Katherine Quade asked the North Kitsap Herald if it was going to reiterate its support of her run for Mayor of Poulsbo. At first, we figured she had already received our endorsement and was “good to go.†But after some thought, we felt we’d repeat our primary reasoning as to why we support her. It comes down to vision. We feel she has the best grasp on the city’s needs and how to achieve them.
We also feel compelled to jog the public’s collective memory on the last few years of Poulsbo politics and raise a few questions.
City Councilman Mike Regis recently asked those who supported his failed run in the mayoral primary to back Bruce. He explained that he supported her because they shared a few core concerns about the community and she has provided “thoughtful leadership†throughout her time as mayor.
If Mike is such an advocate for DJ, why did he run against her not once, not twice, but three times? One would think if he really supported her leadership, he would have never sought to unseat her in the first place.
As far as that leadership goes, why in June of 2000 did DJ seek to supplant herself at the City of Poulsbo’s helm? Memories are short but we recall Mayor Bruce seeking to appoint a city administrator who would have pretty much taken over the business end of the city, leaving her with a “figurehead†role.
The proposal went to the voters in May 2001 and was downed by a 60-40 percent margin. Even so, we viewed this less as a vote in of confidence for Bruce than a vote to retain the office of mayor as created here. We also can’t help but wonder how DJ voted on it.