32nd Democrats debate Prop 1: pro position

Shoreline City Council Member Will Hall says "I did not represent Prop 1 and I am not affiliated with any committee about it. All I did was give a very short speech in favor of it (at the 32nd Democrats meeting)." His comments on the topic are below.

By Will Hall

Please vote to approve Shoreline Proposition 1 so we can get local control over our water system.  Rather than focus on the technical details that are answered on the city website, I ask you to think about the big picture.

When I look at the 17-year history of the City of Shoreline, I am truly impressed with what the community has achieved.

The city was formed because we wanted a better community and a better quality of life that we could get from Seattle or King County.  We wanted better schools, and we also wanted better services and better infrastructure.  Working together, look what we have accomplished:

• The Aurora Corridor project had a rough start.  Now it’s the best stretch of Highway 99 in the state.  What do you think of Aurora in Shoreline compared to Aurora in Seattle?
• We wanted bike paths so we built the Interurban Trail.  Seattle, with perhaps the most bike-friendly mayor in the country, is playing catch-up.
• Ronald Bog used to flood roads and homes.  The city’s stormwater utility, an existing City of Shoreline utility, put in the pipes and pumps to reduce flooding.
• With voter approval, we expanded and improved our network of parks.
• We continue to fill potholes, plow snow, build sidewalks, and maintain our roads better than Seattle.

The entire community benefits from these investments.

There are some people who do not want to reinvest in our community to keep it great.  They think if nothing ever changes, we’ll be okay.

I disagree.  If we do not reinvest in our community, all our infrastructure and all our property values will steadily decay.  In order to maintain our property values and our quality of life, we must maintain the infrastructure and services that make Shoreline such a wonderful place to live.

Proposition 1 is a great opportunity to give people in Shoreline a say in how their money is invested in the community, and to make sure it is invested in Shoreline, not in Seattle.  The experts have proven that we can do it at no additional cost over the long term.

I can’t predict all the benefits of having local control of our water system, but I believe in this community.  It is an honor to serve you.  Right now Shoreline is the only major city to pay surcharges to the City of Seattle and to buy water at retail instead of wholesale.  When I look at what we have done so far, I know we can do better ourselves.

Please vote to approve Proposition 1.  Thank you.