Mercer Island City Council Race: Mark Coen Vs. Benson Wong

MERCER ISLAND, WA - For the position 6 seat on the City Council, incumbent Benson Wong is being challenged this year by Mark Coen. Both have lived on Mercer Island for more than a decade, and both are prioritizing issues like Town Center development and transportation.

In late September, Patch sent local candidates questionnaires to help voters decide who they want to pick. We did not edit the answers and allowed candidates to write as much or as little as they wanted. Here are the answers from Coen and Wong:

Mark Coen

Why did you decide to run for this seat? For incumbent candidates, what made you decide to run for reelection?

I’m running in this race because of my passion for Mercer Island coupled with my frustration with many of the decisions that have been made by our current Council. I might be new to the political process but I’m definitely not ignorant about what it feels like to be one of many citizens who has felt the stress of poor decisions and lack of transparency that have impacted mobility, the Town Center and residential development, and our poor financial health. This has contributed to the divisiveness in our community and distrust of our Council. My expertise is in crisis management and feel I can decrease polarization and work to rebuild the trust of citizens so we can be a more unified and stronger community.

If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what’s one thing you would fix or change about your city?

I would like Mercer Island to be a much more progressive city in terms of sustainability. We should be working towards a long-term goal that increases our financial, environmental and social/emotional/mental health and well-being as many cities already do around us. I have been a strong advocate for responsible and conscientious growth that protects and preserves our neighborhoods. I have also been a proponent of tree protection due to the many attributes trees contribute to the aforementioned goal. I am also excited to bring an autonomous, electric shuttle presentation to the Island on October 20th at the Mercer Island Community Center to champion this great cause of sustainability.

What’s the most prominent issue facing your city right now and what can you do about it?

The City is headed for a financial crisis and must pass two property tax levies next year. This is on top of the ST3 tax and the Mcleary decision to fund public education. If both our levies pass, that will significantly impact our property tax. Citizens have a right to question what services their taxes are paying for, especially concerning how we have wound up in this dire situation amidst the biggest real estate boom in recent history. Why has our current Council not anticipated and planned for this crisis 4 years ago? We need to take a close look at streamlining City finances so we don’t overtax residents.

Assuming the city you live in is your favorite in the state, what’s your second favorite city in Washington state and why?

I would have to say it would be the Olga neighborhood in Eastsound on Orcas Island. Life has stayed virtually the same in Olga for the 20 years I have been visiting, and probably long before that. The post office is a 10x10 cabin, the locals get together for potluck, there’s not a dog leash in sight and the ‘country store’ has been vacant for as long as I remember due to lack of business. It’s kind of comforting to have predictability in this rapidly changing environment.

Do you think the city budget is in decent shape? Why or why not?

No, the budget is in terrible shape. We will likely always be an economy that relies on property taxes due to our small retail base; however, we owe it to citizens to take a look at expenditures before raising taxes. There are many seniors on the Island living in valuable homes but are cash poor. They want to age in place but will not be able to afford to with increased taxes. We also must be able to streamline our operations without losing valuable entities like our Youth and Family services counselors in our schools. Kids growing up in affluent communities can have significant mental health issues that need to be addressed proactively.

If you could pick one thing for the city to stop spending money on, what would it be?

I think it’s shortsighted to spend the money we received from Sound Transit on parking spaces. When the Bellevue Park and ride is completed, our parking needs will actually decrease in the future. I think the goal should be to decrease cars in the Town Center because the traffic congestion increases safety risk and impacts businesses. We need to have a more pedestrian friendly center, which is why I have suggested a shuttle system.

If you could increase spending on one thing, what would it be?

We are in one of the greatest technology hubs of the word and yet we don’t capitalize on it like we should. We need to think out of the box, especially when it comes to mobility. There is no reason that we cannot have a shuttle system on the Island. Autonomous shuttles are already in use around the world from San Francisco to Rotterdam. Their low operating costs will transform how we use Park & Ride facilities and transit and provide mobility options to people without cars, seniors, and the most vulnerable members of our community. This would be a great use of our Sound Transit money. Please attend the Oct 20 th presentation at the Mercer Island Community Center from 10:30-12;30 to learn about the future of Mercer island transportation.

King County is planning to open a safe-injection site somewhere in the county. Do you think providing a safe-injection site will help reduce overdose deaths? Do you support one in your city? Why or why not?

I believe that the harm reduction model has a place in the greater picture of treating the opioid epidemic, but I think the scope of efficacy is limited. It is true that safe-injection sites do their part to reduce deaths; but the average user will inject 15 times a day and won’t always make it to these sites. I would rather see funding be channeled towards preventative measures in much the same way that the ACES study (Adverse Childhood Experiences) approach has successfully addressed issues at the root of their cause. Therefore, I would not support safe-injection sites for our city.

In your free time, what’s your favorite thing to do locally?

There’s nothing that gives me more peace than walking my dog through the woods. There’s not a day that has gone by while living here that I have not stopped to reflect how lucky we are to be surrounded by such beauty and abundance of natural resources. I know that sounds cliché but after living in Los Angeles for many years, I’ve earned the right to be effusive about my love for the Pacific Northwest.

When you go to a coffee shop, what drink do you usually get?

I have a sugar addiction so don’t usually make it past the lemon or pumpkin pound cake.

Benson Wong

Why did you decide to run for this seat? For incumbent candidates, what made you decide to run for reelection?

