So, you think you want to run for office…

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Elected officials discuss the many ups and downs of public service.

Try saying “Mayor” before your name.

Sound like a good fit?

If so, now’s your once-in-a-quadrenium chance of nabbing that regal moniker. Of course, you’ll have to go toe to toe with a seasoned incumbent who’s been working her mayoral muscles for years.

Failing that, the title of “District 7 Sewer Commissioner” also has a ring to it.

These and 12 other Bainbridge elected offices are up for grabs this year, including spots on the Bainbridge Island City Council, the fire district, the school board and the park district.

A number of former officials and present office-holders offered a range of advice for potential candidates at a workshop Saturday sponsored by the Bainbridge Island chapter of the League of Women Voters.

“People who step forward to run for local office deserve a lot of credit,” said Kitsap County Auditor Karen Flynn, who kicked off the three-hour event.

“It’s a high calling to do this and it’s not a stepping stone. It’s a matter of someone wanting to make a difference in their community.”

Most positions pay little to nothing but require careful consideration of issues that could impact whether sewage is kept in its place or fire trucks can keep up the pace.

The council recently received a pay raise, but their 22-30 hour a week position nets just over $7,000 a year. That’s about $2,000 less than Port Orchard’s councilors receive.

Fire commissioners receive about $200 for their two to four meetings each month.

Parks district commissioners and school board members traditionally waive their $70 and $50 daily pay, but that money is well-deserved for those that wish to take it, said school board president Bruce Weiland.

“If you need it, you should take it because it’s hard work,” Weiland said of the 15-20 hour a month school board office.

The highest pay will go to the mayor, who will earn almost $52,000 to serve as the city’s chief executive. But it wasn’t the money that enticed former mayor Dwight Sutton to the position for one term in the 1990s.

It was a “passionate interest” in island issues that drew him into the political arena, he said.

But he learned quickly that his driving interests often needed to be tempered with an open mind.

“It looks like you can wield the gavel like a magic wand, but it’s a cooperative effort,” Sutton said. “You have to be prepared to give up your assumptions and be flexible.”

Christine Rolfes, who is leaving the council at the end of the year, said any resumé for a council seat should include a broad interest in local issues, a supportive family and a strong back.

“You’ve got to be patient and have a good back,” she said. “By that I don’t mean you’ve got to have a spine. I mean you’ll be sitting a lot.”

While it’s considered a part-time job, Rolfes said she spent over 20 hours at meetings on ethics, wastewater, harbor management, tourism taxation, agriculture and the environment.

This doesn’t include studying the issues and answering constituent emails and phone calls.

While a resilient back is a plus, a tough exterior doesn’t necessarily make you a better councilor.

“People always say I must have thick skin to be on the council,” she said. “But I don’t have thick skin and I don’t think I want that. I want to feel pain. I want to be open to the fact that there are two sides to every issue.”

While it may sound like a tedious job, Rolfes said she “mostly does fun stuff” that has a “tremendous impact on how the community will grow.”

Rolfes said her own successor and the next council will have a full plate of important issues.

Her list of “hot topics” include population growth, increasing development, auto traffic and non-motorized transportation upgrades.

While few run for the less-than-glamorous sewer commission, Sarah Lee, who has served for eight years, said the position has enabled her to stay engaged in vital issues, including water quality and shoreline ecology.

“Water is a big issue and I know every manhole,” she said. “It’s a total blast.”

Islanders interested in running for any of the 14 positions must file with the county auditor no earlier than July 11 and no later than July 29. Call the auditor’s office at (360) 337-7128 for more information.

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Up for election

Terms expiring at the end of this year include:

Mayor: Held by Darlene Kordonowy who will seek a second four-year term.

City Council: South Ward Position 3, four-year term; held by Christine Rolfes; Central Ward Position 4: two-year term; held by Bill Knobloch; Central Ward Positon 5: four-year term; held by Deborah Vann; North Ward Position 7: four-year term, held by Debbie Vancil.

Fire District Commissioner Position 3: six-year term; held by Glen Tyrrell.

Park Commissioner Position 5: six-year term; held by Kirk Robinson.

School District No. 303 Director District 2: four-year term; held by Susan Sivitz; District 5, four-year term; held by Mary Curtis.

Kitsap County Sewer District No. 7: Position 2: six-year term; held by Gayle Ashton

Crystal Springs Water District No. 3: Position 1: held by Penny Lamping; Position 2: held by Earl Krause; Position 3: held by Mary Zehrer.

West Hill Water District No. 20: Position 1: Vacant; Position 2: held by Franklin Whitman