Candidates for the Bainbridge Island City Council have submitted candidate statements for Kitsap County’s voters’s pamplet.

Val Tollefson is seeking the North Ward, Position 7 seat on the Bainbridge Island City Council. His opponent is Richard “Dick” Haugan.

Here is his statement as it will appear in the county voter’s guide.

Val Tollefson

Biography: I am a 36-year resident of Bainbridge Island. I believe in public service. I have served on several City task forces and committees, and was the first Chair of the Harbor Commission. I have been active on a number of non-profit Boards, serving as President of both Bainbridge Public Library and the Bainbridge Island Land Trust. I am currently a director of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association. I am a lawyer with 40 years experience in complex litigation, arbitration and mediation, and for 12 years I was the managing partner of my law firm.

Statement: My professional life has been devoted to finding practical solutions to complex problems. A hallmark of my public service has been leadership in accomplishing major goals. As a member of the City Council, I will advocate for good government. I will build respect for the difference between the policy-making role of the Council and the management responsibilities of the City Manager. I respect the rules of procedure and decorum that should make our Council seem less like a carnival sideshow.

I will work to make City Hall more obviously responsive to the needs of the community, and to engage our citizens in their government. I will vigorously represent the interests of all Bainbridge Islanders, including the particular interests of the customers of our public utilities. The City of Bainbridge Island must be fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible in order for the sense of community we all desire to be fully realized. This responsibility requires an understanding of current issues, an ability to quickly grasp new issues, and a commitment to thoughtful, strategic, long-range planning.

I am ready and eager to do that work.