Community Government

County council candidates discuss taxes, partisanship

Candidates for the Pierce County’s District 7 council position wouldn’t be baited into promising never to support a tax increase or swinging the council toward a particular party.

Republican Paula Lonergan and Democrat Robyn Denson addressed questions during a Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce public affairs forum Thursday morning at Harbor Covenant Church.

Lonergan, 69, worked for 30 years as a state government human resource and program manager before retiring, and sat on several boards. Denson, 47, serves on the Gig Harbor City Council and was employed by nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years

District 7 represents the Gig Harbor and Key peninsulas, Fox Island, Ruston, and north and west Tacoma. The winner will replace Derek Young, D-Gig Harbor, who is completing his second and final four-year term. The election is Nov. 8.

Would they pledge never to raise taxes?

Regarding a pledge never to raise taxes, Denson said she’d evaluate each proposal on its merits, measure the need and run it past constituents.

“If there were a new tax proposed, just like I’ve done on the city council, it’s very important for me to work everything through the public process and make sure we are getting all of the input that we need,” she said. “… I can’t give you a pledge that I’m never going to vote for a tax but tell you that I will listen to everyone and make sure that the end justifies the means, making sure that everything that we do is really, really justified.”

Denson said she would have supported a recent tax increase passed by the county council for mental and behavioral health services because it’s an area that has long been neglected and underfunded.

Lonergan said she wouldn’t support raising taxes now when the federal government is boosting the county budget and inflation is high. However, federal funds will soon dry up while needs continually expand.

“Every time you listen to a council meeting, whether it’s a city council, a county council or the state Legislature, we seldom hear people say please cut back the funding,” she said. “It’s always we need more. So the good thing to do, the wise thing to do, the prudent thing to do is to always look at how we’re currently spending money. What are our real priorities — and we have some real priorities and needs that must be addressed — and then make decisions accordingly.”

Will they swing the council toward Democrats or Republicans?

After Young terms out, the council will comprise three Democrats and three Republicans. The District 7 winner could dictate whether policy leans liberal or conservative. What would be the difference between Denson or Lonergan holding that seat, a questioner asked.

“I can work with anyone,” said Lonergan. “If I am elected, and I expect to be elected, I will represent Democrats, Republicans and independents. Because those are the people who will vote for me and those are the individuals who will hold me accountable if things are not going well.”

Denson said she’s always held nonpartisan positions.

“Unfortunately, and I hate to make this political here today, this is a partisan position. But we are individual people,” she said. “We have our individual experiences. We don’t all agree and disagree with the folks in our party. We’ve got our own viewpoints, our own priorities that we’re going to bring to the table to make the best decisions.”

However, both candidates did plug their party’s accomplishments. Denson said Republicans held the council majority for 17 years and it was only when it switched to Democrats two years ago that it invested enough in sheriff’s deputies and correctional officers, and mental and behavioral health.

Lonergan responded that while the council provides guidance, the county executive —Bruce Dammeier — runs county government. He is the first Republican to hold the post in several years.

What are we getting for our Port of Tacoma taxes?

The candidates were asked what benefits the peninsula areas receive from the Port of Tacoma in exchange for their tax support.

The port is Pierce County’s largest economic engine and provides living-wage jobs for people throughout its borders, said Denson. Local nonprofits also receive small grants from the port. Gig Harbor officials have sought port support for its fishing fleet and a fuel dock, but the prospects so far aren’t good.

“For me, both of those projects are economic drivers,” she said. “They provide jobs, they get people into our community that are tourist-related. It’s a service to our community. It’s very maritime-related. Those are the kind of things that as a county council person I’ll advocate for.”

Lonergan said the port has done much to improve the environment and provide for safe shipping. Some of its taxes are voter-approved.

“When the port approaches us and asks for more money for us to invest, we need to think about whether or not that is the right thing to do and also be demanding of our port commissioners that they are held accountable,” she said.

The candidates also addressed questions about crime, homelessness and the Fox Island bridge. They covered those topics in a separate Gig Harbor Now story.

Pierce County Council candidates Robyn Denson, left, and Paula Lonergan.