BREMERTON – A few hours before the polls closed, Deborah McDaniel said she was “in it to win it,” but that if she didn’t win Aug. 1 or Nov. 7, the experience had been worth it.
“I had really good response while I was doorbelling,” she said. “We knocked on about 1,000 doors — not 10,000 like [mayoral candidate] Greg Wheeler. He’s a machine. I work full time in Bellevue, so this was the best I could do in the time I had.”
Whether it was enough wasn’t decided Aug. 1.
Civil engineer and neighborhood organizer Kevin Gorman finished first with 434 votes in the primary for Bremerton City Council, District 3, according to results posted at 8:10 p.m. by the county Elections Office. Former City Council member Adam Brockus received 243 votes, McDaniel received 225 — a difference of 18 votes. With more ballots still to be counted, Brockus and McDaniel will have to wait to see which of them advances to the Nov. 7 general election.
Election night, the county Elections Department reported an estimated 3,000 ballots countywide remained to be counted. That includes ballots cast for Bainbridge Island school board and city council, North Kitsap and Central Kitsap school boards, Bremerton mayor and city council, and South Kitsap Fire & Rescue’s Proposition 1 property tax levy.
During the campaign, Gorman (GormanforCouncil.com) said his priorities are promoting community; funding street and sidewalk maintenance and improvements; and attracting retail and commercial development.
“I am committed to building healthy and happy communities by working with our business owners to create attractive and functional spaces,” he wrote on his website. “I will support public safety through community preparedness, [and] effective police and fire protection. I will promote health and happiness with attractive parks, gardens, trails, and bike paths. I will ensure affordable housing and utilities through collaborative policy and smart business decisions … I will encourage proactive policies that facilitate responsible development.”
McDaniel (McDanielforBremerton.com) said the No. 1 concern of voters she met was the proposed closure of Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton “and what that’s going to do to hospital workers and the economy. That’s of concern as well. There’s lots and lots of medical services up that corridor — imaging, radiology, dialysis, countless doctors and specialists that may move to Silverdale as well. It’s a concern for overall medical services, not just hospital services.”
Another concern: Escalating home prices and property taxes, and their effect on older residents on fixed income.
Brockus (BrockusforBremerton.com) represented District 3 from 2006-2013. His priorities: make policies for the district and the city “to grow wisely”; improve parks, sidewalks, streets, and infrastructure; and advance Bremerton to feeling like home to working families.
McDaniel’s priorities: wean the city from the B&O tax more quickly than is presently planned; ensure adequate funding and a plan for improving roads and sidewalks; work to ensure that Kitsap Transit “doesn’t leave the neediest riders behind as it pursues the passenger ferry service; I would work to get Kitsap Transit to restore Sunday service and look again at their routing decisions.”
During the campaign, Brockus and Gorman said they support Bremerton rejoining the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council; McDaniel does not. All three had solid ideas for increasing the amount of affordable housing in the city.
About the job
Bremerton City Council members are elected to four-year terms, and receive $12,000 to $13,800 a year, depending on when they were elected. According to the city website, council members establish goals, priorities, and policies; adopt ordinances and resolutions; approve the annual budget, and monitor expenditures related to city business throughout the year. The council meets at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.
