Two races set for Kent City Council; three incumbents running unopposed

Voters will pick from more than one candidate in just two races this year for the Kent City Council as three incumbents are running unopposed.

Four people are running for the seat held by Deborah Ranniger, who decided not to see reelection. Her term ends in December.

Councilwoman Brenda Fincher, who was appointed last year to her position, faces challenger Toni Troutner in the Nov. 3 general election for the remaining two years on the four-year term.

Nobody registered by the May 15 deadline with King County Elections to run against incumbents Les Thomas, Bill Boyce and Dana Ralph. The council seats are four-year terms and the part-time positions pay $13,752 per year.

The candidates to replace Ranniger are Bailey Stober, Rich Brandau, Hira Singh Bhullar and Tina Budell. They will face off in an Aug. 4 primary. The two with the most votes in the primary will advance to the general election.

This marks the third council race for Stober. He lost races in 2013 against Ken Sharp and in 2011 against Ranniger. He lives on the East Hill and works as a communications and marketing consultant for several small businesses and a political client.

“Over the past two years I’ve talked to seniors, young folks, families and business owners and one thing is clear: they are ready for a fresh perspective on the Kent City Council,” Stober said in an email.

Stober remains under investigation by the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), which is looking into a January 2014 complaint that Stober failed to file expense reports during his campaign against Sharp.

The commission’s goal is believed to be to finish the investigation and determine whether to issue any charges within the next 30 days, said Lori Anderson, PDC spokeswoman, last week. If the commission issue charges, a hearing date will be set.

Brandau is retired and has lived in Kent for 20 years. He served 22 years in the Air Force as a navigator, a command and control duty controller and a contract division chief before retiring as a Lt. Colonel. His contract division helped manage $4 billion in contracts. After retiring from the Air Force, he was hired by Boeing in the marketing department for proposal development and moved to Kent in 1995. He later joined a consulting firm and has 14 years of business management experience.

“I decided to run because I wanted to help be part of the solution to the issues facing the city,” Brandau said in an email.

Bhullar is a member of Kent’s Sikh community and a software developer at Starbucks. He lives on the East Hill and also teaches at the Punjabi School in south King County which teaches children computer literacy, music education, language and religion.

“We need to build a safe and thriving city by making our diversity a strength,” Bhullar said in a press release. “The city can do a better job supporting Kent families with programs to help children and parents succeed, creating good jobs and providing opportunities to empower every citizen to participate. We can start by electing a diverse city council that reflects all of Kent. That’s why I’m running.”

Budell was one of seven finalists picked by the council before it appointed Fincher in February 2014 to replace Sharp, who resigned after two weeks in office because of theft charges for stealing money from his mother. Budell has lived in Kent for eight years and serves as president of the North Park Neighborhood Council. North Park is just east of the ShoWare Center.

Troutner, a market research analyst with a small business in Kent, is making her first run for an elected office.

“As your councilwoman, I will bring new ideas and a fresh approach to the council,” said Troutner, who has lived in Kent for more than 15 years, in a press release. “Through my connections with the local PTA, the faith community, and through activities my children have been involved in over the years, I bring experience in building partnerships and working with diverse groups in our community.”

Fincher, an administrative assistant at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, was required to run to keep her seat since she was an appointee by the council to replace Sharp. She plans an emphasis on public safety.

“I want to make sure (police) are equipped with what we expect them to do and make sure they have what they need,” she said.

Kent City Council candidates

• Position No. 1

Bailey Stober

Rich Brandau

Tina Budell

Hira Singh Bhullar

• Position No. 3

Les Thomas

• Position No. 5

Bill Boyce

• Position No. 6

(unexpired 2-year term)

Brenda Fincher

Toni Troutner

• Position No. 7

Dana Ralph