While my wife and I were born and raised in Seattle, we have lived on Mercer Island for over 33 years and raised our two children on the Island. The reason why I ran four years ago was because of my love for my community and my commitment to public service. During my first term on the City Council it was extremely busy. We dealt with many issues. Some of them were local to the Island and other issues such as transportation were regional in nature. Given the complexity of some of these issues, the City Council is still working on addressing them. One of the primary reasons for deciding to run for a second term is my desire to work on these unresolved issues. I believe that my legal training and experience on the City Council means that there will be no learning curve.

If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what’s one thing you would fix or change about your city?

While nothing happens with a “snap of your fingers,” I hope that during the next four years I can help address the concerns and distrust that some members of our community have about City Council deliberations and about city government. Relatively, the discourse on Mercer Island about issues is civil and respectful. I want to ensure that such discourse continues. However, we all need to be concerned about the transparency of government at all levels. Already we have taken new steps on how to inform and engage the public. For instance, the city has produced videos available on the city website explaining recent changes to the residential development code, and conducted a “Telephone Town Hall” where individuals called in with questions about the city’s financial challenges.

What is the most prominent issue facing your city right now and what can you do about it?

The most prominent issue that Mercer Island will be facing during the next few years is addressing its financial challenges. While financial challenges face every community, our situation is exacerbated because of our over-dependence upon property tax to provide revenue to our general fund and other funds. Our city does not have a large commercial center as many other cities do. Therefore, we do not receive a significant amount of revenue from sales tax and business & occupation tax. The statutory one percent annual cap on property tax increase (with some additional increase for new construction) raises revenue at a lower rate than the city’s current projected increase of operating expenses. The city’s finance director foresees significant deficits in the city’s general fund and youth and family services fund starting in 2019 and continuing beyond unless the city cuts operating expenses, finds another source of revenue, or does a combination of both.

The City Council has approved a public engagement plan led by our city manager to discuss the city’s financial challenges over the next several months. For me and the rest of the City Councilmembers to make well-informed decisions about how to address the city’s looming financial challenges, we need to listen to the community and understand (i) the service levels that the community wants and expects, (ii) the cost of providing those service levels, (iii) whether the delivery of services by city government can be done more efficiently than today, and (iv) whether there are other possible cost saving measures without degrading the community’s desired service levels.

With additional information gathered through this public engagement process, the City Council can discuss with community input the different scenarios on how to stabilize the city’s finances.

Assuming the city, you live in is your favorite in the state, what’s your second favorite city in Washington state and why?

Seattle would be my second favorite city. I grew up on Capitol Hill and attended Seattle public schools (graduating from Franklin High School). I continue to work in a law firm in downtown Seattle. While Seattle has always been a significant commercial center for the Pacific Northwest, I have seen Seattle grow into an important international city and become a link between the United States and Asia. I find the growth in jobs in this area and in the cosmopolitan nature of Seattle to be dynamic and exciting, but not without its challenges. As a region, we need to continue to address our shared transportation problems to ensure mobility and how to address the affordable housing crisis.

Do you think the city budget is in decent shape? Why or why not?

Please see my response to the question, “What’s the most prominent issue facing your city right now and what can you do about it?” I consider how the City Council stabilizes the city’s budget a top priority in order to maintain the community’s desired service levels.

If you could pick one thing for the city to stop spending money on, what would it be?

As with most city budgets, a large portion is spent on personnel, e.g., salaries and benefits. On the city’s website is some information stating that the city’s staffing level is on the lower end relative to nearby cities. However, the amount of “fat” that the city has in its budget is unclear. Determining if there are efficiencies and if there are best practices that can be adopted that will reduce the city’s operating expenses will be part of the public engagement process discussed above.

During my first term, the city has been involved in some litigation. Most notably the lawsuit involving Sound Transit. Hopefully during the next four years the number of lawsuits involving the city and the amount of legal fees paid by the city will be significantly reduced.

If you could increase spending on one thing, what would it be?

This is a difficult question to answer given the financial challenges facing the city. If the city had another source of revenue (for instance if the community passes a levy lid lift that provides additional monies for the general fund), I would want to ensure that the program by which the city provides counselors to the students of the Island’s school district is fully funded. While the question only asked about “one thing,” I believe we also need to spend additional funds (if we have it) on improving the Island’s emergency preparedness by helping neighborhoods organize themselves since access to and from the Island may be cut off for a prolonged time if the two bridges connecting the Island are damaged.

King County is planning to open a safe-injection site somewhere in the county. Do you think providing a safe-injection site will help reduce overdose deaths? Do you support one in your city? Why or why not?

While I have not had an opportunity to study this issue in depth, I know the evidence is clear that we have an epidemic and an alarming number of deaths related to opioid addiction. A safe-injection site is one option to address the epidemic and currently Vancouver, B.C. is the only site in North America.
I don’t believe the community would support siting a safe-injection site on Mercer Island and I also do not support one in the city. Since the King County Council voted not to spend any money on establishing injection sites unless a city’s elected officials explicitly approve hosting one, this is an issue that will not come before the Mercer Island City Council.

In your free time, what’s your favorite thing to do locally?

When I do have some free time, a favorite indoor activity is reading and a favorite outdoor activity is playing golf (although I fully acknowledge I need to play more to improve my game).

When you go to a coffee shop, what drink do you usually get?

I make it simple. I love a short cup of coffee with no room. In enjoy the taste of black coffee without mixing in other assorted flavors.

Image via Patch.com