Candidate Profile: Penny Sweet For Kirkland Council, Pos. 3

KIRKLAND, WA — General election ballots will land in mailboxes across King County by Oct. 18, as the 2021 election season enters its final stretch heading into Nov. 2. Dozens of key races are in play this year, including contests for King County Executive, four positions on the Metropolitan King County Council and several local city council races.

As voters prepare to fill out their choices, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles leading up to Election Day.

Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet is running to keep her seat at Position 3 on the Kirkland City Council, where she has served since 2010.

Candidate

Penny Sweet

Age (as of Election Day)

73

Position Sought

Kirkland City Council Position 3

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Husband, Larry Springer

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My husband is a State Legislator

Education

Shoreline CC , Many years of leadership training (University of Washington, Antioch, Baptist School) 2008 grad of Leadership Eastside and LE's Executive Insight program.

Occupation

Retired Healthcare Administrator - Group Health Cooperative (Kaiser now) 31 years/ Wine shop owner/operator 39 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

This is my 12th year on Kirkland's City Council

Campaign website

sweetforkirkland.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

To continue to serve Kirkland as a member of a council committed to the creation of affordable housing , environmental sustainability and addressing climate change, social and racial equity across our city and maintaining our focus on parks and open spaces.

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

Every person has a right to a home. We just set our affordable housing targets last week and they are very aggressive. We will continue pushing the legislature and county for more tools, ( incentives) and work with financing organizations around creative options to partner with affordable housing producers.

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

Experience and actual engagement in my community for almost 40 years. Otherwise my opponent seems to endorse everything we have done and continue to do.

When Mitzi Johanknecht leaves office, what should the county look for in appointing a new sheriff?

A proven leader with diverse skills in every aspect of policing, direct personnel management, crisis management and social and racial equity management.

What are some of your priorities for a post-pandemic recovery?

Assuring that people stay housed, that businesses have the resources they need to get back on their feet and that we use the pandemic as a learning opportunity for the future.

What would you do in office to strengthen preparedness and response efforts for extreme heat and wildfire smoke events?

We had an elected orientation today in Disaster Progression and I Encourage reading of the book, Trauma to Triumph. I served for 6 years on the King County Emergency Management Advisory Committee and our council stays focused on preparedness and our ability to respond. We do need to join with other cities in an assessment of our own forests to assure their health in being wild fire safe.

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

Given that Kirkland was the first epicenter of the virus and that there were no resources in place at the county, state and even the CDC early on, we did an amazing job of getting communication to our citizens and employees. Our EOC was activated within 12 hours of notice and functioned 24/7 for over 2 months.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

www.sweetforkirkland.org

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

I had been awarded many service awards and recognitions prior to my service on the council from the community, and from the chamber of commerce. My business has also received awards for community service. I received the Anne J Owen Community Service award and most recently the Bill Woods Above and Beyond Award for community leadership. I spent two years putting together Kirkland's 2005 Centennial celebration, I founded "Celebrate Kirkland! 4th of July in 1999 and have put on our annual celebration ever since then.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Do what is right, not what is easy.

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

www.sweetforkirkland or penny.sweet13@gmail.com