Jim Ferrell
Length of time living in Federal Way: 24 years.
Profession: Mayor of Federal Way. Prior to that I was a King County prosecutor for 16 years.
Immediate family members: My wife, Wendy, and my 10-year-old son, Benjamin.
Education: Law degree from Gonzaga Law School (1993); and Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Washington (1989).
Age: 50
Why are you running? I am running for re-election as mayor because I want to continue the work that has been done for the past three and a half years. We are literally in the process of rebuilding a new and exciting downtown. We have built a beautiful Town Square Park where the community now gathers and children play in the splash park and on the playground equipment. With the help of the Blue Ribbon Panel, we were able to move forward unanimously to build the Performing Arts and Event Center, which will open next month, and we have now raised about $24 million of the project cost. Additionally, we have sold the parcel next to the PAEC so that a hotel can be built there, and a grand staircase will connect these properties together. We renamed 320th Street, honorarily, Veterans Way and installed our beautiful new 60-foot flagpole, and we have signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Washington Tacoma to bring a higher education presence to our downtown. Additionally, we have recruited new businesses bringing in new jobs and addressed the issue of homelessness in three separate initiatives (homeless encampment clean-up, the day center and the Homeless Mothers and Children Initiative). Lastly, but most importantly, we have added police officers, and I am focused on making this a safer city through additional patrols, safe city cameras and a regional emphasis to address gangs and violent crime. We have done a great deal in the past few years, and I ask for your vote to continue this important work to move our city forward.
Top goals if re-elected: First, my top goal is to continue to focus on making this a safer city through a variety of methods. We need more officers, and I am committed to making sure that we stay fully staffed and have the resources to get this job done. We need to continue working with our regional partners and neighboring cities to identify and locate violent offenders and hold them accountable. We also need to continue the work to add Safe City cameras and any other types of technology that will help us keep our city safe.
My second goal includes continuing the work to revitalize our downtown to help make our city more vibrant and a destination.
Third, we need to continue to recruit employers and jobs to our city that will grow our economic base. This will continue to be a major focus of my administration.
Fourth, we need to continue our efforts to address homelessness through the three initiatives currently in place. While we must show compassion, we must also be careful not to become a destination for the homeless and allow our city to be overcome by this issue. It’s a balancing act, and I believe my plan addresses it succinctly and compassionately while establishing firm boundaries.
How do you get results: We have been able to accomplish all that I have described above through the collaboration and teamwork with our City Council. I am very proud to have the support of six out of the seven City Council members. They have truly been my policy partners, and we have done great things together. This collaboration and teamwork has been instrumental in every accomplishment during the past three and a half years. While there is always room for candid and frank discussions and debate, we have all worked with the city’s future in mind. This has been achieved through clear and consistent communication and respect. This communication and collaboration was also present in working with the people — our bosses — through town hall meetings and public outreach efforts.
What is the most important responsibility of an elected official? The most important responsibility of a public official is being responsive to the people. I frequently tell members of the public, “I work for you.” It is how I approach my job every day, in every way. Every public servant has a duty to fully communicate with the people they represent and be responsive to questions and concerns. That I why I am proud of the efforts we have made to bring City Hall closer to its residents. We started Neighborhood Connection Meetings and held additional meetings on key issues ranging from crime, the Weyerhaeuser property, the methanol plant in Tacoma and air traffic noise. We have also sent city newsletters out and started programming on Channel 21 called “New Day Federal Way” that covers important city and civic events.
We also have an absolute duty to hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and honesty, and that is something that I take very seriously.
Federal Way restaurant you are most likely to visit on a weekend: Wendy, Ben and I really like Red Robin!
Favorite attraction in Federal Way: We really like to go to Town Square Park.
Best thing about living in Federal Way: The people!
Favorite hobby/pastime: I enjoy spending time with my family.
Susan Honda
How long have you been a Federal Way resident? Since 1979.
Profession: Council member and community volunteer.
Immediate family members: Bruce, husband, Bryan (Oanh —wife, Kenji — son), Erik (Kourtney — wife, Tatum — son), Mariko (Aaron — husband, Owen and Amos — sons).
Graduation/education history: Stadium High School 1976, Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing 1979.
Age: 59.
Why are you running for election? I’m running for office to give the voters a choice for mayor of Federal Way. It’s time for a change in leadership, and I feel I am the person qualified and ready to do the job.
Top goals if you are elected? Public safety: Our community needs to feel safe in Federal Way; Economic development: Encourage new businesses to locate in Federal Way and support our existing ones; Sound Transit 3: Ensure we have a voice on the impact of Light Rail to our city.
How do you get results? By listening to people, being open minded, bringing people together and letting everyone have a voice in the decision.
What do you think is the most important responsibility of a public official and why? Being truthful and honest and able to make the tough decision even when it isn’t popular but it is in the best interest of the city.
Federal Way restaurant you are likeliest to be at on a weekend? Azteca because we know they are going to be displaced by Sound Transit 3 in the near future.
Federal Way attraction/park you enjoy visiting the most? Dumas Bay because of the beauty of the grounds and the tranquility of the views over the Sound.
Best thing about living in Federal Way? The people are the most caring, compassionate and kind people I’ve ever met.
Favorite hobby/pastime? Volunteering and helping others. This may sound cliche, but it’s something I’ve done all my life starting when I was a candy striper at Tacoma General Hospital.
Contact information: hondaforfw@gmail.com, 253-293-8885, www.honda4fw.com.
Mark Greene
How long have you been a Federal Way resident? About eight non-consecutive years.
Profession: Legal assistant.
Immediate family members: None
Graduation/education history: Inver Hills College.
Age: 63
Why are you running for election? I am running to ensure that Federal Way remains prosperous, vibrant and maintains basic city services in a professional and financially prudent manner, including not digging into the pocketbooks of residential taxpayers a cent more than the current rates before the year 2020. Federal Way needs to continue working with private organizations, developers, businesses and entrepreneurs to use their money, not city funds so much, and innovation, in revitalizing downtown and neighborhood enterprises and business centers. Federal Way should invite creative businesses into the city, whose core values are in line with that of the majority of the citizens of this great city. We need to make a special effort to appeal to those businesses that have the ingenuity, insight and focus on big problems to develop niche markets that have a broad appeal.
Top goals if you are elected? 1. Stop industrialization of the former Weyerhaeuser property by all legal means possible; 2. Provide housing for all of Federal Way’s inhabitants/citizens regardless of their income, and modeling a top priority housing development after Portland’s Bud Clark Commons, which is more than a shelter, but has independent apartment and room availability; 3. Keeping radical leftist social policies out of City Hall decision-making and starting mandatory ethics classes in Federal Way schools from first- to eighth-grades and selective classes in high school; 4. Implementing about 20 environment sectors for Federal Way, divided evenly by square mileage or acreage, with the appointment of volunteer, stipend-funded environmental stewards to investigate problems, find solutions and report to appropriate department heads.
How do you get results? By asking hard questions of various department heads, making sure they are on the same page of council/mayoral directives and firing incompetents, if necessary.
What do you think is the most important responsibility of a public official and why? To study the issues hard, even after elected, and know what you are doing. With that kind of work ethic, everything else pretty much falls into place, including public safety, health and earning the public’s trust.
Federal Way restaurant you are likeliest to be at on a weekend? No particular one.
Federal Way attraction/park you enjoy visiting the most? The Federal Way Aquatic Center
Best thing about living in Federal Way? The all-American spirit.
Favorite hobby/pastime? Baseball or chess, but I rarely have time for either.
Contact information: Website — FederalWayRelief.info; email — poc_senator@yahoo.com.
