Candidate Profile: Neil Johnson 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.

Neil Johnson is running for re-election as Bonney Lake Mayor.

Age: 56

Position Sought: Bonney Lake Mayor

Party Affiliation: Independent Conservative

Family: Wife Maryann, daughters Rendi and Jadyn Johnson

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Some college

Occupation: Sales Manager at Rotary Offset Press 17 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Bonney Lake Councilmember 2002-2005, Bonney Lake Mayor 2006-present

Campaign website: www.thinkbonneylakefirst.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I love our city and what to continue what we have started.

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

Public Safety. With the latest legislative changes from Olympia regarding policing, it is going to be more expensive to fund a strong department like we have today. Need to work with our council during our next budget cycle.

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

I have a solid record as mayor.

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

I believe we did very well in Bonney Lake. We communicated information daily and worked hard to keep small businesses going.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Parks, trails, sidewalks, beautification and transit

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

As mayor in 2008, I handled the recession with no impact to the city. Currently, dealing with Covid-19, and to date things are going well.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

glass is always half full

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

I work hard to be consistent and a team builder. This has done well for me the last 15 years in managing and has allowed the city to make considerable strides from where it was at when I first took office 2006.