Candidate Profile: Michael McCullough For Bonney Lake Mayor

BONNEY LAKE, WA — For the Aug. 3 Primary Election, Pierce County's 566,000 registered voters will be asked to weigh in on dozens of high-profile elections, including mayoral races in Tacoma, Eatonville, Buckley, and Bonney Lake. Nearly a dozen cities from Puyallup to Lakewood are holding city council elections, and six school districts will also have candidates on the ballot.

To help readers make informed choices, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Michael C. McCullough is running for Bonney Lake Mayor.

Age (as of Election Day)

57

Position Sought

Bonney Lake Mayor

Party Affiliation

Non-Partisan

Family

Wife Paula; Children Adrienne, Amanda, Tanner and Emily

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I work for King County Department of Public Defense

Education

J.D.-- South Texas College of Law; B.A. Economics-University of Houston

Occupation

Over 20 years as a Trial Attorney. Both as a Prosecutor for Pierce County and as a Public Defender for King County

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.mcculloughformayor.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

My children have gotten to the age where I can devote the proper time and energy to further public service

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue for our residents is our skyrocketed water and sewage bills. The single most pressing issue for our community is unbalanced focus on commercial development. It would be irresponsible and unethical for me to spell out any particular plan. I will NOT overpromise. I will approach these issues directly and keep them as a priority while keeping our community informed about Bonney Lake's progress toward relieving both issues.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am new to Bonney Lake politics. However, I am not new to Bonney Lake nor to working in government. As a trial lawyer, I am well versed in working with parliamentary procedure and achieving effective results within it. As a lawyer, I am familiar with interpreting and executing contracts. I am a very experienced negotiator. All of these qualities I will put to use to serve Bonney Lake residents.

My opponents have shown their qualities. They have also shown where their focus has been. Municipal government should NOT be run like a business, where focus goes to maximizing profits for a few, rather than the whole. Residents cannot be likened to shareholders because municipal residents have many more needs than simply wanting a maximum dividend. I will be focusing my agenda on fulfilling those needs.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

No entity has failed. I am not in the business of criticizing my opponents, especially from the outside. That would show assumption and ignorance. I simply wish to lead our community into a direction that balances our growth with our residential needs.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think our response to COVID was reasonable. No one expected anything like this to occur and we followed state guidelines. Although our council passed a resolution regarding masks later in the game, I believe it was unenforceable. The council was responding to some of our residents' requests, however, and responding to what our residents want is good. Given our circumstances, though, I think more effort into getting greater public input on the issue would have merited.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My slogan is "Let's Balance Bonney Lake". Alliteration aside, I believe what's key is bringing a balance to how we grow as a community. This includes community amenities along with commercial development. Balancing opportunities to allow our local Small Businesses to flourish--especially after the hit they took with COVID. Balancing what we pay in utilities to other communities in the area. Seeing what we as a council can do about our traffic. I believe our residents want us to focus on these issues.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have no plaques or certifications to brag about since I put my focus on my family prior to running. As stated in the pamphlet, I moved here from Texas to be near my oldest. She is now 27 and a wonderful accomplishment. One of my children is on the Autism spectrum and having to learn and implement new ideas to help them develop will be invaluable towards governing. I believe my accomplishments within a courtroom develop the necessary skills to handle our Mayorship. A lawyer in trial has to be able to analyze data, people and authority all at the same time and diffuse it into an organized and relatable idea to persuade twelve people into siding with you. I have had many victories in the courtroom.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Listen, Listen, Listen

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Voters need to make informed decisions. I am very confident in my ability to successfully Mayor our community. Bonney Lake deserves a change and I am the person to lead that change.