Joel Wright, a longtime Microsoft Corp. accountant, is an active Mormon who supports the City of Redmond’s financial strategy and opposes traffic-enforcement cameras.
Tom Flynn, a compliance manager for Puget Sound Energy, has been active in city planning for the last five-plus years and said traffic-enforcement cameras are an effective public safety tool.
Both have declared they will run for the upcoming empty seat of the Redmond City Council Pos. 5 — the first contested city race for the fall ballot.
Longtime council member and current president Richard Cole said he will retire when his term ends later this year.
“I’m pleased there is a contested race,” Cole said. “I believe that a good race makes for better council members because they must get out and talk to residents and learn how people feel about the issues. You also learn your way around the town and get lots of exercise.”
‘NO STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY’
As the director of tax controversies for Microsoft for the last 15-plus years, Wright admits he is “no stranger to controversy.”
The 50-year-old said his job is to represent Microsoft during state audits. Although he has never run for a public office, he says his financial background and calm, but convincing approach to civil debate will serve the city well, if elected.
He said he wanted to run because he feels Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the current council are doing a good job and wants to “make sure (the city) continues down the path that it is going.”
He is a big supporter of Marchione’s Budget by Priorities, which has helped the city remain financially stable amidst a national recession.
He also said all emergency services — police, fire and medics — should be the budget’s top priority and “fully funded in whatever they need to do their jobs and keep their communities safe.”
However, he did point out that he is against the traffic-enforcement cameras, a hot-button issue that has generated a lot of talk around town.
While he said he thinks the current traffic camera pilot program has made people more conscientious behind the wheel, “in the end, it’s going down a path I don’t like.”
Last year, the father of five and grandfather went to Europe for his 25th anniversary and he said, “seeing all the cameras everywhere, I didn’t feel any safer. I just felt like someone was looking over my shoulder.”
An active Mormon, community service is Wright’s comfort zone as he has helped out in the community with various Eagle Scout and park improvement projects.
Wright has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Utah and a master’s in taxation from Portland State.
He said he supports the downtown development and wants to be part of the city’s planning process.
“This is an opportunity to give back to the community and hopefully add some of my skills to the city council,” said Wright, who has lived in Redmond for the past 10 years.
TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Flynn, 48, currently serves on the Redmond Planning Commission, which is in the process of updating the city’s comprehensive plan. He served on the arts commission from 2005-10, including two years as the chair when he helped the commission create its first strategic plan.
Now he wants to be part of the city’s strategic planning process as a council member.
“This is my first run at a city council position,” he said. “If I’m elected, my priorities are to see that we preserve what makes Redmond unique as the city plans for accommodating future growth in its two urban centers, the downtown and Overlake.”
Flynn said he is building his campaign around three key components.
“It will be vital for the city to have policies that support economic development, retain the beauty of our natural environment and build on connections in the community.”
Flynn, who has lived in Redmond since 1992, supports the use of traffic-enforcement cameras and does not believe the program is money motivated.
“I support it from a public safety issue, but I wouldn’t say it’s a money maker for the city. That was not the intent of the city council,” he said.
Flynn earns his money by making sure PSE plays by the rules as a compliance consultant for energy operations.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University, a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University and a doctorate in mythological studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He has been active in Redmond schools, serving as PTSA vice president at Einstein Elementary School and classroom reading mentor. His son, 22, and daughter, 19 both graduated from Redmond High School.
Flynn will graduate this month from Leadership Eastside’s (LE) three-year community leadership development program. In 2009, his LE project team worked with United Way, YWCA and Executive Service Corps to pilot a volunteer audit program for Hopelink, a Redmond-based social service agency.
Like Wright, Flynn supports the downtown development, including the Redmond Central Connector, an urban trail park that is currently in the planning stages. But he did say he would like to see more variety in the buildings downtown, adding that he feels transportation and parking will continue to be “big issues” for downtown.
