidate for the County Council). Past president of Citizens for Sammamish political-action committee, incorporation organizer.

Campaign: Wants growth moratorium to stop large projects until infrastructure is improved, to allow time to create regulations that protect environment and quality of life. Says experience with county, land-use appeals and growth issues would be an asset. "We need to get off to a really solid start."

Tom Tobin

Personal: 47. Married, two children. Lives in Lorrie Estates. Principal at GeoEngineers in Redmond; has experience on commercial, industrial and residential developments. Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, master's in geotechnical engineering, University of California at Berkeley. New York native; Plateau resident for 8 1/2 years.

Politics: Unaffiliated with Plateau groups, independent with no political experience. "I don't have a special-interest agenda, and I'm not promoting a specific issue. I'm just trying to facilitate the best government possible in our new city."

Campaign: Says experience working with city, county and state governments would help organize city and negotiate service contracts. Wants taxes to remain same or lower, and bureaucracy kept small. Supports a six-month growth moratorium until permits can be processed at reasonable pace. Says he's ready to go: "I guess that's just an engineering perspective - quit with the preliminaries and let's just get the work done and keep the process going."

Harold Zeitz

Personal: 35. Married, three children. Native of Lake Forest Park, has lived one year at Broadmoor Estates in Sammamish. Vice president of national consumer marketing for AT & T Wireless Services, Redmond. Bachelor's degree in economics, Northwestern University; master of business administration, Stanford University. Served on volunteer boards such as Boys & Girls Club and Science Center in St. Louis.

Politics: Unaffiliated with Plateau groups, independent with no political experience. Running "to be involved in the key decisions that determine the directions our city goes."

Campaign: Says experience with cities on telecommunications issues gave "insights into how the best have been run." Favors low-cost government, comprehensive planning that preserves natural beauty and pace of life, and a growth moratorium of up to 180 days to develop codes. "I'm not a politician, and I don't intend to be one. I want to be there to help start it and put the bricks and mortar in place."

Position 2

Bob Anderson

Personal: 53. Married, three children. Has lived in the Heritage Hills area for 10 years. Bachelor's degree in accounting from Central Washington University; self-employed CPA.

Politics: Supported incorporation; is a self-described moderate.

Campaign: Considers traffic, public safety and taxes major issues. Says area's major problems are due to uncontrolled growth. Favors "managed growth," including the right mix of commercial and residential projects, and might support a temporary growth moratorium. Doesn't want to close the door to newcomers, but wants infrastructure and services in place. Favors taking a hard line with King County in releasing funds for promised improvements. Wants shorter response times for police and firefighters.

John Fann

Personal: 38. Married. Has lived on the Plateau for a year in the Samantha Smith Elementary School area. Owns an architectural design company, JRF Design. Says he has "a high-school and college education" but won't elaborate. Did not provide photo.

Politics: Supported incorporation; is a conservative Republican.

Campaign: Says traffic, growth, taxes and water availability have kept the area from thriving. Says he does not have the answer to all problems and warns that "citizens should be afraid of anyone who says they do. If we had an answer, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in."Skip Greene

Personal: 46. Married, two children. Has lived in the Highland Park area for nine years. Insurance broker and corporate-benefits officer for Pacific Resources. Bachelor's degree in business marketing from California State University, Northridge. Coaches youth football.

Politics: Supported incorporation; is a self-described conservative.

Campaign: Wants to draft a strict ordinance to protect natural resources from development. Supports a temporary moratorium on new construction and thinks new developments must pay for their own infrastructure. "We need to take control. We have been the stepchild of King County."

Jon Mathison

Personal: 31. Married. Has lived in the Summer Ridge area for two years. Bachelor's and master's degrees in physics. Engineer with CH2M Hill in Bellevue.

Politics: Supported incorporation; is a Democrat. Has served on several community boards, including Metro's sounding board. Member of Citizens for Sammamish and Sammamish Homeowners-Renters United Together (Shout).

Campaign: Among issues are environment and transportation, especially funding for 228th Avenue Southeast/Northeast. Supports a six-month moratorium on new construction while the city planning staff gets organized. Wants to give Sammamish a voice in regional affairs and greater control of its tax dollars.

Bob Nason

Personal: 47. Married, one child. Rural letter carrier. Has lived in Pacific Estates area for 10 years. Served in the Air Force and is a retired master sergeant in the Washington Air National Guard. Attended Shoreline and South Seattle community colleges.

Politics: Supported incorporation; is a Democrat.

