By Lindsay Peyton

 

The City of Des Moines is preparing for Nov. 7 – Election Day. 

The City Council has four open seats. For Position 1, Anthony Martinelli is challenging incumbent, Mayor Matt Pina. 

JC Harris is running against incumbent Vic Pennington, who also serves as deputy mayor, for Position 3. 

Melissa Musser, currently in Position 5, is not running for re-election. Traci Buxton and Harry Steinmetz are competing for her open seat. 

Dave Kaplan, Position 7, is also not running again. Chad Harper and Matt Mahoney are vying for the job. 

M. Luisa Bangs, Position 2, Jeremy Nutting, Position 4, and Robert Back, Position 6, retain their posts until Dec. 31, 2019. 

Position 1

Martinelli said a deep love for Des Moines inspired him to challenge the current mayor. He has lived in the city since age 11 – and is now raising two children there. 

“We're a great city, but there's a lot we can improve upon,” he said. “I believe that with a fresh set of ideas and a forward-thinking approach, we can become even greater without sacrificing any of our positive features.”

Martinelli has a number of ideas for improving the city, including providing a 60-day notice before rents are raised to allow families time to plan or look for a new place. 

He also would like to establish a municipal broadband system, which could serve as a source of revenue for the city, while providing residents a more affordable option for high-speed Internet.  

In addition, Martinelli wants to increase funding for the police department, improve transparency in city government and change policy to allow voters to choose their own mayor instead of having one appointed by the council. 

The incumbent Mayor Matt Pina said that helping Des Moines deal with financial struggles first attracted him to the office in 2014. He had been serving on the Highline School Board and helped it address similar issues. 

“I have lived in Des Moines the majority of my life,” he said. “It is a wonderful community that I am not willing to see fail.”

Pina was selected to serve as mayor in 2016 – the same night he discovered that Des Moines was 18 months from bankruptcy and the City Manager would be retiring. 

“This picture was not acceptable,” Pina recalled. “Under my leadership, with the partnership and joint commitment of the council, community and City administrative team, we have changed the future of Des Moines. No stone was left unturned and all legal opportunities were reviewed.”

He said operations improved quickly in Des Moines. There’s a new city manager, a sustainable budget, more law enforcement personnel, road paving underway and a new Citizens Advisory Committee.

“We have come a long way, but we are not there yet,” Pina said. “I am running again to see that our progress continues and that we secure the livability, viability, sustainability and independence of the City of Des Moines for the long-term.”

Position 3

JC Harris said Des Moines has “lost its way”  -- and he is running to help the city get back on track. 

“To its credit, the current government has turned the city's terrible finances around,” he said. “But it has done so largely by partnering with the Port of Seattle, even though the Port is the prime cause of the pollution, low property values and severe poverty we are now experiencing.”

He supports a move away from this relationship – and would work to reduce the number of flights overhead and airport pollution. 

Harris also wants to help diversify the city’s economy. 

“As more of the city’s structural revenue depends on the airport, the less it will become possible to limit flights,” he said. “This strategy means that we are dependent for our survival on a system that actually makes our residents sick. Instead, we should be actively working to recruit small businesses that are based on our Marina, our great location and the assets of our college.”

Harris also advocates for more long-term city planning. His other top priorities include reducing crime based on mental health and addiction issues and increasing citizen participation in government. 

Incumbent Vic Pennington was elected in 2013. “This council has been through a lot during the last four years,” he said. “The direction of the city has changed from rapidly moving toward bankruptcy to a stable and sustainable city.”

The improvements have required a significant amount of effort, he explained. 

“I’m running for a second term to continue the vitally important work of bringing our city back to sustainable and long-term health,” he said. “As we continue our mission I will focus on updating ordinances and zoning while evaluating opportunities that will create both a sustainable future and reduce the financial weight on the city’s residents.”

Pennington is a member of the International Association of Fire Fighters and Union Organizer of Des Moines Professional Fire Fighters Local 3396 – and serves as assistant fire chief for South King Fire and Rescue. He was also Water Commissioner for King County Water District 54.

He believes the most important issue facing Des Moines is ensuring the city’s financial stability. He wants to promote business growth and redevelopment of the Marina District. 

Pennington also vows to protect the city from adverse impacts of the airport expansion.  “I now am in a role that can influence and fight for the Port of Seattle to
 address the noise, frequency of flights and health impacts they are now creating with their proposed expansion,” he said. 

Position 5

Harry Steinmetz said he was motivated to run when the current council elected to “put a methadone clinic and an involuntary commitment facility 600 feet from my son’s elementary school.”

“The current Council has made a number of decisions that I disagreed with,” he said. 

Steinmetz has worked as an attorney for 27 years and previously served as prosecutor and the staff counsel to the Washington State Senate Judiciary Committee.

“I have tremendous experience in criminal justice issues and understand how to keep the community safe,” he said. “I have been the managing partner of my law firm for 14 years and understand the fundamentals of budgeting and running a business.” 

He wants to foster development of the Marina and downtown Des Moines. He also hopes to help the city improve its budget and become more transparent in its decision making process. 

“I have the experience and qualifications to be effective on the City Council,” he said. “I understand that part of running the city is being able to effectively negotiate with our neighbors and the Port of Seattle. My background means I don’t have to learn on the job.”

Traci Buxton said she wanted to run for city council, because she wants to help Des Moines become a regional destination. 

“In order to do this, our city needs good citizen leaders who are passionate about this community, able to communicate thoughtfully, capable of careful and impartial research, and who have the fortitude to stand for what is right,” she said. “I am that kind of leader.”  

Buxton has lived in Des Moines for 35 years. She served as a resident manager for a 60-unit residential property and immersed in successful property management, real estate investment and office administration.  

She believes that her experience in hospitality, insurance, retail and real estate industries coupled with her work as a fitness and mental health professional, will give her an edge as a councilmember. 

Buxton said economic development will be her top priority – and wants to engage the business community, address derelict properties, attract new businesses and partners and work for more affordable housing options. 

Another high concern for Buxton is public safety. She hopes to build up the police and fire department, while encouraging citizens to take an active role in ensuring the safety of the community. 
Buxton also pledged to help protect the environment – by addressing sound and air pollution from planes and creating policies for the tree canopy. 

Position 7    

Chad Harper decided to run because he is confident that he can make a difference. 

“I felt like it was time for someone who isn’t beholden to the status quo to help lead our city,” he said. “As council members, we have to listen to diverse points of view and come up with consensus on the best way to move forward in a way that benefits the most people while still being responsible with taxpayer money. That’s exactly what my community service has been about.”

Harper co-chaired the successful school bond, which will result in a new elementary school in Des Moines. He is a member of the Des Moines Human Services Commission and has served as a trustee for the Highline Schools Foundation. 

He said that residents feel disconnected from the local government – and he wants to work to change that. 

“We can start to bring new people and ideas into the decision-making process by having town hall meetings in different parts of the city,” he said.  “We should meet people where they are - not expect them to always come to us.”

His other top concerns are public safety and the marina redevelopment. 

Matt Mahoney said he is running for office to help the city build a stronger business base, revitalize downtown, support needs of the neighborhoods and build a stronger sense of community in the area. 

“Our need for development and business growth to ensure a sustainable revenue source in lieu of other taxation, which will fund the city, is the top priority,” he said. 

Mahoney said the council should create easier processes in the city when it comes to development and opening new or expanding existing businesses.

He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, a former fire commissioner and a member of Des Moines Citizen’s Advisory Committee, as well as a trustee at North Hill Community Club.

“I humbly ask for the opportunity to be part of the leadership that will steer our city’s future,” he said. 

For more information on the election, visit www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.