For the first time in 13 years, East Wenatchee has a mayoral race between Mayor Steve Lacy and council member Dave Bremmer. Once you’ve decided who has the most attractive signs and most signs implanted in yards, what else do you need?

Well, you could decide who has the best record to govern 11,870 residents and an $8 million budget. With no city manager, our position requires major administrative leadership to advise council members on policy. The mayor has no vote, except to break a tie in non-financial issues. For those responsibilities our mayor receives $51,360 plus $8,259 in health and disability benefits, while council members receive $6,600 and no benefits. 

Lacy has been mayor for 13 years while serving as a private attorney. I asked both candidates to describe their most significant accomplishments. Lacy emailed me four. First was “preventing the loss of the Wenatchee Valley Mall, … obtaining council funding … and negotiating agreements with mall owners to create new road structure to facilitate the mall’s expansion and satellite commercial development.” He established the city’s theme of ‘Home of Miss Veedol’ and supported the creation of our Japanese Garden, Wings and Wheels Festival and sister city relationship with Misawa, Japan. He negotiated “a pre-annexation agreement with Douglas County … that tripled the population and urban development area.” Finally he secured council funding to hire a professional attorney, city engineer and financial director. 

Bremmer has been council member for 9 years while owning and managing his general construction company since 1996. He listed his accomplishments in one sentence. “My most significant accomplishments have been keeping taxes low and helping to eliminate waste in the form of Sprint Boat Racing.” He opposed sprint boat racing which Lacy supported until the council ended it in September after losing $120,000.

In the ten years I’ve been a citizen, the city has managed growth and tourism and is financially strong with realistic plans. Five others residents more knowledgeable than I confirmed both candidates’ records. 

Now you can decide on accomplishments, and despite Thunder Swamp, Lacy’s are significantly stronger.  

You should also consider their skills for managing the major issue facing East Wenatchee. Both agree it’s deterioration of internal roads coinciding with deterioration of state and local funding for major roads. For residential streets, the city engineer has projected $361,000 annually.

Bremmer emailed, “My background as an engineer and my experience as an excavation and road-building contractor make me uniquely qualified to lead in this area.” He proposes getting the funds by “going back to volunteer events staff like we had three years ago, not replacing a retiring officer (the city has 40 percent more police per capita than Wenatchee), and a restructuring of the street department.”

  Lacy emailed, “It … will take … good negotiating … skills to make sure East Wenatchee competes effectively for funds. Because of my track record of success in this area to date, I’m best suited to meet this challenge for our citizens.”

Bremmer’s plan may be flawed. My understanding is events funded by voluntary hotel tax revenue to promote tourism. The council voted to bring staff in-house after the attorney general’s office recommended tighter control instead of contracting outside. Diverting tourist dollars to residential streets may not be possible.

Now you can choose between Lacy’s negotiating skills and financing experience or Bremmer’s engineering and road-building experience. Lacy’s appear more valuable.

What else is important? Other issues face the council including Town Toyota Center debt and Apple Capital Loop Trail. I think the Loop Trail needs more mayoral support and action and I’ve heard him make statements about working with other leaders to get support for the Loop Trail I couldn’t verify.

Still, Lacy’s email emphasizes “the relationships I’ve established with leaders in neighboring jurisdictions, … as well as department heads are a valuable asset to city residents.”

The value of Lacy’s relations is challenged. Bremmer wants to “be more open and accountable and create an atmosphere within City government where citizens are truly involved and neighborhoods come together to effect change for the common good.” My source concerned about civility said she’s been intimidated by Lacy and has seen his ability to be brusque with others. She’s voting for Bremmer after he convinced her he could improve civility from the mayor’s office.

I think civility and openness could be improved, and Bremmer might be more open to citizen involvement. But for me and most of my sources, he hasn’t displayed that ability to harmonize the council.

 Now you can consider more than signs and numbers of signs. Weighing the accomplishments, skills and civility, Lacy has my vote.