Voting for Federal Way’s next mayor | Election letters

Published 1:34 pm Friday, October 11, 2013

At the top of my list of admirable qualities, when choosing friends, is integrity. Honesty is the one trait I deem most important. That is the least of which I expect of my leaders, our public servants.

Thus, voting for Federal Way’s next mayor is a no-brainer. Jim Ferrell’s resume presents no blemish. His background is impeccable. There is no question of his integrity. Those of us who know Ferrell know what a stand-up guy he is. We know how he cares for everyone. We know how reasonable he is. We know that he uses sound judgment and fair analysis when making decisions on issues that affect this city and its citizens.

Conversely, the incumbent, three times in recent months, has given Federal Way citizens reason to question his integrity. Just saying.

There are two issues facing this city that should infuriate folks:

1. The city is refusing to allow a vote of the taxpaying citizens on the proposed Performing Arts and Conference Center (PACC), which will cost us over $32 million to build, in the ballpark of $200,000 for annual upkeep, and around $150,000 interest per year on just one of the loans the city could take out to build it. Do you like that?

2. Mayor Priest has accepted very large contributions from the Master Builders and the Affordable Housing Council for his campaign. These are the folks who would give the go-ahead to build the very large low-income housing apartments at the old school bus barn on 320th Street and two other new large low-income complexes in this city. How do you like that one?

Before we mark our ballots, we should think long and hard about Federal Way’s future. Tax us to death, choke up our limited roadways and build more low-income housing to further burden the taxpayers.

Sheryl Nevers, Federal Way