Campaign: Emphasizes team-building skills. Sees public safety, traffic and water-quality control as major city issues. Would consider a temporary halt on building permits while the city considers its new plan. Wants greater police presence and shorter response times, and supports contracting police services from the King County Sheriff's Office. Would work to improve transit. "When you get to be the size of a town, you have to think as a town."

Troy Romero

Personal: 35. Married, four children. Has lived on Plateau for 10 years, the last six in the Broadmoor Estates area. Bachelor's degree in international relations from Brigham Young University, law degree from the University of Washington. Is an attorney in Bellevue.

Politics: Supported incorporation. A conservative Republican. Was an aide to then-U.S. Sen. James McClure, R-Idaho, and served as special deputy prosecutor in King County. Ran for a state Senate seat in the 45th Legislative District in 1994.

Campaign: Issues are managing without a tax increase, getting funding for traffic improvement, especially on 228th Avenue, and reserving parks and fields for recreation. Has worked for all branches of the government and says his expertise in land use would be an asset.

David Willson

Personal: 28. Married. Has lived in Inglewood Hill area for three years. Software consultant for SolutionsIQ in Bellevue. Bachelor's degree in physical sciences from Washington State University.

Politics: Supported incorporation; is a self-described moderate. Member of the Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club, and is on the Democratic National Committee.

Campaign: Major issue is traffic. Wants to explore a city-run bus service if county cannot do better job. Favors a building-permit moratorium and tree-protection ordinance. Says the "county has put these high-density apartments and town houses in our area," but that infrastructure development has not kept pace.

Position 3

Helen Baxter

Personal: 40. Married, one child. Instructional assistant at Margaret Mead Elementary School. Bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Washington. Has lived on the Plateau since 1984. Serves as den leader for the Cub Scouts, is member of the PTSA and Margaret Mead advisory team.

Politics: Supported incorporation; says unrestricted growth without adequate infrastructure has resulted in one of King County's most congested areas. Interested in children's issues.

Campaign: Says that as an interim City Council member she would favor a building-permit moratorium until necessary infrastructure is in place. Wants a community center, especially for youths. Says she doesn't support future commercial development.

Fred Caponigro

Personal: 52. Married, three children. Sales representative for Pioneer Packaging in Kent. High-school graduate. Lives in the Pine Lake area; has lived within Sammamish boundaries for 10 years. Assistant varsity-baseball coach at Issaquah High School, youth-football coordinator for Seattle Seahawks.

Politics: Voted for incorporation but didn't support it initially because of concerns that King County would not give funds previously committed for road improvements. Calls himself a voice for the common person.

Campaign: Says not everyone on the Plateau is rich and that money must be spent wisely so everyone can be proud of the city and future generations can raise their families there. Priorities are easing congestion, keeping down property taxes and slowing growth. Says some sort of halt on building permits will likely be needed until the city can solve its infrastructure problems.

Jeff Crompe

Personal: 45. Married, two children. Regional government and marketing specialist for Canon U.S.A. Studied business for two years at Seattle University. Lives in Cimarron neighborhood. Is soccer coach with Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association.

Politics: Supported incorporation; interested in parks and environmental issues; wants Sammamish to be known for being an environmental city.

Campaign: Says the city needs to do "damage control" in regard to growth because of King County's legacy. Says that the new city can't completely stop growth because under state law cities are designated urban-growth areas, but that Sammamish needs to learn to manage development. Wants a balanced approach to growth.

Don Gerend

Personal: 58. Married, two children. Asset and property manager with Pace Corp. in Bellevue. Former rocket scientist for Boeing. Bachelor's degree in applied mathematics and engineering physics from the University of Wisconsin, master's in physics from the University of Wisconsin, doctorate in astronomy from the University of Washington. Has lived in Pine Lake area for 20 years. Past member of the Community Home Healthcare Development Board in Seattle. Current president of Rockaway Beach Resort Homeowners' Association.

Politics: Republican Precinct Committee Officer for Pine Lake precinct; says he believes in using technology to achieve the most open and participatory government possible. Supported incorporation; attended meetings of Shout and Sing (Sammamish Incorporation Neighborhood Group).

Campaign: Says the city needs to create and preserve green spaces and parks. Advocates a city Web site and cable channel. Slogan: "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to run a city, but it can't hurt to have one along for the launch." Emphasizes regional solutions to growth and parks.

Robert Keller

Personal: 45. Married. Northwest regional manager for Fiserv, a financial-data-processing company in Bellevue. Bachelor's degree in communications and business administration from San Diego State University. Lives in the Tree Farm neighborhood; has lived on Sammamish Plateau for more than three years. Has participated in neighborhood-watch and community-oriented police programs and received training in burglary and rape prevention.

Politics: Supported incorporation, has special interest in economic and public-safety issues.

