Status quo remains in GH

LAST WEEK’S ELECTION gave local voters the chance to drastically change the dynamic of the Gig Harbor City Council and the Fire District 16 Board of Commissioners.

In the Gig Harbor Council races, status quo beat Gig Harbor roots.

The most interesting race pitted incumbent Tim Payne against Mark Hoppen, a Gig Harbor native and former city manager. Payne ran an effective, organized campaign, which Hoppen tried to match with his history with the city and its government. Voters chose Payne, a man who has less personal and professional experience in Gig Harbor than Hoppen, but Payne had the benefit of being the incumbent during a time when change would be risky. Either candidate would have been a great choice for the position, but Hoppen failed to successfully vocalize why he’d be a better fit and why he deserved another chance in city government.

The council race between Derek Young and Ken Asplund asked voters to decide between experience and a fresh face. And in this case, the 12-year council veteran easily defeated Asplund, a harbor native who ran on the notion of change. Young provides the leadership and savvy the council needs to address the city’s ongoing financial problems. Asplund no doubt would have provided passion and a new perspective to the council, but tough times require a firm understanding of city issues.

Meanwhile, Key Peninsula voters partially reshaped the Fire District 16 Board of Commissioners and rejected a levy lid lift.

Claudia Jones, a longtime district volunteer who promised a return of integrity to the board, punished two-term commissioner Jim Bosch in the polls, winning nearly 75 percent of the vote.

It appears Bosch’s public feud with fellow Fire Commissioner Allen Yanity finally caught up with him. Despite his family’s history with the district, Bosch couldn’t overcome being a victim of circumstance.

In the other race, Commissioner Sheila Hunt’s win over retired firefighter Richard Hanna may have also given the district a partial litmus test on the reasoning behind the levy lid lift failure.

Hanna, who based most of his campaign strategy on anti-levy stances, received less than 35 percent of the vote. If the main reasons behind the levy failure came down to fitness levels and drug testing within the department, voters should have echoed those concerns with more votes for Hanna.

The levy lid lift failed by nearly the same percentage margin than it did in the primary — a sign that voters didn’t listen to the district’s pleas for help. Residents on the Key Peninsula can’t continue to reject lid lift attempts if they want to receive a fully operational fire department in return.

It’s tough to ask for more levy funds during tough economic times. However, when response times continue to increase and houses burn to the ground, voters won’t be able to put all the blame on the district.