There’s an interesting — and, at times, confusing — shakeup underway on the Chehalis City Council.
Though three seats will be subject to reelection this November, only one has garnered the attention of two candidates.
That seat is currently held by Mayor Dennis Dawes, the longtime public servant who earlier this year announced he would retire from the council at the end of his term. Councilor Terry Harris, who was ousted just a couple years ago by voters, and challenger Kate McDougall, a mental health specialist who worked for Harborview Medical Center, are both vying for the seat.
This year’s general election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 2. The candidate who receives a majority of the votes cast in the race will be elected to a four-year term starting January 2022.
But there’s also an interesting bit happening with Councilor Mike Bannan’s seat, which is currently occupied by Harris, who was appointed earlier this month. Because Bannan has registered, but isn’t running for his first full term, it’s possible the loser of the Harris-McDougall race could be appointed by the council to a short two-year term in lieu of Bannan.
Harris, who had previously served on the city council for 16 years, was looking to get back on the council after being ousted by Councilor Jerry Lord in 2019. He currently works as a self-employed barber and was appointed to Bannan’s empty seat on the council.
During his long tenure on council, Harris served as mayor pro-tem. He’s also served as a chair on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, on the Chehalis Basin Partnership board, the Solid Waste Advisory Committee and as a member on the city’s parks and budget committees.
He’s also an avid soccer fan and supporter, having volunteered as a WIAA soccer referee and served as a commissioner on the American Youth Soccer Organization.
Harris told The Chronicle Editorial Board during a debate that he’s looking for another term on the council because he is driven to perform public service.
“I know what the inner workings are, I know how things work, I know the powers that be. I understand the difficulties, the challenges and the successes that we’ve had in the past,” Harris said, adding later: “I absolutely love it, and it’s that dedication and that commitment is what makes me assured that I can still take care of the people of Chehalis like I have in the past.”
Harris has touted his continued work on a number of boards as a citizen as an example of his continued service despite not being reelected
On the topic of supporting new and existing businesses in Chehalis, Harris said it’s important to think of the city as two different sectors: the nationally-known, big-box business sector east of Interstate 5 and the small business sector that makes up the downtown area.
Both have different needs.
The former councilor said, if elected, he would prioritize city budgeting and fiscal responsibility.
McDougall, who moved here almost three years ago with her husband, said she plans on being in the community a long time, and that she’s developed a love for the area. She and her husband plan to eventually take over her in-laws’ organic beef farm, Olson Family Farm, off Kirkland Road, and she’s looking to become more involved in the community.
One particular priority for her is to address low housing inventory and to improve access to mental health resources.
“I’m sick of seeing people fall through the cracks. I’ve seen it for years and years and years, and I’m over it,” McDougall said, adding later: “I think the things that I can learn, and the things that I can give, are instrumental, and I think I have a niche that would be helpful to city council and would better our community in that way.”
If elected, she said she also plans on prioritizing public safety and developing city infrastructure.
McDougall, who is a current student at Centralia College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied management, has had an extensive career in the health care field. Some of her past positions, according to the voter’s pamphlet, include an adolescent autism interventionist with Arizona Autism United, mental health specialist at Harborview Medical Center, program manager at the University of Washington and for Seattle Cancer Care Alliance’s acute myeloid leukemia division and as a discharge coordinator at Cascade Community Healthcare.
Speaking on the topic of addressing homelessness, Harris said they need to give those struggling a “hand up, not a hand out.” He said he hasn’t yet seen a model that works in the Chehalis community to address homelessness, though that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
McDougall said people experiencing homelessness struggle with more than just mental health — there are also barriers with insurance, health care and an overall stigma around asking for help.
“It’s so multi-generational and there are so many aspects to it,” McDougall said, adding that the best way to address it is to “create resources, create safe places where people don’t feel ashamed … If they don’t feel like there’s anywhere to turn, it’s just a perpetuating cycle.”
McDougall said the city could do a better job on vetting its contractors, referring to the recent cost overrun on the Pacific Avenue reconstruction project that resulted in the city paying an extra $215,000 in soil work, and she would also like to see the city be better prepared for growth.
Harris said he would like to see some changes to city personnel, noting that the city has lost a lot of institutional knowledge.
“The direction that I see is that we need to restrengthen every department in the city and get everybody on the same road, where staff is supporting leadership and leadership is support staff in each and every department,” he said.
The topic of downtown parking also came up during the debate.
Harris said the problem ebbs and flows, and that there will never quite be a perfect answer to addressing the issue. McDougall said the city could look at constructing parking lots further from downtown, then utilizing transit systems to get to the downtown core or walk.
Bob Spahr is the other incumbent who is running for another term on the Chehalis City Council. He’s running again for his at-large seat representing Council Position No. 3. He has no opponent.
Spahr said he’s running again “because I enjoy it and I like seeing what’s going on in the community, and I’d like to be a part of it for another four years. We’ve got a lot of good things done, we’ve got more to do, and it all takes time — and I’m still young.”
Spahr was originally elected to the Chehalis City Council in 1985 and has served periodically since.
All registered Lewis County voters should have already received a ballot by mail for the general election, according to the Lewis County Auditor’s Office. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2 or in a county-certified election drop box by 8 p.m. on election night.
Voters can confirm their ballot status after submission by going online to www.votewa.gov.
The last day to register or update voter registration online or by mail to vote in the Nov. 2 election is Oct. 25. Washington state voters can still show up in-person at their local auditor’s office to register or change their address up until 8 p.m. on election day.
