The Auburn Noon Lions held a forum for the two candidates for Auburn mayor on Tuesday.
Each was to have 10 minutes to introduce themselves and explain where they stood on the issues.
Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis showed up. His challenger, Councilwoman Virginia Haugen, declined the invitation.
Lewis highlighted the positive and collective accomplishments of the City in the last eight years.
He described the City’s efforts at economic redevelopment — two downtown blocks nearing completion, the Promenade along South Division Street in the planning stages, and plans to remake four blocks south of City Hall. He said the effort is aimed at expanding the tax base and easing the burden on taxpayers. He said bankers have shown returns on the investment to the City and taxpayers of more than $143 million over 25 years.
“We’ve got to find a replacement for tax dollars so that we do not increase the burden on the citizens by increasing property taxes,” Lewis said. “We should be able to find ways to decrease taxes by making our current businesses more successful and bringing in the businesses we want in the places we want them to go and out of our neighborhoods.”
Lewis said city officials saw hard economic times on the way years ago and since the beginning of 2008 have decreased the budget by $3.8 million, in part by reducing the number employees from 488 to 421 plus five part-time.
“We made cuts early because we knew the longer we delayed, the more it would cost us later,” Lewis said.
He said that sales tax income is down, so the City has budgeted for a much lower level of income in the coming years.
“The interesting thing about Auburn is that we never had very much money. This has not been a rich city. It’s not been a city that could have three or four community centers across town or have art projects at the tune of $2 million to $3 million apiece every year,” Lewis said. “We’ve had to work on the essentials every single year of our existence. There’s not been a lot of fluff in our budget. That means if we have to cut, it’s serious because somebody’s program, somebody’s service, might end. We’re working on that now. Our intention is that we will provide the core services, and they will be the best of those services.”
In an e-mail addressed Monday to the person who extended the invitation, Lions Club President Eric Robertson, administrator of the Valley Regional Fire Authority, Haugen explained why she declined.
“Since I will be a part of a debate sponsored by the (Auburn) Reporter, and I am working very hard at talking to people in their neighborhoods, I don’t have time to speak at a forum that seems to me to be a feel … good appearance for Pete and his supporters. I will always be supportive of our firefighters, but at the same time as mayor, I will have to look at how administrators and elected officials are using taxpayer dollars.
“I don’t see your forum as an avenue to really inform the general public. Thanks for always being willing to talk to me and understand my point of view as I will try to understand yours,” Haugen wrote.
Robertson said he recognizes that candidates must make choices.
“Well, obviously, we are disappointed, but the format was open for them to say whatever they wanted. The first 10 minutes they got to talk about themselves and their candidacy. It’s not a political event, it’s a community service event.”
Robertson noted that the candidates for Auburn School Board spoke at the forum the previous week and the candidates for King county Executive and for Auburn City Council have confirmed they will be there Oct. 20 and Oct. 27, respectively.
“It was a packed room lot of guests and open to the public. It was recorded and will be televised on Public Access Channel 21, so that people who are working and can’t make it will have the chance to watch it at their convenience,” Robertson said.
