The Kent City Council will get at least two new members next year, including one from among the four candidates running to replace Jim Berrios.
Paul Addis, Satwinder Kaur, Eliabeth Peang and Jeff Piecewicz are the candidates for Position No. 2 on the Aug. 1 primary ballot. The two people with the most votes will advance to the Nov. 7 general election. King County Elections will mail out ballots July 12. Berrios is running for mayor and his four-year council term ends this year.
Council positions are part-time jobs that pay $14,808 per year.
Here’s a glimpse at the four:
Paul Addis
A U.S. Army veteran, Addis has worked in the private sector for 28 years. As a senior business analyst at Alaska Airlines, he works with many aspects of the accounting process that he says will serve him well on the council.
“Growing up poor, I know how much a community with strong bonds and compassion can mean to those who need it the most,” Addis said when he announced his candidacy. “I am so happy to be able to offer my service and experience to the people of Kent, a city my wife and I love so much. The only legitimate ends of politics is people.”
His goals for Kent include making the city financially stable and sustainable. One idea he would like to champion is a public bank for Kent. While there are challenges to such an approach, he believes that with enough political will Kent can make it happen.
If elected, Addis said he will donate his salary to KentHOPE, which works to reduce homelessness. Addis also wants to fund parks through a city lottery and corporate sponsorships with business names on park signs.
Satwinder Kaur
Kaur, who worked as an executive assistant with the Kent City Council in 2012 and 2013, wants to make government more transparent.
“I would like to be a voice of all Kent residents,” Kaur said in a media release. “I want to make the government processes more transparent for our residents and make access to public resources easier. I am also running to hold our government fiscally accountable. I will work hard to listen to our residents, research options and ultimately make decisions I believe are strategic for our future and benefit our whole community.”
Kaur works as an information technology professional for a large IT firm pioneering solutions for current and future technology problems.
She chairs the city of Kent’s Cultural Communities Board, formed last year by the mayor and council to increase engagement, integration and access to city services for all cultural communities.
Her endorsements include Mayor Suzette Cooke and four current council members – Bill Boyce, Dennis Higgins, Brenda Fincher and Tina Budell.
Elizabeth Peang
Peang, a social worker as a community outreach advocate, said she wants to make Kent a better place to live.
“In my view, the most significant issue facing our city is the looming revenue reduction caused by the Panther Lake annexation and the streamlined sales tax,” Peang said. “My priority will be to lead the council towards business strategies which provide long-term sustainable funding solutions.”
Peang said she has an inclusive leadership style strengthened by years of professional experience in behavioral health, affordable care enrollment and helping children and families navigate the foster care system.
Jeff Piecewicz
Piecewicz, a program integrator for the federal government’s Defense Contract Management Agency, said others encouraged him to run for office.
He serves on the Public Facilities District (ShoWare Center) board, which helps oversee arena operations. He’s also on the city’s Civil Service Commission, which is responsible for the adoption and enforcement of rules and regulations of police personnel matters.
“With the prompting of others and a desire to understand and experience the workings of Kent city government in greater depth, a council position was the next logical step in the process,” he said. “Also, since there was going to be an open position on the City Council, I decided now is the best time to let my desire be known and run for the position.”
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