Community Government
Gig Harbor City Council Position 4 | Two names on the ballot, but only one candidate
Dan Wright does not want your vote. At least not this year.
Wright filed to run for Position 4 on the Gig Harbor City Council during the May filing period. But “some personal matters came up and I decided to not run this time,” he said.
Unfortunately, he withdrew after the deadline to do so, which was May 12. Under Washington state law, his name will remain on the ballot.
“The only way to get off (the ballot) after that is to be deceased,” Pierce County Elections Manager Kyle Haugh said. “Or for someone to say you’re not eligible and to win a lawsuit.”
Wright said he may explore a candidacy again in a couple years, but he doesn’t want to win this time. “They can still vote for me but I (told) the county that I couldn’t accept it,” he said.
Julie Martin
Fortunately, the remaining candidate has plenty of experience. Julie Martin is so experienced, in fact, that she already served on the city council for almost a full year.
Martin is a retired executive with the Washington Department of Corrections, Washington Lottery and other public and business entities.
Julie Martin
The Gig Harbor City Council appointed her to Position 5 in January 2023, after Robyn Denson resigned to become a Pierce County councilmember. Martin opted not to run that fall and Ben Coronado won the seat unopposed.
Martin was a finalist for vacant council positions in 2024, when the council tapped Reid Ekberg; and earlier this year, when the council appointed Em Stone.
She also serves on the city Planning Commission and Salary Commission.
Martin has a master’s degree from the Dan Evans School of Public Policy and Government at the University of Washington.
“I believe in community over politics, respectful debates, appreciate our history, learning from one another, seek to understand, and come together to strengthen our great City,” Martin said. “This is my promise.”
Gig Harbor Now asked Martin a series of questions about important issues facing the city. Her responses are printed here, with little or no editing.
Tell me a little bit about your background. What compelled you to run for office in the first place?
I was born and raised in Shoreline Washington and my wife and I have lived in Gig Harbor for 7 years. Growing up in a small community I experienced the impact of supportive and caring neighbors. After the death of my mother when I was 7, and the death of my father when I was 19, I could not have made it through without their support and help. Gig Harbor exemplifies this value and when our neighbors or our community organizations face tough times, we come together to lend a hand.
I earned my MPA from UW Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. My career included extensive experience in both the private and public sector ending with my early retirement as Chief of Staff from the Washington State Department of Corrections. During my tenure with DOC, I had the opportunity to lead every division and department.
After retiring I was appointed to Gig Harbor City Council in 2023 and currently serve on the City’s Planning and Salary Commission.
I believe in community over politics, respectful debates, appreciate our history, learning from one another, seek to understand, and come together to strengthen our great City. This is my promise.
How will you address Gig Harbor’s housing crisis?
First, it is important to recognize that our entire State is seeing higher demand for housing with very limited supply that is affordable to most Washingtonians, both for renters and home buyers.
Our City is required to accommodate 700 new housing units by 2044. The majority must be affordable to those at the median income, below or with no income.
The housing shortage is a State issue, as well as an issue for most of the nation. As a planning commissioner I supported the City Council’s approval of the required Comprehensive plan which aligns the City’s zoning and ordinances with State and County requirements. I will work with the Mayor, City’s Planning Director, staff, council, community, and building experts to seek real and implementable solutions.
I do not believe the City should or could do this alone, it will take all stakeholders (private, and public) to build more suitable housing to meet diverse community needs.
I will encourage more townhall meetings so that we understand the housing options, incentives, costs, time frames, and proposed solutions so that we make informed policy decisions.
If you were to list one major issue Gig Harbor faces, what would they be? Why? What will you do about them?
I have knocked on several hundreds of doors and people overwhelmingly have said traffic. Specifically, traffic on Point Fosdick and Olympic Drive, and on Borgen Blvd. Those who live downtown are frustrated when there is an accident on Hwy 16 and traffic gets diverted through Harborview Drive. I am committed to working with staff and council to discuss what can be done to reduce the choke points and hopefully reduce accidents on Hwy 16. I will ask that we meet with the State who must help with some of these issues.
Our City is the hub for stores, restaurants, services, and health care facilities for the greater Gig Harbor and Kitsap Peninsula region. We experience a significant increase in traffic during the day. I will ask for our fire department, County, and other stakeholders to take a seat at the table to discuss how the city can minimize the traffic problems with the increased population on the Key Peninsula.
Other areas of concern for my neighbors are cost of housing, food, taxes, more grocery store options in north Gig Harbor, and maintaining our small-town character.
What would you say to folks who are afraid that population growth will mean an increase in crime and who attribute a rise in crime to renters?
First, I would listen to those who have those fears and try to understand where the fear is coming from. Have they experienced an increase in crime from those who rent, have they read about this, where are they getting their information? Next, I will work with our Chief of Police, our Housing Health and Human Services Director, and our Community Development and Planning Director to get their input and point of view.
I have not seen data that people who are housed in rental units and that are part of a community are more inclined to commit crimes.
What are your thoughts on the City’s Climate Action Plan? What do you think could be done better or differently?
When I was a City Council member, I voted for including the climate action plan in our Comprehensive Plan. I believe the City should be one of the entities that focuses on a healthy environment for our families now and in the future. We live in a pristine area surrounded by water, forests, and mountains. Stakeholder engagement is key to implementing many of the recommendations in the plan.
The City is currently working on a state required climate element to the Comprehensive Plan, this is due in 2029, but current council has asked that it be developed sooner. I will ask our staff and other experts (including Pierce County, State agencies, universities, and other environmental entities) for the following; best available science, education, proven results, costs, and financial resources.
It’s important for me to understand what will protect and improve our environment before voting for new policies and regulations. We can and should learn from others cities and decide what is appropriate for Gig Harbor to achieve our goals.