City of University Place

Incumbent Commissioner Dick Marzano is running to retain Port of Tacoma, Position 2. Marzano was first elected commissioner in 1995 and serves on the executive committee for the Puget Sound Regional Council. Before his career in public service, Marzano spent 52 years working in Tacoma as a longshoreman and was also the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23.

If re-elected, Marzano wants to prioritize environmental protections and job creation. With his background as a longshoreman, Marzano knows that the two issues are connected and that those who live and work near the port are directly affected by its environmental impact. However, Marzano has not been supportive of protecting our communities from pollution from the proposed LNG facility.

Mary Bacon is running for Port of Tacoma, Commissioner Position 4. Bacon is an environmental scientist, health physicist, and veteran. She served as the elected president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 12 where she advocated for workers’ rights during multiple successful contract negotiations.

If elected, Bacon hopes to address traffic congestion in and around the port, help foster greater economic growth, and ensure environmental stewardship that protects the unique estuarine ecosystem. She would prioritize science-backed climate policy and wants to see ports along the coast working together. Bacon has been endorsed by the Washington Conservation Voters, which sets her apart from her opponent despite listing similar platforms on their websites.

Incumbent commissioner Don Meyer is running to retain the Position 4 seat he assumed after first being elected in 2010. Before that, Meyer served as the deputy director of the Port of Tacoma and the executive director of the Foss Waterway Development Authority. If re-elected, he wants to continue pursuing a more conservative agenda focused on modernizing terminals and waterways, but also intends to limit revenue, putting many improvements beyond reach.

Mary Bacon is the best choice in this race to improve the port’s environment policies and advocate for the workers who keep Tacoma’s port running.

There are two candidates in the race for University Place School Board, Position 1: Ethelda Burke and Whitney Holz. We are not making a recommendation in this race. Voters should review the two candidates and pick the one whose values most align with their own.

The incumbent Burke has worked in public education for 40 years as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. She was elected to the school board in 2017 after being appointed in 2015. Burke previously served as a board member with the Tacoma Youth Symphony and United Way. If re-elected, she pledges to listen to the concerns of all citizens and maintain awareness of graduation rates and academic performances of students. In 2012, Burke resigned as superintendent of the Tukwila School District and in 2013 she was found to have created a hostile work environment for ten other employees by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (link: https://www.kiro7.com/news/us-govt-tukwila-school-district-employees-victims-/246019162/).

The other candidate in this race, Holz, helps run a local business. Her candidacy is largely based on opposing the age-appropriate sex-education programs adopted by Washington state voters last year. In addition to disapproving of this curriculum, Holz wants to encourage "unique and innovative" learning opportunities to prepare students for trades, business, the military, or continuing education.