City Council Sizes-up Candidates for Open Seat

Answering the call to serve as a voice for their community, four local candidates stepped forward to at a special meeting Jan. 23 meeting at .

Residents Tana Senn, Steven C. Marshall, Benson D. Wong and Robert Bersos all submitted an application prior to a Jan. 18 deadline with written responses to several questions regarding their interest in serving as a city councilmember, such as: "What strength would you bring to the Council?" or "What do you wish to accomplish during this appointed term as a Mercer Island city Councilmember?" (see a PDF image of their applications and response to the questions to the right of this story).

"We would like to thank you for offering your service to the public," said Mayor Bruce Bassett.

The appointment process was made necessary after former mayor Jim Pearman announced late last year that he would resign, effective Jan. 31, . The appointment is effectively to a two-year term and re-election for the seat is slated for November 2013.

The small number of candidates is in marked contrast to , when 17 residents volunteered.

Senn, Marshall, Wong, and Bersos appeared before the council Tuesday night and took five minutes to lobby the remaining councilmembers face-to-face why they should be chosen. All but Wong applied for the vacancy last year after winning election to the State Legislature.

The city council will meet again at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 in City Hall to select an appointee for the open seat.

Thanks in part to the smaller number of candidates, councilmembers were also given time to ask more questions — mostly very general — about city business. And the candidates often found themselves in agreement, from doing more to help retain local businesses or protecting and maintaining local parks, to helping local citizens hurt by the Great Recession — whether by taping into social programs or through volunteer or faith-based efforts.

But there were differences of opinion.

Perhaps the clearest difference emerged when Deputy Mayor Dan Grausz asked them how they will manage the city's projected budget shortfall and meet the needs of the next biennial budget. He cited the , which was balanced by a combination of cuts, spending reserves and increasing fees for more revenue.

"Would you be willing to go before voters to ask them for increase in funds?" asked Grausz.

"I think I would not want to," said Bersos. "We have a budget, we have to live it. We have made sacrifices ... I get a paycheck and I can't go to my boss and say, hey, I need a raise, I don't have enough money."

"Sometimes rates have to go up," said Marshall. "Without knowing all the details, my first instinct we would look to see that we're getting the most out of what we have."

"There are some big things coming up, and we would need to tbe prepared to go to the voters — like a new fire station," said Senn. "There's definitely a time to ask those questions."

"We would need to first show we're good stewards of the public's money," Wong said. "There are times when you can't cut any more. There are times when you've squeezed everything out."

The candidates also differed on whether or not they would serve the remainder of Pearman's term or run again next year. Senn and Bersos said yes, while Wong and Marshall said they hadn't thought that far ahead or were unsure.

Asking the final question of the evening, Mayor Bassett tried to gauge what motivated the candidates to stand for appointment to the city council.

"What are you really passionate about?" he asked. "Why are you here instead of being at home, watching TV?"

"I always remember people complaining about public officials," said Senn. "For me it's about being active and getting involved in the change you want to see."

"My dad was a grocer, " said Wong. "He always talked politics. As kids, that's what we did. At the kitchen table that's what we do. It's something of great interest."

"I hate politics," Bersos said. "It's my way of helping the community. I don't like the politics but I do like getting things done.

"Lately, I've gotten to the point were people say, 'Why don't you get in and make some decisions?'" Marshall said. "I have been giving what I think is good advice — and my wife tells me I've been just giving away good ideas."