3 candidates vying to fill Deer Park City Council seat after death of councilman
The race for Deer Park City Council Position 6 features three candidates all fresh to the political scene.
Tony Bailey, David Aufdencamp and Robert Whaley are vying for the seat held by Ross Hall, who died in June.
Bailey has lived in Deer Park for the past two years, but has considered Spokane to be his “home base” since 2000. Born and raised in a small town in Tennessee, Bailey was attracted to Deer Park for its peace, quiet and small-town feel that reminds him of where he was born.
Bailey said he does not identify with a political party, but instead would like to be labeled as a nonpartisan working for the people of Deer Park. He said he wants the city to have a better plan for development and growth. He’s concerned that all of the developable land in Deer Park will be built out without a good plan for the future.
When Aufdencamp isn’t volunteering or running his campaign, he’s fulfilling his duties as the director of Graduate Medical Education at Washington State University. Aufdencamp oversees three residency programs and a fellowship program for graduate students.
Aufdencamp has lived in Deer Park for five years. He said he wants to ensure the health, safety and wellness of Deer Park’s residents.
Whaley has lived in Deer Park for most of his life. The 38-year-old has dealt with multiple health problems since turning 30 that he said shifted his mindset on what’s important. He’s concerned for his kids, who are going to grow up in the Deer Park community.
“I started going to the city council meetings a little over a year ago and I had more questions than answers,” Whaley said. “So I decided instead of sitting around and trying to ask these questions, why don’t I do something about it and get more involved?“
Whaley said that the current council is not doing a good enough job of addressing the grievances of citizens. He wants more communication and transparency between the council and the people of Deer Park.
Deer Park continues to grow, and opinions differ on the town’s public safety contract with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office .
Bailey said he supports the creation of a Deer Park police force. Deer Park pays about $900,000 a year for the use and equipment of three county deputies. Nearby towns, such as Chewelah, spend less money on policing than Deer Park but have more officers.
Whaley said response time is too long, and he’s concerned that any crimes committed will be over by the time a deputy arrives.
Whaley favors revising the current contract to require an officer to be stationed permanently in Deer Park over establishing a police force and raising taxes.
He’s also sought to remove criminal convictions from his record following a 2007 incident.
Whaley was driving a white Suburban when two of his friends insisted they wanted to mug someone. According to court documents, Whaley parked his car, stood by the driver’s side door and watched as two of his friends, armed with a baseball bat and a piece of metal piping, walked up to a man on the street and demanded the man hand over the backpack he was carrying.
Whaley was found guilty of first-degree theft and third-degree assault and sentenced to three months in jail. In May, Whaley filed a motion to vacate and have his full rights restored. The next week, Whaley filed to run for the city council seat. On Thursday, Judge Andrew Van Winkle signed off on Whaley’s vacate order, shifting the plea from guilty to not guilty.
“I have nothing to hide, but the moral of the story is wrong place, wrong time,” Whaley said. “By the time everything was done, I was so confused. It was my first time ever getting in trouble. It was kind of scary for me and my family at the time … It was a lesson learned. I always tell my girls, be careful of the people who you hang out with because it’s a costly lesson, especially when you didn’t do anything.”
Aufdencamp said Deer Park should look at the feasibility, cost and effectiveness of continuing Deer Park’s contract with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office versus creating a police force .
One of Aufdencamp’s priorities is to deal with the rapid growth of the city, particularly traffic control.
“I’m hearing Deer Park is not a business-friendly community to deal with,” Aufdencamp said. “I’d like to understand why that perception exists. I would like to look at some of the things that the businesses struggle with. Why can’t they establish? Or why does it take them longer than they think it should? And let’s try to collectively remove the barriers so we have good and responsible growth and with the infrastructure to support that.”
Aufdencamp is involved in several volunteer efforts in Deer Park. Three months ago, he became a member of the Deer Park Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Task Force, which is charged with developing and updating a parks plan .
Aufdencamp also volunteers on Wednesdays as a cook for the Deer Park Order of Fraternal Eagles.
Before moving to Deer Park, Aufdencamp had experience in mechanical engineering as both an engineer and a manager. Once the factory where he worked moved to Mexico, Aufdencamp transferred into health care. He believes his skill set in engineering, process improvement, project management and strategic planning are ideal for the city council position.
“I just think it’s really important for people to vote in local elections and get involved,” Aufdencamp said. “Council meetings are open to the public. People should attend. They’re a great learning opportunity and opportunity for people to voice their opinion.”
Bailey works as a project manager for a commercial general construction company called Yost Gallagher. In addition to this job, Bailey owns a building in downtown Deer Park with three businesses renting out the ground floor and multiple tenants inhabiting the second floor. He said his experience managing large capital expenditures, dealing with vast amounts of data and overseeing massive construction projects makes him a good fit for the city council.
Bailey is concerned about the overall connectivity of safe pathways within Deer Park. He noted that some roads in Deer Park have sidewalks, and others don’t. He would like to see a comprehensive plan that defines both bike and walking paths. Bailey said he believes creating a better flow for getting people across the city could lend itself to business growth.
“A city should always be minimum five, but ideally 10, years ahead of growth within their boundaries so that the system is never overtaxed and then the current citizens don’t suffer from lack of strategic planning,” Bailey said.
Bailey has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, where he’s helped to build three homes over the years. Bailey also volunteers for Generation Alive.
Whaley believes that Deer Park is growing too fast and is lacking the proper infrastructure to sustain its growth. Adding water towers, fixing sewer lines and buying water rights should have been done before all the houses started popping up in Deer Park, he said.
New, expensive, multibedroom houses that continue to be built in Deer Park do not adequately represent the needs and desires of residents looking for a place to live, he said.
In a GOP meet-and-greet, which resulted in 44 of the 50 attendee votes going his way , Whaley said he presented three issues that he wanted to work on: the sheriff’s contract, fireworks and chickens.
Whaley said Deer Park residents should be able to buy and shoot fireworks, as well as own chickens on residential property.
Since he turned 30, Whaley has experienced a string of health issues, including a stroke, spinal meningitis and multiple sclerosis. He also had a tumor removed from his throat. Whaley said his perspective on life has changed and he’s committed to improving his community. Whaley believes his down-to-Earth nature, willingness to do his homework on issues with which he’s unfamiliar and a desire to improve his community make him a great candidate.
“I want my kids to know that Dad was something,” Whaley said. “When you’ve been sitting on your deathbed three times before your 40s, you get to start thinking about life a little differently. So I want my kids, when I’m gone, to think that I was something. I tried to be something or I made a difference. I want them to grow up here in Deer Park. I want to make them feel at home here.”
Ballots have been mailed for the Deer Park City Council primary. The last day to register to vote online or by mail is Monday. Ballots are due by Aug. 5.