Leavenworth City Council Candidates

CITY OF LEAVENWORTH---Council Member #2

 

Max Kyllonen:

 

Max Kyllonen is the owner of the Gingerbread Factory, the Andreas Keller restaurant, and Mozart's Steakhouse. His family is a staple within the Leavenworth community. As such, Max Kyllonen threw his Bavarian-styled hat into the ring for Leavenworth City Council position #2.

Kyllonen sees a dire need for updated beautification of the downtown area and for street maintenance to be maintained.

"Walking around town, I see potholes in streets still and the flags back here in town are kind of flapping off the posts. We're going backwards," Kyllonen remarked. "I still live here, I still want to continue to live here." 

Kyllonen is a big supporter of tourism and thinks that Leavenworth's hospitality is the backbone of the city.

"Coming here it's a whole different world," Kyllonen said. "It's important that in the act of service, that we have a nice place for these people from Seattle (which are probably becoming the economy of the state for a big part) to have a place to come hang out."

When it comes to issues like the Osborn property, Kyllonen doesn't believe that it can be accomplished with the current council budget just from the sheer size and scale the project would entail.

"If we're going to do something as big and grandiose as that, we need a way to pay for that and the way that we're paying for that currently is taxes, which is received through tourism," Kyllonen explained. "If you want your goodies, you need to be able to pay for it because we're not fed."

With Leavenworth's housing crisis, Kyllonen thinks that the solution lies with remodelling and improving upon existing property, rather than building new developments that will ultimately cost more and bring in less income.

"As much as I support people being able to live here still, I also want what's here still to look nice and function," Kyllonen said. "That product is not available so people are raising rates, and prices, that are here because they can't get it. It's not just currency inflation, it's also lack of supply wherein the demand is increasing."

He notes that voters can look forward to his spirit of responsibility, experience with crisis management, ability to make important decisions under intense pressure, and learning the first time from any mistakes made.

"Generally wanting, as best we can, everyone to do the best they can here in this town," he said.

He also notes how his experience volunteering with the community and his local Nazarene church, his involvement with Projekt Bayern, and his overall Bavarian attitude makes him a good fit for Leavenworth City Council.

If you would like to learn more about Max Kyllonen, you can contact him at maxforleavenworthcouncil@gmail.com.

Zeke Reister:

 

Zeke Reister is a long-time Leavenworth resident and is the incumbent for Leavenworth City Council position #2. 

 

He is well-known for his grassroot efforts within Leavenworth Neighbors Unite, where he accumulated 300 signatures to prevent absentee short-term rental usage within city limits. Reister has maintained his fervent mission to increase affordable housing development within Leavenworth.

 

"I was born in this town, grew up in the Upper Valley since what this place was 50 years ago, and though it's not that anymore, it certainly is worth hanging onto a sense of that community and what reinforces it," Reister said.

 

He hopes to continue advocating for neighborhood issues and to uphold quality of life. He recognizes the importance of tourism but wants to maintain peaceful cohabitation between businesses and residential neighborhoods.

 

"The thriving industry, or tourist industry, has brought issues of parking, some overcrowding, but it's also allowed us to finance things we couldn't otherwise do," Reister said.

 

Key issues that Reister hopes to tackle in his next term are parking equitability, assuring the proper management of the river, and status of the Osborn property. 

 

"We have an idea of what they want, but now it's time to put some of that into play and look for staffing or possibly volunteers," Reister said regarding the Osborn property.

 

Lastly, his no. 1 issue to tackle is affordable housing, something that has further escalated demand now that many people are looking to live within city limits.

 

"The world showed up in Leavenworth during COVID," Reister remarked. "There's a broad spectrum of incomes in this town that all contribute to a community."

 

He notes that people should look for accessibility and responsiveness when voting for him as a candidate.

 

"I just want this little city of 2,200 people is just more than a tourist experience. We're a neighborhood raising kids, operating businesses, and wanting to sustain a lifestyle that we came here to live [for]," Reister stated. "We want to hold onto that lifestyle."

 

If you want to learn more about Zeke Reister, you can contact him at zreister@gmail.com

 

 CITY OF LEAVENWORTH---Council Member #6

 

Clint Strand:

 

Clint Strand is the incumbent for Leavenworth City Council Position #6 and currently works as the Director of Public Relations for Cascade Medical, and the former News Director for KOHO 101.1. Strand is delighted to run for a second term and hopes to continue civic dialogue.

 

"One of the things that irks me, when I look at my ballot is when I see a number of uncontested races," Strand states. "That means people don't have a choice, so I would just encourage people to look at the candidates, look at who aligns best with your vision moving forward for Leavenworth and vote, not just in my race but in all the races."

 

His goal for city council is to continue to find a common goal between the business and residential camps.

 

"There is a perception that you are either with the business community or you are with the community that lives here, and I think that both sides can work for each other," Strand said. "They can work together, sometimes it feels like they are in tension and I think the important work is making sure that the business community and this economic engine is in service to our community"

 

He states that one of Leavenworth's biggest issues lies in the heart of the residential community, the Osborn property. He is excited to see what the property has to offer and has been actively watching its development from it's very first introduction.

 

"Four years ago when I decided to run, knowing that that property was coming up for surplus, it was a huge jewel for our community, Strand said. "The question is what do we do with it?"

 

He maintains his neutral stance throughout the increasingly polarizing topics surrounding COVID-19 and hopes to weather through the difficult challenges it brings.

