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closePuyallup City Council elections
By Neil Pierson/of The Herald
District 1, Position 2
Equal representation concerns sparked Tony Aho’s campaign
When Tony Aho looks at the seven current members of the Puyallup City Council, he doesn’t see anyone who represents the city’s young adults, the ones raising families.
Aho’s background is rooted in education. He is the first member of his family to earn a college degree, having obtained a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in educational leadership from Pacific Lutheran University.
For nearly 15 years, he has also been involved in volunteer capacities with various community groups. That experience includes current roles as chair of the city’s parks and recreation board, board member for the Puyallup Main Street Association and board member for the Puyallup School District’s Communities in Schools program.
“They all connect and interact with one another in some way and also with the city,” Aho said. “That gives me some key insights as far as where some of those needs and concerns are.”
Aho's mother-in-law lives with him, his wife Jolaine and their two children. When Aho speaks about issues the city council isn’t, he prefaces his remarks by discussing a platform of “equal representation.”
“I think there’s a real void on the current council as far as working professionals, those that are raising families,” he said. “That’s what I would bring.”
While District 1 residents are his primary concern during the campaign, Aho has also been talking a lot with people from other parts of the city. That’s part of his approach to include opposing views and reach compromises
“We definitely need to change the attitude on the council and it’s on both sides,” he said. “It’s not just one or two people, it’s the entire council and we need somebody there to build some bridges instead of throwing up roadblocks.”
Like his opponents, Aho cited infrastructure and flooding as unique issues within District 1. He likes how the city is addressing economic development, specifically noting the recent additions of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and O’Reilly Auto Parts, which combined are expected to bring more than 400 jobs to the area.
“Those companies are investing in the community,” Aho said. “This is going to do two things: One, it’s going to build an economy here but it’s going to provide jobs for families that are currently out of work and it’s going to get them back on track.”
Aho is trying to be as active and engaging as possible during his campaign. He held a kickoff event last week at The Puyallup Fair and Events Center that drew about 100 people. He has a Web site at www.tonyaho.com and has been busy making calls, sending e-mails, attending council meetings and speaking with various groups. But he believes there’s one sure-fire method to achieve his goal.
“In order to be successful and really communicate with the voters, you’ve got to get out there and knock on some doors,” he said.
George Dill senses unresolved anger in District 1
When George Dill first campaigned for a seat on the Puyallup City Council in 2005, he sensed a lot of anger among residents because of a perceived “lack of attention to their concerns.”
Four years later, Dill said he still picks up on dissatisfaction throughout the city’s northern neighborhoods, whose residents feel as though too much money and other resources are being diverted to Puyallup’s downtown core. Dill also believes council members haven’t been very receptive to certain topics.
“We encourage people to come out to council meetings and let us know what we think,” he said. “We want people to come out but then when they don’t agree with us, they’re just dissidents and we don’t have to pay attention to them.”
Dill, the deputy mayor, said he’s in favor of term limits and would support them if they became an agenda item. But he’s not yet ready to abandon his constituents’ concerns, which is why he’ll be running for a second term as District 1 representative this fall.
He’s doing so the old-fashioned way: Going door to door to hear from people, running a frugal campaign without mass mailings or fancy ads and refusing to accept donations from private groups or individuals. His only concession to modern-day elections? A Web site at www.vote4dill.com.
“I am your independent voice and I am not going to be subservient to any donors that have an agenda,” Dill said. “In a district this small, it isn’t that hard to get around.”
Dill has resided in District 1 since 1998 and in Puyallup many years before then. He is a retired U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam and earned degrees from Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound.
Since retiring as a business and accounting instructor at Pierce College, Dill has increased his volunteer efforts with organizations like the Puyallup Valley Food Bank and Puyallup Public Library. He’s also a graduate of the Puyallup Police Department’s Citizens Academy.
Dill remains interested in fiscal responsibility. He believes the city needs to reprioritize some of its funding to address District 1’s failing streets and create a traffic unit for the police department. He opposes the creation of a downtown parking garage the city is building to attract Parametrix, a private engineering firm with high-paying jobs.
“We’ve had some horrendous flooding in town,” he added. “These are community needs that need to be addressed. Do we need a parking garage or should we be addressing something like that?”
Dill favors working with the city of Sumner to create a commuter parking station near Shaw Road, a project he feels would alleviate much of the traffic congestion throughout District 1 neighborhoods as a result of the downtown Sound Transit station. He doesn’t believe downtown businesses would suffer by relocating some commuters.
“They don’t stop here,” Dill said. “At the end of the day people are going home.”
First-time candidate ChrisWeltzer enters race for Puyallup’s District 1 council position
When Chris Weltzer moved into Puyallup two years ago, he knew he would run for city council the moment the opportunity presented itself.
Weltzer officially became a candidate last week when he submitted paperwork with the state’s Public Disclosure Commission and the Pierce County Auditor’s Office. He joins incumbent Deputy Mayor George Dill and longtime resident Tony Aho on this fall’s ballot for the council’s District 1, Position 2 seat. The trio will be on the Aug. 18 primary ballot and the top two vote getters advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
Weltzer said he may be relatively new to the area but is a regular attendee of council meetings, where he likes to keep a low profile and listen to issues rather than speaking out on them. He addressed some of the perceived communication issues surrounding the current council.
“As far as the bickering that has been going on, some of it’s understandable,” Weltzer said. “But that’s not the way to run a city. What benefits my district will ultimately benefit other districts and vice versa and that needs to be taken into account.”
An unmarried man with no kids — something Weltzer believes will benefit his constituents by making him more available — he has worked for Hometown Insurance in Graham since last July. Weltzer grew up in Tacoma, graduated from Wilson High School and did some course work at Tacoma Community College before getting into mortgage insurance three years ago.
When he isn’t working or talking to residents, he volunteers much of his spare time at Tacoma’s Epworth LeSourd United Methodist Church.
Weltzer feels there’s a way to balance two of his key platforms: Maintaining Puyallup’s small-town feel while jumpstarting economic development along Meridian Street and River Road. Continuing a partnership with Sound Transit may be one way to accomplish that.
“Talking with many of the local business people, owners and employees, a parking garage is much needed (downtown),” he said. “I think we can stimulate business and keep the (Ezra) Meeker feel.”
Weltzer is also keenly aware of the problems facing auto dealerships on Puyallup’s north side. He said the auto industry’s troubles are a key indicator of a sour economy and emphasized the need to stabilize the downturn.
“It’s great having all those autos on River Road,” he said. “It brings a lot of people into the community.”
As for the unique needs of District 1 residents, Weltzer cites flooding and dredging of the Puyallup River as the top priorities. While Dill has stated his support for dredging the river to reduce flooding, Weltzer said he would reserve judgment until he determined that dredging was financially feasible.
Like the incumbent, Weltzer is also a staunch supporter of retaining the city’s three council voting districts.
“I don’t believe I could best serve District 1 by covering the entire city of Puyallup,” he said. “South Hill has different issues than River Road.”
Similar to Weltzer’s behind-the-scenes approach at council meetings, he said he’s not going to conduct an in-your-face campaign. He said he’ll solicit funds by visiting homes and businesses, doesn’t plan to hold any rallies or meet-and-greet events and is considering a campaign Web site but doesn’t think it’s necessary.
“I’m one of those persons who sits in the back, doesn’t say much and just observes,” he added.