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Beckett vies for return to council in faceoff with Dunne
5/28/2015 9:55:24 AM
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
This fall, only one of five open city of Liberty Lake elected positions will provide voters with an option. With four incumbents running unopposed, Dan Dunne was the lone council member to draw an opponent.
It's a familiar name. Former Council Member Josh Beckett, who decided against running for re-election in 2013, is throwing his hat back into the political ring.
BECKETT |
DUNNE |
"I miss being a part of the legislative process more than anything," Beckett said two days after filing with the Spokane County Elections Office on May 14. "When I previously served on the council, there were plenty of decisions that were made that I didn't support, but there were also plenty of decisions I was able to help influence and even prevent from happening. Being a part of the discussion and trying to influence decisions is what I miss most."
Beckett earned a bid to council in the 2009 general election, edging Cris Kaminskas, who would later be appointed to council, and replacing Patrick Jenkins. Beckett quickly gained a reputation for an astute knowledge of municipal operations as well as forthright opinions and a willingness to debate issues with anyone, including Peterson. He would challenge the mayor on the 2011 ballot and suffer a lopsided loss with only 25 percent of the electorate.
Beckett said he has continued to follow news from City Hall during his hiatus. He expressed concern over city expenditures that have not been included in the original budget.
"When I served on the council, I was adamant that we had a process for a reason, and we needed to follow it," he said. "I oppose budget amendments for projects that aren't critical. We have a budget process, and when projects like Town Square or the enhancements at Pavillion Park are funded by a budget amendment, it frustrates me. Both of those projects were not a part of the top five or six items on the capital facilities plan, but they were still funded."
Beckett said he had considered running but didn't make the decision to file until support for his candidacy ballooned.
"It wasn't just personal friends and family who urged me to run, but members of the community and many of the current members of the City Council," he said. "Everything in life is about timing, and the timing is right for me to run and return to the council."
Dunne was appointed to the city's planning commission during Peterson's first term as mayor and served four years there before announcing a run for City Council in 2011. He ran unopposed that fall, replacing longtime Council Member David Crump, who stepped away after a decade at City Hall.
Dunne said he intentionally brought an increased emphasis on formality to his council role as a way to enhance decorum on the governing board. He is known for his thorough approach to issues and encyclopedic grasp of the city's comprehensive plan, as evidenced by a multi-tiered presentation he provided over the course of several council meetings last year.
As for Beckett's announcement, Dunne said he welcomed a challenger.
"I'm pleased to hear of anyone choosing to participate in local government," he said. "Participation, especially on a local level, means that the issues and roles of local government have meaning and relevance."
Time will tell if Dunne and Beckett will have a chance to address their platforms and debate the issues in a public setting before the fall vote. Dunne said he is looking forward to "engaging with local business leaders, community leaders and the volunteers of our community to continue to understand their perspective and foster support for our common interests in the city of Liberty Lake."
As for campaign strategies, Beckett said he is still mapping out his agenda. He also emphasized that any past acrimony with Dunne - the two were anything but chummy during the two years they served together - won't be an issue on the campaign trail.
"I can tell you my campaign will be about why I'm the right choice this election based on my ideas and philosophy," Beckett said. "I'm running against Dan Dunne, who is a good person. He and I don't always agree, but I won't let personal differences be a focal point in my campaign. I don't need to make this election personal between Dan and me in order to win."
Dunne said he has appreciated the reward "of ensuring our codes, staff and services deliver what we as a community need in city government. He added that the city's next four years "will include some important policy decisions."
"I am proud and grateful for the opportunity to serve our city for the past eight years, both as an appointed and elected official," he said. "I am asking for the privilege to continue to serve."
• • •
Running unopposed
The Dan Dunne vs. Josh Beckett contest for Liberty Lake City Council Position No. 3 will be the only contested local race on Liberty Lake ballots. Among those who filed to run in May and are uncontested (all are incumbents):
Mayor, city of Liberty Lake: Steve Peterson
City Council, city of Liberty Lake: Bob Moore, Shane Brickner, Cris Kaminskas
School Board, Central Valley School District: Cindy McMullen, Debra Long, Keith Clark
Board of Commissioners, Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District: Kottayam V. Natarajan Jr.
• • •
City has track record of uncontested races
After the vote for Liberty Lake incorporation passed by nearly 65 percent in the fall of 2000, the first official ballot in the city's history featured races for mayor and seven City Council seats.
The election in April 2001 would determine the foundation of leadership at City Hall and set the tone for policies affecting everything from public safety to the maintenance of streets. While Steve Peterson ran uncontested for mayor, all but one of the council ballots included a clash of candidates.
By the time the next general election rolled around, the turnout of political hopefuls had dropped off significantly. The November 2003 ballot once again asked voters to weigh in on eight seats at City Hall, although only one race - between Council Member Joanna Klegin and challenger Odin Langford - would feature any competition.
Over the years, solitary names on the ballot have become the norm in Liberty Lake. In 2007, the battle between incumbent Mayor Steve Peterson and Council Member Wendy Van Orman grabbed the headlines, although not a single challenger stepped up to run against five sitting council members.
Langford's campaign history offers one of the few exceptions to the city's pedestrian election history. After falling eight votes short to Klegin in 2003, he was appointed to replace his former opponent in 2007, when she moved to Texas. In 2009, Langford collected 60 percent of the vote to defeat Jason Adelmann. On the ballot four years later, he was opposed by Mike Tedesco but retained his council chair with 54 percent of ballots.
"It's disappointing from a citizen's standpoint that there aren't more people running for council," said Council Member Keith Kopelson who ran unopposed in 2013. "It's an intimidating job. It's tough. Some people don't like confrontation."
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