Thompson Defends His Record, Goss Says City Hall Needs to Live Within Its Means

A packed house of several hundred people at Third Place Commons got a sample of the intentions and philosophies of Mary Jane Goss, Stan Lippmann and Dwight Thompson, the three Lake Forest Park’s mayoral race candidates in the Aug. 16 primary, Monday night.

The audience asked insightful questions at the event sponsored by the League of Women Voters and kept the volunteer moderator from Capitol Hill on track when she forgot numerous times whose turn it was to speak.

Mary Jane Goss, who would be the first woman mayor of Lake Forest Park in its 50-year history, touted her accounting credentials, community involvement and past service as a City Councilwoman from 1998-2005.

“Based on my values, my accomplishments and my current campaign I have been endorsed by many organizations which represent the views of a majority of residents,” she said in her opening statement.

Thompson, the current deputy mayor, emphasized his leadership abilities and management skills honed as a small businessman running a vocational rehabilitation business and as a Command Executive Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lippmann, a physicist, disbarred attorney and perennial political candidate in the Seattle area, spent much of the time talking about national issues, his libertarian beliefs and support of Congressman Ron Paul and causes he supports such as vaccination safety and questioning global warming. He had several out-of-the-box ideas suchs as Lake Forest Park residents starting their own bank. 

Last year’s Proposition 1, a tax levy lid lift over six years that was rejected by 78 percent of the voters, led some people to believe the Council was out of touch with their constituents.

Goss, who served as the treasurer of the No on Prop 1 committee, was one of them. 

“Like many of you I was shocked when most of the incumbent politicians voted to place Prop. 1 on the August primary ballot last year instead of the November general in hopes of slipping it by the voters,” she said.  “I will ensure that City Hall lives within its means. From day one I will start a meaningful top to bottom review to streamline our administrative processes, eliminate wasteful spending reevaluate staff workloads for greater efficiency.”

Thompson defended the decision to put the levy to a vote and the Council’s actions of the last two budget cycles where they cut spending by more than $900,000 and $800,000.

“The issue of putting it to the voters is an issue of letting the voters decide whether or not they want to raise the taxes. The Council did not make any decision to raise your taxes we wanted to ask you what you wanted to do,” Thompson said. “There’s been a lot of questions of why such a large margin. Were we out of touch? Maybe so, maybe not. Maybe partially so. But what’s interesting is what the community really wants is in these economic times, the message is clear in my doorbelling;we can’t afford any increase now no matter what it is.  We heard that.”

In response to a question about traffic cameras and whether they were effective or not, Thompson said the city need to publish traffic camera data on the city Web site.

He said cars’ speeds had been reduced in school zones to less than 20 miles per hour.

Lippmann called cameras an example of “Big Brother” and other than having them in school zones he didn’t see the need for them.

Goss said the traffic cameras were “about behavior modification. If you raise the fine high enough you’ll get people to stop for awhile but if they’re removed things will go back to where they were.”

An audience member asked about the cost of legal wrangling over the Burke-Gilman with King County over jurisdictional issues, which the city lost costing them several hundred thousand dollars.

“The cost the city engaged with regard to the legal costs were excessive and were unfortunate but what we can do now is move ahead with the environmental plan,” Thompson said.

In response to a question of what they would improve about Lake Forest Park if money were no object, Goss said she didn’t think the city needed a whole lot of improving.

“People move here and stay here because they like the way it is,” she said.

Thompson said he’d like to see the redevelopment of Town Center that was shelved several years ago because of the poor economy return to the drawing board as well as moving forward on the Gateway project on the south end of the city.

Fixing the flooding problems in Sheridan Beach and near McAleer and Lyon Creeks would also be priorities, he said.