The Municipal League has rated four candidates running for Kirkland City Council, giving two of them high marks.
Incumbent Doreen Marchione, who is running again for her current Position 7 seat, was rated “very good.” Newcomer Jay Arnold, a candidate for Position 1 that will be vacated by outgoing Mayor Joan McBride, also received a “very good” rank.
The “very good” rating means the two candidates prove they have made significant contributions, are skilled consensus builders, inspire confidence and are thorough and attentive to issues, according to the Municipal League’s ratings guidelines.
The rating also falls just below the “outstanding” mark – the organization’s highest rating.
Marchione, who is currently serving as deputy mayor, has a long history of involvement in human services, including her role as president of Hopelink from 1992-2007. Prior to joining Hopelink, she also served as the mayor of Redmond for eight years and served four years on the Redmond City Council.
Arnold, who is serving his second term on Kirkland’s Planning Commission, also co-chaired the successful Yes! For Great Kirkland Parks campaign providing dedicated funding for Kirkland parks in 2012.
Bill Henkens, who is challenging Marchione for her seat this November, received an “adequate” rating. Henkens has a record of participation and interest, including his advocacy for domestic violence victims.
However, according to the league’s guidelines, the rating means he has provoked questions about suitability as an office holder and may need significant time/energy to fill gaps in knowledge.
Martin Morgan, who is challenging Arnold for Position 1, was rated as “not qualified. The Municipal League noted that Morgan was unable to participate in an interview volunteers conducted and did not complete a questionnaire.
Incumbents Amy Walen, Penny Sweet and Shelley Kloba are all running for their current seats unopposed and the league did not rate them.
Over the past four weeks, the Municipal League conducted its annual review of the candidates running for local elected office. Sixty volunteers devoted more than 2,000 hours to the non-partisan process.
To determine candidate ratings, the volunteers reviewed candidate questionnaires, studied the public record, spoke with references, and conducted interviews with candidates. Committee members then rated each candidate on four criteria: involvement, character, effectiveness and knowledge.
A full listing of the candidate ratings can be found at www.munileagueratings.org.
The ratings are not endorsements. They assess each candidate’s potential to be effective in office and ability to serve the community.
