I am 63 years old and have been married to my wife Sharon for 29 years. We have two children. I graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in electrical engineering. I have been a business owner, employing over 200 people. Last year my wife and I moved to Kirkland from south Florida. We chose to live here because Kirkland has a unique blend of natural physical beauty, neighborhoods with a strong sense of community, thriving business districts, an excellent quality of life and a diverse population that seeks to preserve the "small hometown" feeling
I am running for the city council because I am mindful of the responsibility for making our city a place where the dreams of the next generation can be fulfilled. By keeping a generational perspective in decision making, and understanding that decisions have consequences, I hope to move Kirkland forward toward meeting the goals and objectives shared by the people of this community.
Kirkland is a jewel, with so much natural beauty combined with its own character and diverse culture. We can enhance this quality, by well-managed economic growth, and development in strategic locations that will bring in shops unique to Kirkland's character. We need to encourage economic vitality so that we don't see sales taxes being lost to our neighboring cities.
We should look upon annexation as an opportunity to enhance those qualities; annexation is undoubtedly going to take place at some point in time. However, instead of continually postponing confronting the issues associated with this process, the council should forthrightly address them, develop a long-term plan and present it to the voters . Of course, any plan must take into account the budgetary considerations, as well as the requirements placed on us as a city to handle our responsibilities under the growth management guidelines.
The most important issue facing Kirkland right now is the necessity to sustain and enhance the economic vitality of the city. In order to continue to do those things that give Kirkland its character, it is imperative that we take steps that will encourage businesses to remain in and to locate into our city.
I am opposed to any initiative that would favor a particular developer or mall owner. I would support city initiatives that require investment if they are structured such that similar interested parties can be equally and fairly accommodated.
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