City Manager Talks Proposition 1

In November, registered voters in the City of Shelton will decide whether to change the City’s governing body from a three-member commission to a seven-member council. This week, the City released information on Proposition 1 and MasonWebTV Powered by HCC spoke with Shelton City Manager Ryan Wheaton about the ballot measure:

Wheaton also provided MasonWebTV Powered by HCC an analysis of salaries of city council members in Washington. According to those numbers, compiled by the Association of Washington Cities, Shelton has the 73rd largest population in the state but Shelton City Commissioners have the fourth largest salary behind Seattle, Tacoma and Everett.

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Op/Ed by Tom Davis: The art of the (bad) deal

According to Mason County Commissioners, the reason for a tax increase initiative on the November ballot is because revenues are not keeping pace with the cost of providing services. But let’s not forget that the primary function of the commission is, precisely, to monitor those forces over time and take whatever appropriate, incremental, measures are necessary to bring about a balance. Perhaps if the commissioners had spent less time micro-managing other departments and more on their own, mandated, duties we might not be in this situation.

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Updated Primary Election Results

Wednesday, election officials in the Mason County Auditor’s Office updated the results from Tuesday’s Primary Election. No changes from the initial results for City of Shelton Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvement. Kevin Dorcy and incumbent Tracy Moore are the top two candidates and will face off in the General Election.

Dory received 446 votes (34.87%) while Moore has 409 votes (31.98%).

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Shelton City Commissioner Primary Election Results

Here are the unofficial Primary Election results for Shelton City Commissioner of Streets & Public Improvement after ballots were counted Tuesday night:

Jacob Dreifus	53 votes	4.63%
Kevin Dorcy	411 votes	35.93%
Tracy Moore	366 votes	31.99%
Eric Onisko	313 votes	27.36%

More ballots will be counted Wednesday.

Turn out for this election, so far, is 25.56 percent.

Primary Ballots Due Tuesday

Primary Election Ballots must be returned to the Mason County Auditor’s Office by 8 PM Tuesday. The only primary race is for City of Shelton Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvement. There are four candidates:

City voters can drop off their ballot at the drop box in front of Mason County Building I, 411 North Fifth Street or use the drive-thru box at the Shelton Timberland Regional Library, 710 West Alder.

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Future of City Commission in Voters’ Hands

Whether the City of Shelton will continue as the only City Commission in the State of Washington is now in the hands of voters. During a special meeting Wednesday, the City Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution that submits the question to city voters on November 7th. Voters will be asked to decide whether or not the City of Shelton should adopt a seven member Council/Manager form of government, and abandon the City’s current three member Commission leadership structure.

Wednesday’s action comes in response to a citizen petition that was submitted to the Mason County Auditor’s Office earlier this week.There were over 220 signatures on that petition which surpassed the state regulated signature requirement (ten percent of the votes cast at the last general municipal election.) On Tuesday, Mason County Auditor Karen Herr certified that 157 of those signatures were verified registered city voters, allowing the ballot measure to placed on the General Election Ballot.

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Petition to Ask Voters to Change City Commission Being Reviewed

A citizens petition that would ask voters in the City of Shelton if they want to change the current three-member commission to a seven-member council is being reviewed by election officials in the Mason County Auditor’s Office.

Last week, a motion for the City Commission to send the measure to voters died for lack of a second. So, supporters of the concept decided to gather the necessary signatures on a petition to get the question before voters on November 7th. They needed signatures from 10 percent of the voter turnout from the last municipal election or 157.

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Watch City Commission Candidates’ Forum

Watch the Shelton City Commission Candidates’ Forum presented by the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce, the Shelton Mason County Journal, Hood Canal Communications and MasonWebTV Powered by HCC. The forum features those running for Shelton City Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvement:Tracy Moore, Erick Onisko, Kevin Dorcy and Jacob Dreifus. Each will introduce themselves, answer predetermined questions, and ask a question of their opponents. The forum starts at 6 PM and can be viewed online at www.MasonWebTV.com and www.hcc.net/news as well as on Hood Canal Communications’ local channel.

City Commission Candidates’ Forum Thursday

The Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce, the Shelton Mason County Journal, Hood Canal Communications and MasonWebTV Powered by HCC are hosting a candidates forum Thursday for those running for Shelton City Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvement. The forum is being held in the training room at Mason County Public Work, 100 W. Public Works Dr. in Shelton and will start at 6 PM.

The candidates are Tracy Moore, Erick Onisko, Kevin Dorcy and Jacob Dreifus. Each will introduce themselves, answer predetermined questions, and ask a question of their opponents. If you have questions for the candidates, written questions will be accepted at the forum or you can email them to exec@sheltonchamber.org.

This forum is free and open to the public.

If you are unable to attend, MasonWebTV Powered by HCC will be broadcasting the forum live online as well as on Hood Canal Communications’ local channel.

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Republicans Host City Commission Candidates in the Park

The Republican Women’s Club of Mason County hosted the four candidates running for Shelton City Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvement Friday at Kneeland Park in Shelton. After making introductory statements, the candidates answered questions from the audience. The candidates are Kevin Dorcy, Jacob Dreifus, Tracy Moore and Eric Onisko.