Candidates for the Federal Way City Council position six faced off during a forum July 22 at Federal Way High School.

Candidates Roger Freeman, Diana Noble-Gulliford, Troy Smith, David St. John and Lorie Wood are contending for the position vacated by Eric Faison. Two of the five candidates will proceed from the Aug. 18 primary election to the Nov. 3 general election.

Federal Way Chamber CEO Tom Pierson moderated the forum and asked questions submitted by himself as well as The Mirror’s staff. An audience of nearly 100 people also submitted questions.

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Roger Freeman

Roger Freeman has been managing attorney for a firm involved in public service for 15 years. He has served for six years on Federal Way’s Human Services Commission. He is active in both his church and the Adelaide Elementary School PTA. He believes the city needs better representation and supports districts for council members, who are currently elected at-large. Freeman said more city-sponsored festivals can unite people while celebrating the city’s diversity. He also said Federal Way needs an identity that comes from its people. He emphasized a message of volunteering and face-to-face interaction.

“In Federal Way, we can do a better job in uniting people,” he said.

Some of his responses to forum questions:

• Biggest challenge to bringing new businesses to the city: The city must build a better support network for businesses, but also encourage residents to buy their gas and groceries in Federal Way.

• Doing more with less in Federal Way: The community can come together by holding more festivals. When you don’t have money, you have to do things together, he said.

• Downtown development: He said the vacant lot at the former AMC Theaters site would be a good spot to hold an outdoor concert, for example, that could generate demand for similar events.

• Economic development: The city should tap into its diversity, perhaps by organizing “a festival of food,” for example, that showcases the city’s range of ethnicities. “You have to sell Federal Way,” he said.

• Strong mayor: He said Federal Way’s mayor needs expanded duties in order to be a visionary position. He said the public should be able to elect the mayor, but that he approved of the current council-manager form.

• On whether Federal Way provides adequate services for seniors: He perceived a lack of senior services, noting that the current Federal Way Senior Center sits outside the city limits. “We need to look at properties in the city,” he said.

• Annexation of unincorporated King County: The citizens should decide, but the council needs to “go out there and find out what they want” and not force annexation upon citizens. The city should respect that some residents in unincorporated King County want to maintain their own identity.

• What’s missing from the city council: “Our government is not representative of all people in Federal Way.” The council needs more community interaction and conversations, he said.

• Changing the city’s name: He is fine with the current name. “Don’t change the name, embrace the people,” he said. The city should embrace its diversity and let that be Federal Way’s identity.

• Working with schools: Volunteering is the best way to improve schools, he said. “Young people could use our leadership.”

Contact: freemanforcitycouncil@comcast.net or (253) 335-5058.

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Diane Noble-Gulliford

Diana Noble-Gulliford is currently president of the Historical Society of Federal Way. A resident since 1970, she is a longtime real estate agent. She served on the former Federal Way Community Council prior to the city’s incorporation as well as the city planning commission. She said her service on local advisory boards has given her experience in government fundamentals such as zoning and budgets in both the city and county.

“It will be a full-time job for me” if elected to the council, she said.

Some of her responses to forum questions:

• Biggest challenge to bringing new businesses to the city: She said Federal Way’s image is an obstacle. “I don’t see a clear direction that we’re going,” she said. “We are in competition with other communities.”

• Doing more with less in Federal Way: The city needs to develop a large volunteer base. She promised to establish this base if elected.

• Downtown development: She supports adding more restaurants, businesses and incentives for residents and visitors to enjoy.

• Economic development: Both the city and Chamber must work together to break down barriers facing development.

• Strong mayor: She prefers the current council-manager form, but will respect the decision of voters should the issue appear on a ballot.

• On whether Federal Way provides adequate services for seniors: The city needs more amenities and safer crosswalks for pedestrians. The city should also promote single-level housing for seniors.

• Annexation of unincorporated King County: She is in favor of growth management, but noted that unincorporated residents “live in uncertainty,” and that they should have a vote.

• What’s missing from the city council: Council members must set a priority to be more accessible, she said.

• Changing the city’s name: We’re stuck with the name, she said. “It goes beyond a name. We’re still young and we have a lot to do,” she said.

• Working with schools: The council should create a higher tax base in order to bring in more money for schools, she said.

Contact: diana@gulliford.com or (206) 412-5545.