 

"Everyone has had to pivot, and turn on a dime. Whether that is day-to-day issues or long-term priorities that have needed to be triaged," Strand said. "I'm looking forward to moving forward to the next four years where it's not sucking up, literally and figuratively, all the oxygen in the room and we can devote more of our resources to truly building this community in all its forms."

 

Strand notes the learning curve city council can bring for a new-coming candidate, but reassures that democracy is working properly if people keep bringing up new perspectives.

 

"When some candidates run, they have a 'pet-issue.' I'm running on the fact that I don't have a pet issue, I have a perspective, and my perspective is one on ballots."

 

He encourages people to vote for a Leavenworth they would like to see in the future and to stay informed on things that matter to them.

 

"Leavenworth is just at a real pivotal moment right now and we get to decide what community we want to be moving forward," Strand states. "That's true in every election cycle but I think this moment in time for Leavenworth is really important in deciding what kind of community we're going to be for the next 10-20 years and beyond."

 

If you would like to learn more about Clint Strand, you can contact him at clintstrand236@gmail.com.

 

Michelle Logan:

 

Media have attempted to reach Michelle Logan, but were unsuccessful in receiving a response. She is running for Leavenworth City Council position #6 against Clint Strand. 

 

Logan is most notable for her confrontation with a Cold Stone Creamery employee back in 2020, claiming that they were discriminating against her and her children for not wearing proper personal protective equipment while in the store.

 

She has also helped organize a Shutdown Protest at Memorial Park, protesting Gov. Jay Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order along with other issues.

 

 CITY OF LEAVENWORTH---Council Member #7

 

Marco Aurilio:

 

Marco Aurilio is a former volunteer Lieutenant Firefighter for Chelan County District 3, former President for Leavenworth Farmers Market, along with being a part-time HAZMAT instructor for Wenatchee Valley College, a Natural Products Consultant, and much more. Now he is hoping to add City of Leavenworth City Council Member position #7 to his hefty LinkedIn profile.

 

His main concerns for the Leavenworth community include wildfire resistance and keeping citizens safe from wildfires.

 

"We dodged a bullet this year," Aurilio said in regards to wildfires in Leavenworth. 

 

He also wants to tackle the affordable housing crisis and further community development and recreation, while balancing resources for both tourism and residential needs.

 

"In the big picture, Leavenworth is growing and we can't change that. What we can change is how we grow," Aurilio said. "I'm looking at sustainable growth, in terms of traffic, in terms of parking, in terms of affordable housing, and in terms of wildfire resistance."

 

Aurilio's major concern regarding Leavenworth City Council is that there isn't a large amount of public feedback that they're achieving.

 

"City Council has a hard time ascertaining what it's public wants," Aurilio said."[There] needs to be a better platform for the city, mayor, and all the elected officials to have a better understanding of what the public wants without spending tens of thousands of dollars on public needs assessments."

 

One of his top priorities is to better bridge the gap between City council's perception of citizens' needs, and residents' concerns.

 

Originating from Point Roberts, Aurilio used to be on their Recreations committee and still holds a deep love for community activity and wants to encourage more community recreation facilities, including more financial oversight on the local pool.

 

He states that voters should be looking for more transparency from him along with more communication. He also would like to see more families in the Leavenworth community.

 

If you would like to learn more about Marco Aurilio, you can contact him at electmarcoaurilio@gmail.com.

 

Scott Bradshaw:

 

Scott Bradshaw is most known for running against current Mayor Carl J. Florea back in the 2019 mayoral race. When asked how he would feel possibly working with the mayor, he stated the following:

 

"In my career, I've found that I can work with anybody. You don't have to like somebody, don't have to share their same views to work with somebody and work towards a common goal, so I don't have a problem with that at all."

 

Now he's back, running for Leavenworth City Council position #7.

 

Bradshaw was born and raised in Leavenworth, a self-ascribed Leavenworth native. He has worked in Utility Engineering Management as a civil engineer and has since retired. 

 

He states that he could be someone on the council who understands technical issues having worked with many commissions, city councils, and was previously on the Leavenworth Planning Commission, and understands the public process.

 

"What this country is built on is public process, [and] public input," Bradshaw states.

 

He describes himself as a fiscal conservative, social moderate and a chief proponent for tight budgets and has had experience handling finances in the utilities field.

 

"We need to watch our budget, watch what we spend, make sure we spend them in the right places," Bradshaw states. 

 

When it comes to Leavenworth City Council issues, Bradshaw has a much broader scope on issues regarding public maintenance for street and road conditions, water and sewage control, and parking. When it comes to the influx of tourists, Bradshaw sees potential in a future parking garage.

 

"I think that the parking meters that they've installed so far have been an abject failure, I can't see that they have done any good at all," Bradshaw states.

 

When it comes to affordable housing, he doesn't believe that it is needed. He is blunt in his position that Leavenworth maintain their status as a tourist town and focus on the guests that come here. 

 

"Not everyone can afford to live in Leavenworth and that's just the facts," Bradshaw states. "We have to just suck it up and understand that that's what our life is and that's what our livelihood is. We need to build on that."

 

He hopes that city council continues to work hard and expand their perspective on issues regarding Leavenworth's sudden growth and to see it maintained and controlled, while still conserving it's Bavarian style.

 

"The council needs to stay focused on the big picture for Leavenworth and not get down into details and the weeds of some of these issues that really don't benefit the whole Leavenworth community," Bradshaw states. "Some of the councilmembers have personal agendas, items that they would favor over other items and I think they need to set those things aside and look at what the overall community needs rather than whatever your buzz-word or your favorite project is, favorite item you want to promote."

 

If you would like to learn more about Scott Bradshaw, you can contact him at sljbrad@yahoo.com.