FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 24, 2009

Contact:    

Gabe Meyer

Chair, CEC Program

(206) 999-4071

On September 24th, the Municipal League of King County released the evaluations of candidates running for King County Assessor and for Bellevue City Council Position 7.  The ratings are below and also available online at www.munileague.org.

The King County Assessor is on the ballot in November after the resignation of Scott Noble.  The untimely death of Bellevue City Council member Phil Noble also created an opening with three candidates running to fill Noble’s seat.

Gabe Meyer, chair of the League’s Candidate Evaluation program described rating these races:  “We are glad to be able to put a special committee together to rate these candidates under unusual circumstances. The “Winner-Take-All” format makes it even more important that voters have unbiased, non-partisan information to let them know who’s ready to serve.” 

The candidates were researched by volunteer investigators, completed a detailed questionnaire and sat for an interview before the special committee. The committee then reviewed the gathered information and developed a rating based on a candidate’s involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge related to the specific office they seek.

The Municipal League’s time-tested methodology – this is the 99th year of the League’s candidate evaluations – is a key to the importance of the evaluations in King County civic affairs.  Chair of the Municipal League, Brad Meacham said, “We have checks and balances built into our system that ensure individual volunteers’ preferences do not sway the ratings. Candidates understand this and vast majority of them choose to participate. The end product, the ratings we released today, is an extremely useful tool for voters, especially under these circumstances.”

KING COUNTY ASSESSOR

Graham Albertini     Very Good
Bob Blanchard     Insufficient Info
Lloyd Hara         Good
Gene Lux         Not Qualified
Bob Rosenberger     Very Good

BELLEVUE CITY COUNCIL POS. 7

Mike Creighton     Outstanding
Betina Finley         Very Good
Jennifer Robertson     Outstanding


About the Municipal League
The Municipal League of King County is a nonpartisan volunteer organization that has worked to ensure good government that is open, effective and accountable since 1910. The Municipal League is dedicated to improving the caliber of public officials and the quality of public decisions. See www.munileague.org.