Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | Experience matters on city council
Jeni Woock is experienced, committed to this community and ready to keep working for us. We have been very pleased with Jeni’s representation and are confident she will continue to engage and share information with the community.
Most of our elected officials have either been appointed or have run unopposed. Back in May, when candidates initially filed for the upcoming election, we were encouraged by the fact that there were at least two candidates for each of the open positions. Unfortunately, several candidates dropped out of consideration. Here is a quick look at the city council and candidates for the upcoming elections.
Position 1:
Loreto Tessicini, candidate running unopposed
Position 2:
Roger Henderson, councilmember not standing re-election
Patrick Amman, candidate
Stephen McDuffie, candidate
Position 3:
Jeni Woock, councilmember elected to two terms (most recently with 73+% of the vote), candidate
Emma Stone, appointed to council Jan. 28, 2025, candidate
Position 4:
Julie Martin, appointed council member in 2023 did not seek election, now a candidate running unopposed
Position 5:
Ben Coronado, current councilmember, ran unopposed in 2023
Position 6:
Le Rodenberg, current councilmember, ran unopposed in 2023
Position 7:
Seth Storset, councilmember not standing for re-election
Reid Ekberg, appointed to council Dec. 12, 2024, running unopposed
We need candidates that have been elected by the citizens they represent. We need candidates with experience and a proven track record.
Jeni stands for fair representation and a voice for every voter. She hosts Jeni Listens monthly and stays in touch with what is important to our community. In the last term, let us highlight a few areas where Jeni understands our community.
• When the city council voted to put the Property Tax Levy on the April ballot Jeni knew this community was against raising property taxes and voted NO along with another council member. That levy was defeated by 69%.
• When the city council considered limiting community input by eliminating in person council meetings, Jeni said NO.
• When the city council put the Public Safety Sales Tax to a vote of the people Jeni knew the importance of safety to this community. She also knew that if Gig Harbor didn’t initiate this tax there was the possibility the county would enact it (as allowed by the state) which would have limited the amount of funds our community received. She also knew there was the potential for additional funds, from the state, should the measure pass. She is actively working with the city staff now to receive those funds. While watching our purse carefully, this was a wise investment for our community.
• When the city council discussed developer incentives (that would be offset by increasing our property taxes) to build multi-family housing, Jeni said NO. She didn’t just say no; she is busy trying to find new ways to provide for the housing needs of the community without the cost being on the backs of taxpayers.
We agree with Jeni that the community has lost local control. Unfunded state mandates continue to impact our community. We have had significant growth in Gig Harbor. That growth has not been accompanied by funding, from the state, to increase school district and hospital capacity or funding for meaningful infrastructure modifications. While it puts our largest sources of revenue at stake to not comply with the Growth Management Act, Jeni is committed to finding ways to accommodate these goals with the least impact on our community. Instead of hearing, “We have to do this per the State” you will hear Jeni say, “I hear you and will do my level best to push back where we can.”
Jeni already knows Gig Harbor is a great place to live, work and play! She is ready to roll up her sleeves again to keep it that way.
This is why Jeni Woock will get our vote; won’t you join us in protecting why we live here?
Ed Nadler and Vicky Alsaker
Gig Harbor