Perhaps hoping for a little “luck of the Irish,” local business owner and 2007 Kirkland City Council candidate Penny Sweet has thrown her hat in the ring again. In what is expected to be one of the most contested local elections in recent history, the 25-year resident announced she’s running again on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, for one of four positions up for re-election on the the seven-seat Kirkland City Council.
Some in the community know Sweet from The Grape Choice, a wine shop she co-owns with husband Larry Springer, former mayor and current state representative. Others know her as the organizing force behind the local 4th of July celebration, including the parade and fireworks. In 2007, Sweet ran a losing campaign against present city Councilwoman Jessica Greenway, falling short by only 104 votes out of over 12,000 cast.
The Kirkland Reporter sat down with Sweet to ask why she’d like to represent you in City Hall for a four-year term.
Motivation
Q. Why are you running again?
A. My committment hasn’t changed. I have a deep and abiding passion for this town, for this community.
Q. Why?
A. Why? How could you not? We’ve lived here for 25 years. We chose to live here because we liked it already. When we opened our business and chose to live here, we did so with a committment. I believe you need to give back, I always have. It’s certainly a family value of ours. So, since the time we opened our store we’ve been involved in our community. And what better place to do it. From the day we opened our store, when Bill Woods came over to our store … The town embraced us. This is part of our payback. I also think I have some stuff to bring to the Council. I had a corporate career for 30-plus years, dealt with big money, dealt with lots of personnel, dealt with lots of requirements with growth issues. I think that puts me in a good place. I also firmly believe that right now is the time for solidarity in the community.
Taxes
Q. What about the new business tax that was passed last year?
A. That’s a clear demonstration that nobody up there had a clue of what was going on in the business community.
Q. What was going on in the business community?
A. You’ve seen them – the percentages of decline in sales-tax revenues. Businesses are struggling to stay alive right now. And to impose a head tax … They passed that because they didn’t know what else to do. They were working on a requirement to submit a balanced budget and they did it on the backs of the business community.
Q. What about the tax increase on private utilities, which they may not pass in light of today’s economy?
A. Frankly, I think it’s the last thing they should do. We’re all tightening our belts … We’re downsizing. The city needs to do the same thing.
Q. Should the city eliminate staff positions?
A. Or programs? When you have to survive in your industry, sometimes you have to make some draconian cuts. And I know we’ve cut some services. I’m just not convinced we’re as lean as we can be.
Q. So are you advocating staff cuts?
A. Well, I’m a full supporter of the Parks … But we’ve got a full-time arborist. There are a number of landscaping services in Kirkland that could provide that service. I know the city has made the attempt to do that … But sometimes you just have to do it … At this point in time, to consider increasing taxes on citzens or businesses is mind-boggling.
Q. State lawmakers are also considering putting a tax-hike on the ballot. Would you support that?
A. Larry (Springer) and I would have a long, serious talk.
Q. There are some pretty serious cuts on the horizon, aren’t there?
A. There will be some serious cuts. We’re all going to have to figure out a way to do more with less.
Council work
Q. What difference would you make on the City Council?
A. I think I’d bring a new perspective … People make an issue of my lack of commission experience, but I think that actually works to my advantage. I have more of a consumer’s perspective of the city. I work very well with people, I’m willing to talk about tough issues and I’m willing to make tough decisions.
Q. What could you do to improve the city as a council member?
A. We have to improve the relationship between neighborhood interests and business interests. That’s going to be a major theme for me. We are dependent on one another. We businesses depend on the community in which we live and we work. And we hope that we’re providing services or that people will help us provide the right services that they want to buy here. So there is a symbiosis that can be healthy for all of us. We have to partner around projects. When I ran last time, I talked about the reason I chose to found (Celebrate Kirkland – 4th of July). The reason I chose to do that was to bring people together … It’s just an amazing challenge. Look at the work like this “Buy Local” program. Here’s an opportunity for us to actually build some good relationships … for folks for what a huge impact they have on the security and ability for downtown businsses to survive. Nobody’s the enemy. The city’s not the enemy, the businesses are not the enemy, the neighborhoods are not the enemy. We don’t have anybody on the Council right now who represents a small business at as intricate a level – we haven’t had anyone on there since Larry left. I know what it’s like to be a small business right now, I know what it’s like to be involved in the neighborhood. From a business perspective, we are all hurting right now.
Q. Isn’t Mayor James Lauinger part of a small business?
A. I don’t know what he does … I know he knows (about) some of it, but he’s not involved in it now. I guess “longevity” would not have been what I would have applied to him. I think he tries to represent the busienss community, I just don’t think he can.
Budgeting and Annexation
Q. As a council member, what could City Council accomplish by 2015?
A. City Council should take a look at the huge changes that have occured in Redmond. With (Mayor) John Marchione coming on board. They budget by priority. What John did, when he sat down with the Council … He drove to consensus. They worked things out. They have a respectful relationship. They feel good about the work they’re doing. I would also hope that we would have figured out annexation.
Q. In which way?
A. I’m a proponent of annexation. I believe it’s our moral obligation to meet what I think is a regional responsibility. I believe and support the Gropwth Management Act. Twenty years ago we went in and picked out all the sweet pieces and said, ‘See ya later, we’ll be back.’ These folks have been essentially denied the services we all get … I think it’s the right thing to do. I think there are advantages to growing the tax-base … It’s hard to say in one part of the conversation that we have to tighten our belts and then say we need to grow, but I firmly believe it’s the right thing to do … I think the challenge will be to keep capital expenditures to a bare minimum. We have to all make more from less.
Campaign Finance
Q. How much did you spend during the 2007 race?
A. About $26,000 or $27,000. I saved about $2,000 from that race for this year.
Q. A number of citizens have recently voiced concern that local elections could be overtaken by large contributions from special interests. Do you share that view?
A. I’ve heard about that as well … The reality is, I never expected any dollars from anybody with any predisposition about how that would impact how I would act for my city.
Q. So no pay-to-play?
A. Absolutely not.
Q. Which seat will you run for?
A. I’m gonna run for the position I think I can win.
Q. So which seat will that be?
A. Well, I’m waiting to see who else is going to run. Nobody (currently on the Council) is indicating they’re not going to. I don’t have to make a decision until June … It’s going to be a real chess game.
Q. What if they all decide to run again?
A. Clearly I’m not going to run against Mary-Alyce (Burleigh) and clearly I’m not going to run against Joan (McBride). I will run against either Tom (Hodgson), if that were the case, or Jim. But, we could very likely see a primary. I also hope that every race is challenged. I thought it was very disturbing that in the last go-round there was only one challenged race.
