Ex-Kent City Councilman Clark to run against Cooke for mayor

Tim Clark, a former Kent City Councilman and current Kent School Board member, is running for mayor against incumbent Suzette Cooke.

Clark said in a press release Wednesday that he decided to run for mayor “to get Kent back on track after news last year that the city’s bond rating had been downgraded due to increasing financial instability.”

New York-based Moody’s Investors Services downgraded the city’s bond rating last fall for the second time in 2012. Moody’s dropped the city to a Baa2 rating from A1 and gave the city a negative outlook to the rating for $72.9 million worth of limited tax general obligation bonds.

During his time on the council, Clark said he worked to balance the city budget, earning Kent the highest bond rating for a city of its size.

“I care deeply about our city and its residents,” Clark said in a prepared statement. “Now, I believe I can lead the city of Kent to achieve its full potential by building a climate of trust, respect, and reliability among city leaders who set the vision, city workers who implement the vision, businesses which serve our citizens, and most of all the people who live in Kent.”

Clark’s decision to run for mayor surprised Cooke. She announced last year that she would run for a third, four-year term.

“He (Clark) served on council for 16 or so years and never expressed any interest in being a mayor,” Cooke said in a phone interview. “He hasn’t talked to me since he’s been off the council about the city and I’m not aware of his involvement in any city issues.”

The former councilman had a quick response to Cooke’s comment.

“Why would I talk to the incumbent about why I’m going to take her out?” he said.

Cooke was first elected mayor in 2005 when she had 58 percent of the vote to beat Judy Woods. She received 68 percent of the votes in 2009 against challenger Jim Berrios. The role of mayor is a full-time position that pays $102,000 per year.

Clark served 16 years on the council before he decided not to run again in 2009. Instead, he was elected to the Kent School Board for a four-year term. He taught social studies for 12 years in the Kent School District before retiring in 1999. He also has worked as a history instructor at Green River Community College in Auburn and Highline Community College in Des Moines.

Cooke said as far as she knows Clark lacks any background in running an organization.

“The No. 1 question I will ask the public is what experience does Tim have as an executive officer?” Cooke said. “The mayor’s job is not making policy but implementing policy. I know of no experience Tim has had overseeing employees unless there’s something in his past I don’t know about.”

Any lack of a job to oversee employees shouldn’t deter voters, Clark said.

“That’s a very minor point,” he said. “A person in charge of the city has to understand the challenges and manage them and that’s where her credibility comes into question.”

Clark announced his campaign for mayor on St. Patrick’s Day at a gathering in his home with friends and supporters. He expects his campaign website timclark2013.com to be up next week. Cooke’s website is suzettecooke.com.

Clark said while on the council he was instrumental in creating the Kent Station shopping mall project, supported the implementation of neighborhood councils, bringing bicycle police to the city and improving traffic corridors along South 272nd Street, South 196th Street and South 228th Street.

Former Kent Mayor Jim White has endorsed Clark’s campaign. White served 12 years as mayor before deciding in 2005 not to run again.

“Tim has the budget know-how, commitment to Kent’s quality of life, and the ability to bring people together to get things done,” White said in a statement released by Clark. “He is exactly what our city needs now.”

Kent resident and business owner Anne Timlick, who has worked with Clark for more than 20 years, also gave her support to the former councilman.

“I know Tim Clark will be an exceptional mayor,” Timlick said in a prepared statement. “Tim interacts with others with characteristic thoughtfulness and respect. An honest strategist, he brings a depth of experience, discernment and care to the big issues facing Kent today.”

Clark and his wife, Jo Ladd Clark, are both retired educators and are involved in numerous community service organizations and activities. As grandparents of four children living in Kent, Clark said they are committed to leaving the city a better place for the generations to come.

Clark said he is well known for his environmental advocacy, especially in restoring salmon runs and preserving wildlife habitat. He added that along with his election committee Tim Clark for Mayor, he has a broad base of supporters and contributors.

He plans to run an aggressive campaign through November, speaking with voters at their doors, securing key endorsements and raising the resources needed to win.