NEW — 3:16 p.m. Sept. 30, 2015
Candidates for the only contested Newcastle City Council race separately convened in Issaquah Sept. 25, where they met with The Issaquah Press newspaper group General Manager Charles Horton and Managing Editor Kathleen R. Merrill.
Newcastle News is one of four newspapers in that group.
Victoria Sandoval
Linda Newing
Horton and Merrill quizzed Victoria Sandoval and Linda Newing on everything from traffic to city finances, as the two made their cases for a Newcastle News endorsement. Newcastle News previously asked the candidates a series of questions here and profiled them here in the lead-up to the election.
Energize Eastside
Puget Sound Energy’s plan to build higher-capacity electric transmission lines on the Eastside, in response to what they say is the region’s growing power demands, is a hot topic among Newcastle residents.
In a process that many decried, a Community Advisory Group recommended a route that goes directly through the heart of Newcastle last year.
Both candidates said they still have a lot of questions surrounding the Energize Eastside project.
Newing said she’s not convinced the higher-capacity transmission lines are actually needed. She added that PSE should look at other alternatives, such as undergrounding at a cost that won’t place the burden on resident pocketbooks.
“It’s step by step right now and I think we really need to do a little more homework on that project,” she said.
Sandoval said she didn’t know enough about the project to have a firm opinion, but did add that it doesn’t seem to benefit Newcastle. She mentioned the transmission lines would harm property values and change the city’s beautiful landscape.
“That doesn’t seem to be a win-win in any way,” she said.
Traffic
Both candidates agreed traffic is a problem in Newcastle, specifically on Coal Creek Parkway Southeast in the heart of the city.
Most people don’t feel safe driving on Coal Creek Parkway, Sandoval said. Speeding on the road is a problem, she added.
Far too many drivers spend a significant amount of time sitting in traffic on the road in the mornings and afternoons, Newing said.
Much of that congestion is a result of drivers looking to avoid a crowded Interstate 405, Newing said. So, the city should work with the Washington State Department of Transportation to fix that freeway in an effort to reduce gridlock on Coal Creek Parkway, she said.
Sandoval was less clear about her plans to alleviate congestion, but said the city needs to better prioritize the road and look into traffic light-timing studies.
City finances
A development boon has offered a boost to city finances recently, but it won’t last forever and council members will have to continue careful budgeting as forecasts see expenses outpacing revenues.
Newing suggested looking into equipment replacement as one cost-cutting measure.
“Do we have to buy new vehicles? Can we buy used vehicles?” she asked. “Can we stretch out computer or technology replacements another year?”
On the revenue side, Newing said she is concerned about businesses, knowingly or not, shortchanging the city out of possible license fee and sales tax revenue. She said the city needs to find a way to ensure that all businesses working here, according to the code, obtain a city of Newcastle business license.
Additionally, Newing noted that Newcastle could be missing out on quite a bit of money when businesses incorrectly collect sales tax. Newcastle has a 9.5 sales tax rate, she said, while Covington’s, for example, is 8.6 percent.
The city’s budget is hugely funded by property taxes, forcing the city to dip into the pockets of homeowners that might only be “skating by,” Sandoval said.
“I think that we need to diversify a whole lot more, our budget, so that we’re not so heavily dependent on property taxes, because every dollar represents a person,” she said.
Sandoval added that she would consider implementing a utility tax, which Newcastle currently does not have, as a means to boost revenue.
Both candidates stressed the need to reach out to businesses and encourage them to bring their enterprises to Newcastle.
Cast your vote
Sandoval said people should vote for her because she has a “fire inside for Newcastle.” She wants to do her part to make residents proud of their city, she said.
“I’m not in it for me. I’m in it for the now and the future,” she said.
Newing said she deeply cares about Newcastle, and has shown it through the invaluable relationships she has already built with residents, staff and volunteer groups.
“I think I’m more passionate than my opponent and I’m more committed,” Newing said. “I follow up and I follow through.”