[ad_1]
Steve Peterson was Liberty Lake’s first mayor and hopes to be the next mayor.
However, current Mayor Chris Kaminkas, who took office earlier this year, is seeking his first full term.
The race centers on issues familiar to longtime residents of rapidly growing cities: infrastructure, transportation and taxes.
Peterson points to Liberty Lake’s long history of coaching. He was the first mayor elected after the city’s incorporation, taking office in 2001 and serving until 2007.
Peterson then served a second term as mayor starting in 2012, but lost his re-election bid to Shane Brickner in 2019.
Brickner resigned in December after a one-year term. Mr. Kaminkas, who has served on the city council for more than 10 years, was appointed with the approval of his fellow city council members to temporarily fill the vacancy left by Mr. Brickner.
She is now aiming to secure her position in the November election, touting her progress in less than a year in the top post.
“It doesn’t feel like work at all,” Kaminkas said. “If I could work full time, I would.”
As mayor, Peterson led the city’s efforts to purchase the trailhead golf course and protect its green space. Now, he’s criticizing the city’s plan to invest about $8.2 million in a new clubhouse and improvements to the nine-hole golf course.
Peterson is concerned that the project will put the city in debt of more than $6 million, which will have to be paid out of the city’s general fund.
“There’s not enough money coming in to cover debt service,” Peterson said.
Kaminkas argues that the current building is decades old, dilapidated and unsafe, and that expanding the driving range would be a “cash cow” for the city.
Peterson promised to keep a close eye on the city’s spending. Peterson said city operations are currently based in multiple buildings and he needs to “think about how we operate from one building.”
However, Kaminkas argued that his predecessor’s integration orientation led to problems such as a former finance director taking on human resources duties. 20 years have passed since the city was incorporated, had its first human resources manager and helped bring the city’s policies up to date.
“What has happened over the years is that people have had to become jack-of-all-trades, stretched themselves thin, and done things that are not their area of expertise…which means they now have a higher paycheck. You either pay more money to fix the mistake later.”It was created because people were overloaded,” Kaminkas said.
Kaminkas said the new positions will be funded with existing revenue sources rather than tax increases.
Mr. Peterson points to a long track record of identifying external sources of revenue.
Peterson said he, along with other elected leaders, helped advocate for a tax funding system that would lead to the development of river districts north of the Spokane River and various public infrastructure improvements.
“One of my goals there is to create a connection between the River District and Ridgeline High School,” Peterson said.
Peterson said his advocacy at the state level was key to advancing state funding for various improvements near Harvard Road and I-90. The work, funded through Connecting Washington, included widening the Harvard Road Bridge, adding a Barker ramp and a new roundabout. road interchange.
“If it’s not on the table, it’s probably on the menu. We have to finish Olympia and we have to defend this thing,” Peterson said. “We have to do it in a way that gets buy-in from all the other groups.”
Such work also requires planning, Peterson said.
“I’ve been a huge proponent of making sure our infrastructure reflects not just today, but our five- and 10-year vision,” Peterson said.
Kaminkas argued that the city doesn’t necessarily have a traffic problem on its roads, but it does have a circulation problem. Expanding the Harvard Road Bridge is a good first step, and the planned Kramer Parkway project, which crosses Interstate 90 between Mission Avenue to the north and Country Vista Drive to the south, will also help ease traffic. she said.
And while Liberty Lake residents may be concerned about growth, Kaminkas pointed out that some properties in the city are zoned for multifamily development.
“It’s hard to think of reducing the zoning of the property and not exposing the city and its citizens to very expensive litigation,” Kaminkas said.
Still, Kaminkas said the city council, which she served on for nearly 11 years before being appointed mayor, has a strong track record of rejecting development proposals that require zoning changes.
For Peterson, the biggest challenge facing growing cities is the need for “real leadership.”
“It’s not just sitting in a chair in a legislative session and signing something on Wednesday morning after Congress passes it,” Peterson said.
[ad_2]
Source link