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Troy Smith

Troy Smith moved to Federal Way from Pierce County in March 2006. He is an insurance agent with two years of experience as an urban planner in Seattle, he said. His primary concerns involve traffic, schools and giving citizens a voice in Federal Way. He also wants better communication between the police and the community. He has attended city council and town hall meetings, and has participated with the Federal Way Diversity Commission, he said.

“My main concern is the school system and why we’re lagging in certain places,” he said.

Some of his responses to forum questions:

• Biggest challenge to bringing new businesses to the city: “We have one too many Wal-Marts,” he said, adding that he wants to attract proprietorships and make life easier for small businesses.

• Doing more with less in Federal Way: It looks like schools are doing more with less, he said. If children are involved, people will come out, he said.

• Downtown development: He favors helping proprietors. The city must keep businesses here and move them up, he said.

• Economic development: “People in Olympia should know Federal Way is a growing city.”

• Strong mayor: The current council-manager system is fine the way it is.

• On whether Federal Way provides adequate services for seniors: He called for more handicapped parking.

• Annexation of unincorporated King County: Residents should have the right to choose annexation.

• What’s missing from the city council: The council should represent the average citizen. “I want Federal Way to be a safe environment for kids.”

• Changing the city’s name: He has no problem changing the city’s name.

• Working with schools: The council must communicate with the school board.

Contact: troysmith67@hotmail.com and (253) 250-8762

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David St. John

David St. John is a 19-year Federal Way resident and owns Gents Fine Grooming. He and his wife run two different businesses; St. John said that experience will benefit the city. He has been active in the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce and has attended the police department’s Citizen’s Academy. As for community involvement, he said he participates by running a business, but has also donated to local non-profit organizations.

“The current Federal Way City Council has been a really good steward of the taxpayers’ dollars, but I think that we can do a better job,” he said. “I know what it’s like to have too much money at the end of the month, as opposed to too much month at the end of the money.”

Some of his responses to forum questions:

• Biggest challenge to bringing new businesses to the city: Permit processes get in the way, he said. The city must build a stronger partnership with the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce.

• Doing more with less in Federal Way: The council must make efforts to stoke city pride, he said. Each council member should be assigned an area they are responsible for, and most people in the city haven’t met the council members, he said.

• Downtown development: With the financial bind that Federal Way is in, it would be arrogant to move forward with any kind of building, he said.

• Economic development: The city’s role is not to create jobs, but to create an environment that creates jobs, he said. He reiterated a desire to reform the permit process and address the vacancy rate for commercial buildings.

• Strong mayor: He opposes a strong mayor for Federal Way and said the council-manager form of government must run the city like a business.

• On whether Federal Way provides adequate services for seniors: He said the community center is an example of how the city “provides an excellent environment for seniors” to gather.

• Annexation of unincorporated King County: “I don’t have a position on it.”

• What’s missing from the city council: As a business owner, he said he knows what it takes to be fiscally smart. He wants to partner with citizens and bring more dialogue.

• Changing the city’s name: He likes the name Federal Way. “We’re a young city.”

• Working with schools: “You can throw as much money as you want at it, it’s not going to stick,” he said, adding that teachers and parents need to be more accountable.

Contact: gents@qwestoffice.net or (253) 797-8654

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Lorie Wood

Lorie Wood owns Beaux Art Studios and also serves on the Federal Way Arts Commission. She is a photographer as well as a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, and would like the city to consider a museum as a future capital project. She is running for council as a way to give back to her community, she said. She has been continually researching information on the various aspects of city government in an effort to learn more about it.

“I have been a business owner. I know the grass-roots of what it takes,” she said.

Some of her responses to forum questions:

• Biggest challenge to bringing new businesses to the city: Federal Way must provide incentive in order to lure big-name stores. “Where are the stores a lot of us shop at, and why aren’t they here?” she said.

• Doing more with less in Federal Way: The only way to convince residents to work together is to invite them.

• Downtown development: She likes what Kent did with its downtown outdoor mall. She supports a performing arts and convention center as a means to “bring in serious money” while bolstering the city’s hotels.

• Strong mayor: The current form of government works, but she is willing to change if voters decide otherwise, she said.

• On whether Federal Way provides adequate services for seniors: “I’d like seniors to have a place in the mall,” she said, noting how seniors use the mall as a place to walk.

• Annexation of unincorporated King County: The citizens should decide.

• What’s missing from the city council: She said the council seems to be “getting it done, but they don’t seem to be doing it fast.”

• Changing the city’s name: She likes the current name.

• Working with schools: Police need more support to get kids out of gangs.

Contact: lorie@lwoodphotography.com or (253) 838-2941