Letter to the Editor: Robin McClelland is professional and caring
Thursday, October 27, 2011
To the Editor:
Robin McClelland is a stalwart Shoreline citizen that we should be proud to elect to the Shoreline City Council. She has served for eight years on the Shoreline planning commission, providing expertise from her career as a professional planner. She also served on the Aurora Business and Community Team for the second mile of corridor planning. Most recently, she was a dedicated member of the 2010 Shoreline Proposition 1 campaign.
As chairperson of the Prop 1 campaign, I can testify to Robin’s dedication to this community. The City forecasted a budget shortfall and after convening a citizen’s group to seek recommendations to move forward, it sought the public’s approval to raise property taxes for six years to cover the budget gap while it continues to develop a long-term financial strategy. Raising taxes is a challenging subject and many people, although willing to vote for such a measure, are not willing to make public statements or actively participate in such a campaign.
Robin McClelland is not afraid to stand up for issues that are difficult to tackle. She and her husband, Keith, were crucial members of the Prop 1 team. Robin assisted with messaging, distribution of signs, doorbelling, supporting the cause at forums and public events, and stuffing envelopes. Her husband Keith, a Shoreline business owner, was critical in the fundraising campaign and much more. I can’t thank Robin and Keith McClelland enough for their expert advice and hours of dedication to Prop 1, which has allowed Shoreline to balance its budget.
This is just one of many examples that show Robin will be able to help the City Council and City management tackle issues in a professional and caring way. I urge you to vote for Robin McClelland for City Council on November 8, 2011.
Carolyn Hope
Shoreline
Posts
9 comments:
Robin McClelland approved the Gateway Plaza which was supposed to be mixed use, but the developer failed to perform due diligence and the soils would not support a multi-story building, what say you to that? The same developers are supporting her campaign
The results of raising people's property taxes that was seen as a savior to the city is now apparent. The tax rate has now hit the mandatory ceiling set by state law and the values of properties in our city continue to fall. The result is the city has less money and is now laying off staff members. This is the reality that Prop 1 refused to confront. Meanwhile, the false values applied to the properties in the business corridor make running a business increasing difficult because of the tax rate. The fact that the Dick's Hamburger drive in chose a site two miles north of Shoreline on Aurora is because they were able to buy property there for a fraction of what it costs here in Shoreline. This is because people like Robin continue to support zoning properties to make believe levels to create a false economy. Every hamburger sold at Dick's places a penny in the City of Edmonds treasury.
The Yes on Prop One campaign was largely funded by the city staff and in fact started before the city even approved the levy lift. It appears that the Yes On Prop One campaign coordinated with the city staff its activities. When the Yes on Prop One campaign was out of money in the last week, they continued to spend money on robo calls and all of their expenses were paid for by the city leadership team right down to the penny, if that is not coordination, I don't know what is.
Not to mention the fact that Dick Deal, city parks director, on a regular work day, spent almost the entire day working from home on an "ask" letter for the Yes on Prop One campaign. I would hardly believe that Carolyn Hope, proponent of higher property taxes (and by admission, so is Robin McClelland) is someone who is one to judge what is caring when the poverty rate is 9% in Shoreline, people are moving out (even though population in other cities in North King County increased 3%), and there are hundreds of foreclosures. Shoreline is aging and most of these aging households are on fixed incomes, where does Ms. Hope think these folks are going to get the money to keep on paying higher property taxes?
Ms McCelland is a planner. We don't need another planner representing development (which is what planners do). The taxpayers already fund a full staff of planners. What we do need is someone who will listen to the citizen/taxpayer and represent the interests of the private home owners who are being taxed right off the map! Jesse has my vote.
I will absolutely be voting for Robin. Her knowledge and experience make her far more qualified than Jesse to sit on Council. She has also been an invested member of this community for years while Jesse moved here a few years ago after a previous failed complain run. I hope Robin wins because I’d like to see how long Jesse stays around.
I agree with the commenter at 8:48. Robin is a class act. Commenter at 11:14 sounds like a sour individual, perhaps soured by the fact that 56% of the voters said yes to Prop 1. I suspect Robin will get in the neighborhood of 56% and that the sourball at 11:14 who obviously voted against Prop 1 will cast her vote for her opponent.
Wow that is classy....makes me proud to live here...09:16
We noted its a July 31 post that the King County Multiple League had given McClelland its highest rating, "Outstanding," and given opponent Jesse Salomon its next-to-lowest rating, "Adequate."
We noted IN a July 31 post that the King County MUNICIPAL League had given McClelland its highest rating, "Outstanding," and given opponent Jesse Salomon its next-to-lowest rating, "Adequate."
Post a Comment