Candidate filings set up two council races
May 20, 2015
NEW — 6 a.m. May 20, 2015
Current and former commissioners from both the Planning and Community Activities commissions will go head-to-head in this fall’s Newcastle City Council election.
Community Activities Commissioners Linda Newing and Victoria Sandoval both filed to run for council Position No. 1, currently held by Councilwoman Lisa Jensen who announced she would not file for re-election.
Current Planning Commissioner Allen Dauterman and Rob Lemmon, a former commissioner who resigned in December, both filed for Position No. 3. Mayor Steve Buri announced earlier that he would not file to retain his seat.
The terms of Positions No. 2 and 4 are also set to expire at the end of the year. Incumbents Gordon Bisset and Carol Simpson announced they will both run to keep their seats. Neither council member drew a challenger. Read more
Mayor Steve Buri will not seek re-election
May 11, 2015
NEW — 11 a.m. May 11, 2015
File
Newcastle Mayor Steve Buri (right), seen here giving David Harris the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce’s Mayor’s Award at the 2014 Diamond Awards, announced he will not seek re-election.
Newcastle Mayor Steve Buri announced today that he will not seek re-election. Read more
Candidate workshops set for April 24-25
April 15, 2015
NEW — 10:55 a.m. April 15, 2015
Election season is right around the corner, and the King County Elections Office wants to help citizens get the most out of their candidacies.
King County Elections is hosting two free candidate workshops April 24 and 25. The two-hour sessions cover the ins-and-outs of becoming a candidate for public office, including important filing deadlines, campaign sign regulations and basic public disclosure information.
Both the April 24 (2-4 p.m.) and April 25 (10 a.m. to noon) workshops are held at the King County Elections Office, 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton. RSVP by email to election.operations@kingcounty.gov. Workshops will be cancelled if enrollment is low.
The terms for four Newcastle City Council positions are set to expire at the end of the year — council position No. 1 (Lisa Jensen), council position No. 2 (Carol Simpson), council position No. 3 (Steve Buri) and council position No. 4 (Gordon Bisset). Read more
Newcastle City Council roundup — May 6
May 7, 2014
NEW — 4:05 p.m. May 7, 2014
The Newcastle City Council held its first meeting of the month May 6. Here is the Cliffs Notes version of what happened at City Hall. View the full meeting agenda online here.
Marijuana moratorium coming?
The Newcastle City Council directed city staff to prepare an ordinance placing a moratorium on marijuana-related business in the city. It represents one of the body’s first significant actions on the subject since the drug’s legalization.
Councilman Gordon Bisset made the motion, which passed 4-3. Read more
Council approves purchase of maintenance equipment, before state grant expires
May 2, 2013
With just a few months before a state Department of Ecology grant expires, the Newcastle City Council authorized the Public Works Department to use the funds to purchase a $100,000 piece of equipment that will benefit the city’s storm water management.
The trailer-mounted hydro-excavator will be used for quick response to spills and storm pipe cleaning, though Public Works Director Mark Rigos admitted he was not sure how often the city would use it.
“Honestly, I look at this as kind of a nice-to-have, not a requirement,” he said. “I do have some concerns on how much, honestly, we’re going to use this equipment. If this was solely coming out of Newcastle coffers, I would not bring this to you.” Read more
Council OKs $6,000 raise for city manager
April 5, 2012
After evaluating City Manager Rob Wyman’s performance on the job, the Newcastle City Council has approved a $6,000 raise for the position.
The raise — increasing Wyman’s annual salary from $110,000 to $116,000 — will be retroactive to Jan. 1 and includes two additional days of merit leave for 2012.
Wyman was hired as interim city manager in January 2010, and the council selected him as the permanent city manager that August. This is his first raise since taking the position.
The council also assigned Wyman seven goals to work on this year.
Rob Wyman
The goals include demonstrating efficient use of expenditures while maximizing revenue sources, accomplishing objectives set by the council in the 2012 budget, promoting economic development in town, maintaining a positive staff performance for employees and developing a communication strategy with residents.
Wyman’s performance was evaluated in several executive sessions prior to the resolution amending his contract being placed on the council’s March 20 consent agenda — a series of items bundled and voted upon without discussion.
Council passes 2012’s $5.8 million budget
January 6, 2012
After a six-month process from its July budget retreat to final adoption, the Newcastle City Council voted to unanimously pass its 2012 budget Dec. 6.
But many members of the council said they won’t start patting themselves on the back anytime soon.
“I still encourage the Finance Committee and council to look to the long-term solution of how we’re going to be a viable city,” Councilwoman Carol Simpson said. “This was a good Band-Aid again … I still think we still have a lot of work cut out for ourselves in the next four years to put ourselves on track.”
The budget includes funding for several projects at Lake Boren Park and maintains the parks manager position held by Michael Holly, who faced an uncertain future after the council directed city staff to suggest positions and/or services that could be reduced.
“It’s a good budget. It’s a responsible budget,” Deputy Mayor Steve Buri said. “We have done an awful lot of cutting over the last three years, and I think most of the residents are pleased that those cuts have come without serious reductions in service.”
The city’s projected revenue for 2012 sits at about $5.8 million — an increase of about $147,700 from the preliminary budget released in October. Some of that increase includes money from the council’s Nov. 15 decision to cover the city’s anticipated $61,000 shortfall between revenue and expenditures for 2012 in part by taking an allowable 1 percent increase in property tax.
Residents can expect the city’s portion of their property taxes to increase an additional $11 next year for a $516,000 home — the typical home price in Newcastle as assessed by King County.
Newcastle City Council selects Rich Crispo for mayor in 2012
January 5, 2012
Newly elected Newcastle City Councilman Gordon Bisset (right) is sworn into office by Municipal Judge Wayne Stewart at the council’s meeting Jan. 3. Rich Crispo (center) was elected mayor at the meeting. By Christina Lords
NEW — 10:50 a.m. Jan. 5, 2011
As the Newcastle City Council looks to face its upcoming challenge in 2012, it will do so with new leaders at the helm.
Councilwoman Carol Simpson to seek re-election
May 18, 2011
NEW — 10:50 a.m. May 18, 2011
Councilwoman Carol Simpson announced at the May 11 Newcastle Chamber of Commerce luncheon that she will seek re-election this fall.
Simpson — who holds Position 2 on the council — joins Deputy Mayor Steve Buri, Councilwoman Lisa Jensen and Parks Commission Chair Andrew Shelton on the November ballot.
Council positions are not assigned to geographic regions of the city.
None of the candidates who are slated to be on the ballot have yet picked up opponents, although candidates have until June 10 to file for election.
Parks chair to run for City Council
May 6, 2011
Councilman Sonny Putter to retire
Parks Commission Chair Andrew Shelton announced in April that he will run for City Council this November in Position 4 — the position Councilman Sonny Putter occupies.
However, just before Shelton announced his intention to run, Putter announced he would retire at the end of the year, ending his 17-year stay on the council.
Shelton joins Deputy Mayor Steve Buri and Councilwoman Lisa Jensen on the November ballot. Buri and Jensen announced in March their intentions to seek re-election in positions 3 and 1, respectively. City Council positions are not divided geographically in the city.
Councilwoman Carol Simpson, who sits in Position 2, filed paperwork April 2 with the state Public Disclosure Commission, a precursor to running for election.
The deadline to file for election is June 10.
