We believe its time for a change of direction in Maple Valley and that is why we support Bill Allison, Victoria Jonas and Erin Weaver for City Council. We have had the same leaders for the past 12 years, Laure Iddings as mayor and until the last election, Jim Flynn as deputy mayor. They seem more interested in maintaining the status quo and resistant to the growth needed to keep up with our community.
The council leadership has relied on the new housing development tax and property taxes as its main sources of revenue since the city was founded in 1997. The city is nearly completely developed, so the new housing portion of that revenue has dramatically diminished and leadership has been slow to respond to these changes. The only recent action of note was when the leadership decided to purchase the financially failing Lake Wilderness Golf Course, which is now a major financial drain on the city and hinders growth of new community developments like the 54-acre Legacy site.
Mr. Flynn is a local developer and landlord of many older buildings who has financial interest in multiple businesses in Maple Valley. While Mr. Flynn is certainly rooted in Maple Valley, some of his decisions regarding the upkeep of his properties, even as deputy mayor, were questionable. While other businesses were being pushed to upgrade their appearance, Mr. Flynn’s Old Red Tavern (with “Let the Good Times Roll” painted on the side for all who entered Maple Valley to see) sat abandoned and served as one of our city’s eyesores for the 10 years that we’ve lived here. He was trying to get the city to pay for its demolition, but after that failed, he finally razed the building just a few months ago.
Bill Allison has no conflict of interest like Mr. Flynn. He manages several businesses outside of Maple Valley. Bill and his wife Kelly have four children in the Tahoma School District and understand the needs of our youth and community.
Victoria Jonas has spent 10 years on the Council representing the entire community and leading with vision. She was instrumental in creating the successful new Maple Valley Farmers Market and has leadership roles in other community institutions including the Food Bank and Make a Difference Day.
Erin Weaver is a life long Maple Valley resident who understands our needs. A former council member, she has been on the Planning Commission for six years and is currently chair. She is active in the PTA and community. The most noteworthy characteristic about her opponent, Dave Pilgrim, is that he consistently votes with the old leadership. We need strong, independent, visionary leaders on the Council, not puppets.
Maple Valley has changed in the past 10 years we have lived here and it’s time for us to begin looking forward instead hanging on to the past. We need to attract desirable businesses and jobs and improve recreational and entertainment opportunities for our youth and families. It’s time for a City Council that represents all of us, not just a select few. It’s time for a forward-thinking Council to plan our future instead of resisting change. That’s why we support Bill Allison, Victoria Jonas, and Erin Weaver for City Council.
Andy and Katie Gillespie
Maple Valley
