The November 2015 Bothell City Council Candidates have filed with the state and are getting ready for the coming elections.
In order to start the conversation concerning the upcoming elections, The Bothell Reporter has requested the same questions from each candidate. This is only the first of the coverage The Bothell Reporter will be giving during the City Council elections.
Today, we have a question and answer session with Rosalind “Roz” Gorc, who is running for position 2 in the 2015 Bothell City Council Elections.
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[Deanna Isaacs] What is your background experience?
[Roz Gorc] I earned my degree in Political Science and History from Northwest University in 1997. I am currently a Director of Community Disaster Relief Teams. I’ve previously served as a Campaign Manager and Office Manager/Executive Assistant.
[DI] What skills or experiences do you believe will help you on the council?
[RG] I’m a collaborator. I find it satisfying to identify a problem and work respectfully with others to find winning solutions. I believe there is more in Bothell that unites than divides us and our elected officials should bring our community together.
[DI] What motivated you to run for city council?
[RG] I grew up in Bothell and have lived in and around Bothell my entire life. I’ve been actively following city government for years. I’m one of those residents who watches all the meetings on TV and I found myself thinking, “I could do that and do it well!”. I also want to bring a more inclusive tone to the Council.
[DI] Why run now, rather than in previous years?
[RG] What made you decide to run this year versus other years? My family and friends and I have talked about it for years, but I chose to run this year because I have the full blessing of my family and the backing of my friends. In the words of my 10 year old, after watching a recent Council meeting with me, “Mom, Bothell needs you…now!”
[DI] What issues are you concerned with the most?
[RG] The issue that confronts me daily as I transport my kids to and from school, sports and all the other activities is traffic. I’ve been meeting with brilliant public policy people in recent months to find fresh ways of tackling this byproduct of so much excellent growth. There aren’t any easy solutions but the smart solutions begin with strong, overarching policies and principles.
[DI] What issues do you believe are of importance to Bothell?
[RG] When I talk with my friends and neighbors on the sidelines of our kids’ sporting events we often talk about the amazing growth of the city. We love so much of it! The new restaurants and businesses, and our beautiful parks and road improvements are making Bothell a destination…and all of that makes us proud! Our only concern is striking the balance between growth and infrastructure.
[DI] Why did you pick this position over other positions, open or otherwise?
[RG] There are guaranteed to be 2 greatly needed new faces with fresh ideas in the 2 open seats…so I chose to make that 3 new faces with fresh ideas! I believe if you always elect the same people to the city council, you get the same results. I was also concerned that the incumbent voted to raise property taxes so quickly after the voters rejected a property tax increase and that he has been talking recently about even more taxes on businesses and citizens.
[DI] Do you believe the people of Bothell will support you and why?
[RG] I have been overwhelmed by the support I’ve received already. I am deeply humbled and thankful for those who have gathered around me and jumped all in…and there’s room at the table for more!
[DI] What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing the Bothell City Council?
[RG] The biggest challenge we face right now is balancing the positive growth with new restaurants, business and homes with our existing and planned for infrastructure. I think this can be balanced, especially if more time is spent solving these challenges and less time is spent in conflict with other Council members and the community.
[DI] What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming election?
[RG] I am already enjoying meeting so many new people! And the quality of those I’ve met has been impressive. We have citizens who passionately care about Bothell which is exactly what makes this place great!