Campaign: Says the city needs a capital-investment strategy and needs to invest money from development wisely. Says lakes make the city unique and must be protected. Because infrastructure has not kept pace with growth, he says he might consider a temporary building-permit moratorium. Thinks developers can be asked to do more to contribute their fair share.

Bill Schiffer

Personal: 69. Married, four children. Retired technical writer. Attended Iowa State University for two years. Lived in Inglewood neighborhood for 20 years. Korean War veteran. Volunteer with Lutheran Alliance for Affordable Housing and the Lutheran Compass Center in Seattle. Member of the Board of Directors for the Ark child-care center in Bellevue.

Politics: Active 5th District Democrat; ran for 5th District state House seat in most recent election. Voted for incorporation but didn't actively support or oppose it. Is self-described social liberal and fiscal conservative.

Campaign: Advocates a temporary building moratorium until the city determines the stance it wants to take on growth. Says the city needs to contract for police and fire services, and needs more parks and a place for teens to congregate.

Position 5

Jack Barry

Personal: 60, married (to Issaquah School District Superintendent Janet Barry), four children. Retired teacher and administrator. Bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Arizona State University. Lived in Arizona before moving to Kitsap County in 1993, then to the Plateau in 1997.

Politics: Republican. Member of Issaquah Parks Board.

Campaign: Has taken few positions on city issues, saying he'll listen to the public first. Supports current Issaquah School District impact fees and would study whether fees should be enacted in the Lake Washington School District, which also overlaps with Sammamish.

Marguerite Callahan

Personal: 51. Married, two children. An educational counselor who worked in Lake Washington School District after arriving from Dallas a decade ago. Bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University, and master's and doctorate in education from the University of North Texas. Member of the Audubon Society.

Political: Republican. Supported cityhood.

Campaign: A native of tornado country, she believes the Plateau needs a disaster-preparedness plan. Says evacuation is impossible given present traffic bottlenecks at both ends. Worries about privacy of residents bordering proposed east Lake Sammamish trail, but remains neutral on that issue and other controversies pending more information.

Vali Eberhardt

Personal: 37. Married. Has worked as a computer consultant and plans to resume her career soon. B.S. in computer science from Arizona State University. Moved from Seattle's Fremont neighborhood a year ago to shorten husband's commute to Microsoft. Belongs to Sierra Club and the Save Lake Sammamish Club.

Politics: No experience; favored incorporation.

Campaign: Wants to create a city "gathering place" and find other ways to create a sense of community. Thinks impact fees on developers are far too low and would lobby for authority to raise Issaquah School District fees beyond the current $6,142 per single-family home. Appealed a recent land-use permit in hopes she can persuade builders to remove puddles and build turn lanes on 212th Avenue Northeast at Thompson Hill.

Kent Marsh

Personal: 43. Married, three children. A software developer with Orca Technologies of Bothell. Bachelor's degree from William Jewell College, Liberty, Mo., and master's from the Boston Conservatory of Music. Has lived eight years on the north Plateau.

Politics: Republican. Held signs and made phone calls to support pro-incorporation campaign.

Campaign: Traffic is his dominant issue. Says Highway 520 should be extended to the Sahalee area, and some day a transit line should travel under Lake Sammamish to Microsoft, downtown Bellevue and ultimately downtown Seattle. Favors a building-permit moratorium until the new city completes a comprehensive land-use plan. Opposes a roadway through the wooded Section 36 park in the city's northeast corner.

Errol Nelson

Personal: 59. Divorced, two children. Owner and operator of environmental consulting firm, Optimum Environment. Bachelor's degree in chemistry from Seattle Pacific University, master's in forestry from the University of Washington. Treasurer and commissioner of Washington State Soccer Association, and a referee for 20 years. Has lived in the Sunny Hills neighborhood since 1973. Worked on school levy committees two decades ago.

Politics: Opposed cityhood and ran for council because he didn't see other candidates from incorporation opposition. Wants to slow growth without establishing an expensive urban government.

Campaign: Favors a six-month building-permit moratorium. Would run City Hall in a storefront with minimal staffing the first few years, while contracting with King County for police and fire service. Says Sammamish's spending priorities should be roads and playfields.

Ed Tomich

Personal: 67. Married, two children. Retired Boeing engineer and avionics manager. Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Idaho.

Politics: No prior experience; calls himself conservative and independent. Favored incorporation.

Campaign: Sides with property owners along east Lake Sammamish who oppose a public trail there. Wants to decrease and simplify land-use paperwork. Would contract out many city services and use a temporary City Hall until Sammamish is established. Favors a road through Section 36 park because the area lacks major roadways.