January marked the beginning of Mayor Jim Ferrell’s third year in office. The midterm is when incumbents start making plans for re-election by refining the message of their record and casting an eye toward possible opponents. In his State of the City address last week before the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce, Ferrell reminded community leaders of his two signature accomplishments: the Performing Arts and Events Center (PAEC) and the downtown park. It was an update on civic projects, but it was also an election kick off. Ferrell got a boost this week with the announcement of the sale of the Weyerhaeuser property.
Ferrell should be well-positioned to be re-elected, but the candidate most likely to give Ferrell trouble is… Jim Ferrell.
Former Mayor Skip Priest served during a recession, and his success was judged not by the projects that were built, but by making less budget cuts than the previous year. He was conservative status quo, while Ferrell was the agent of change. One person said, “Jim will make changes; we’ll have to hope they’re the right ones!” The comment wasn’t meant in a demeaning manner, but an observation of Ferrell’s fluid nature. Priest should have strolled to re-election in 2013. He didn’t because he made himself vulnerable, and Ferrell received the benefit. Ferrell knows this and doesn’t want to make the same mistakes.
But as we move toward 2017 and the mayoral election, we still aren’t certain of the answer to “who is Jim Ferrell?” He has several accomplishments during his two years as mayor, but there have also been points of confusion about his goals and values and too many unforced errors.
He is likable,with a friendly smile and firm handshake, but his temper and thin skin hamper his ability. He has a dogged determination to improve downtown, but his impulsiveness caused the downtown park to be built before full planning could take place. It was then torn down. History is now being refined as a park in phases. There is great appreciation for the recognition of our veterans that the flag on 320th represents, but there are also those who think our expression should have included more input and more thoughtful dialog. A committee has been formed to look into other ideas. Ferrell cares about the city, but his political future is always first in the equation. He is not an easy person to define.
Is he a Democrat or Republican? He was a Republican, but switched to be a Democrat after he lost his first race to Priest and had to split the Republican vote. He has many Democratic supporters, but much of his financial support comes from Republican interests. Some question his compass, given his many contrasts. He may be closer to a populist who reacts to the currents around him.
He spent several years cultivating an image of opposition to the PAEC and wanted a public vote on the project. But once in office he became its biggest booster, and we never heard any more about a public vote. It will be a beautiful building and a nice addition to downtown, but Ferrell spent a lot of political capital on it. Construction is underway, although the city still doesn’t have all naming rights sold. Ferrell believes the division in the community on the PAEC is past history; it isn’t, and Ferrell’s previous opposition actually contributed to some voters remaining angered. Many worry about the long-term fiscal impact on the city.
While the PAEC and its funding were Ferrell’s highest priorities, several in the community felt his support for the homeless was too drawn-out in arriving. They viewed his comments identifying the homeless as a “regional” problem as code for not wanting the shelter in the city. Shelter advocates say they still need more support. Others note that the city’s long-term advocacy of the I-5 Sound Transit route, over Highway 99 and promising 200,000 more riders per year, said more about the priority of downtown at the expense of the middle class and low-income people who would likely be the transit’s biggest users.
Federal Way did not grow into a city in the same manner as other suburban jurisdictions, and it’s still working toward what it will become. Be it Seahawks during football season, the 25th Anniversary Celebration or the Red White and Blue Festival, Ferrell has made good use of ceremonial and community events to build a foundation of “feeling like a city.” His “Neighborhood Connection” meetings help contrast his downtown focus and have been a success in the “listening” department, while the “doing” is still to come. The Weyerhaeuser deal came at a good time because there has been some concern about the number of fast food businesses opening that don’t typically provide family-wage jobs.
Ferrell has also used the powers of the incumbency well with newsletters, photo opportunities and updates in The Mirror newspaper.
But while Ferrell has been a hands-on, activist mayor, there have been many moments where he or his staff created situations that unnecessarily alienated some voters. He gave the Key to the City to a Republican candidate for the legislature, which gave the impression the Democratic mayor was playing both sides. It was made worse when the incumbent Democratic legislator wasn’t shown in any of the important photographs from the PAEC groundbreaking. There was an unnecessary dust up with Centerstage that was only resolved after an outpouring of public support for Centerstage. His staff may have initially given him bad advice on how the issue should be handled, and it created some hard feelings.
Ferrell also needs to be careful that he isn’t misled by the echo chamber of his office. Whether it’s residents, community leaders, other elected officials or the media, anyone who disagrees with him or raises questions is subject to attack by his staff and supporters. That tends to isolate him from differing viewpoints that he should consider and could cause some future surprises. It also undermines his ability to be the best mayor he can be.
He has created more highly paid positions than there were under Priest, though some realignment of duties was needed. Other staff positions have not always provided Ferrell the high level of sophisticated advice that their respective salaries would justify.
His relationship with the city council has not been close, and they seem only to support him when he is doing what they want. None would be called “Ferrell loyalists.”
Even with these many questions, Ferrell is still well-positioned for re-election. He has started several projects, and the schedule for the opening of the PAEC and the completion of the downtown park will fit the political timetable nicely. He has already held a fundraiser that brought in over $12,000. If he can stop the self-induced errors he could be hard to beat. More importantly, while there are rumors of opposition, no one is making any overt moves yet. Ferrell’s goal seems to be to raise enough money to scare away any potential opponents.
Has Ferrell learned from his first two years? Is he better prepared for the next two years? Or will he generate his own opponent?
