SEQUIM — Mike East, who describes himself as “just incensed” at a decision the four newest Sequim City Council members made a year ago, filed on Tuesday for council candidacy in the Nov. 3 Clallam County election.
The firing of city manager Bill Elliott in May 2008 and the costly search for a successor are among the things driving him to run, East said.
“I want to bring some new life to the council,” said East, who is vice chairman of the Sequim Planning Commission.
Some might say the four council members elected in November 2007 — Erik Erichsen, Susan Lorenzen, Ken Hays and Mayor Laura Dubois — brought their own brand of new life to Sequim government. New impact fees and the Sequim Speaks citizens’ advisory panel are among the ideas brought to the table during the past year.
East, 66, said he has another set of goals the council should accomplish. Instead of giving specifics, he added that he wants to see “common sense” return to the panel’s decisions.
East is running for the council seat held by Paul McHugh, who said recently his eight years on the panel were enough, and he won’t run for re-election.
Before moving to Sequim, East and his wife, Nancy, lived in Discovery Bay and ran McKenzie’s Coffee Co. in Port Townsend. They previously lived in Anchorage, where East managed an air freight company. The couple came to Sequim in 2002.
East already has an opponent: On Monday, Bob Anundson, a former Sequim planning commissioner who served as an appointed council member for nine months in 2007, also filed for McHugh’s position.
Anundson, 67, said he’s running “to help keep this city a great place to live,” meaning affordable and with a functioning infrastructure. “We are going to be going through some rough financial times, and I want to help,” he added.
East said he and Anundson share similar views on some issues. Both men chose to run for McHugh’s open seat rather than challenge incumbents Walt Schubert and Bill Huizinga.
Schubert, in his 10th year on the Sequim council, filed on Monday; eight-year veteran Huizinga filed Tuesday morning after saying he has “unfinished business,” including his efforts to motivate developers to build more affordable homes in Sequim.
Earlier this spring, East was involved with a group called Sequim Sense that, according to www.SequimSense.com, seeks “reasonable taxes” and a halt to “wasting time and money” in city government. Observers such as Realtor Mike McAleer speculated that the group would produce City Council candidates.
But “there’s not much happening” with Sequim Sense, East said. So far he’s the only member making a bid for office. “There are a lot of talkers and a lot of coffee-shop drinkers,” he said. “But not very many want to step up and take responsibility.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
