Deer Park’s City Council elections are right around the corner, and it’s important to be informed about what’s going on. People running for City Council must be registered between May 13th and May 17th.
“You get registered to run through Spokane County Elections.org, there’s a fee to get registered, it’s 1% of the pay, the pay is $200 a month. Once you register, you must then file that with the elections committee’” says Mayor Tim Verzal. “The terms are 4 years, and the job is to vote on things that affect our community. The seats open for election are Seat 2, 4, and 5”.
It’s important to be involved in our community, and a big way all of us can do that is by voting. The City Council’s job is essentially, to represent our community and vote for us. Therefore, it’s important to have someone trustworthy and someone who knows what they’re doing.
Of the seats open for elections Dee Cragun holds seat 2, Don Stevens; 4, and Joe Polowski; 5. Dee Cragun has confirmed she is running again, Don Stevens has confirmed he is not, and Joe Polowski has not decided. “If you want to have any voice in what’s going on, it’s certainly important to vote,” says Polowski. “At the same time, sometimes people vote randomly, without knowing what they’re truly voting on, so I think it’s important to be educated and to vote.”
It is important to be informed when you vote, and sometimes it’s hard to know all your options beforehand. Caleb Stapp, writer for the Deer Park Gazette, is running for City Council seat 4. With that, he expresses the importance of voting and political participation. “I’m called to love my neighbor and to pray for my city to prosper. Those two duties make me want to take full advantage of voting and participation at some level, since I have the privilege of living in a time and place where I get to help choose our leaders and laws,” says Stapp. “I will become a member of the Deer Park City Council as a voice for young families, a community leader focused on drawing people together, and as a skilled administrator with practical leadership experience.”
It seems like we have quite a few writers making a difference in our community, as Richard Schut, owner of the Deer Park Gazette, holds seat 3 in our city council.
Our Deer Park City Council invites the public to attend any of the council meetings, which are held every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 7pm. Come down and ask questions, be informed, and use your voice to make a difference in our community.
