There will be at least one new city council member in Bonney Lake next year.

Even though election season may seem eons away, the filing deadline for candidates for office this fall is next week and this fall four seats on the city council will be up for election.

The council seats presently held by Mark Hamilton, Laurie Carter, James Rackley and Dan Decker will be contested this year.

Of the four councilmembers, at least one will definitely not be returning for another term as Carter has announced her intentions not to run for re-lection in the fall.

Hamilton and Rackley are running for re-election. Decker did not return a call before the press deadline.

Carter said she decided even before her term began that she would be a one-term councilmember.

“I was a citizen who wanted to try and make a difference ad never saw myself as a politician – still don’t,” she said.

Carter also said the amount of work necessary to be a good councilmember took time away from her family and her personal life.

“I think there’s nothing that can prepare you for being on the council,” she said. “It’s a lot harder than it looks and a lot of time involved.”

She also said her favorite part of being on the council was interacting with the public, be it at meetings or events or even at the supermarket.

“That’s what we’re there for,” she said.

Carter said she planned to stay involved in the city, especially in non-profit groups, and is looking forward to continue working on bringing a YMCA to town and continuing work on the preservation of Fennel Creek.

Hamilton said he originally planned to serve two terms on the council and then move on, but Carter’s decision not to run for a second term led him to decide to try for a third because he said he felt they shared similar ideas about the city and he would like to see those represented.

“With her not running it kind of leaves a void,” he said. “There’s things she represents that I represent.”

Hamilton said also there were projects he helped begin that he would like to see completed, such as Midtown Park (formerly known as the Washington State University Demonstration Forest), as well as the Fennel Creek Trail and further development of the Downtown and Eastown sections of the city.

Hamilton also said the city has expanded its open space and parks by more than 200 acres during his eight years on the council and he would like to see some of those properties further developed for recreational uses.

Rackley also said he was running again to continue the work begun during his three terms on the council.

“We’ve got a lot of major things going on and I want to be around to be a part of that happening,” he said, adding “It won’t hurt to have somebody old on the council.”

Decker has indicated in the past he is leaning away from running for re-election, but has not committed either way.

Thanks to a change from a ward system to a full at-large council, this fall is the first year that all four seats are available any resident of the city and also the first year that the entire city will vote for all four council positions.

Council candidates must be a resident of the city and there is a $48 filing fee to run for office. The filing period runs from June 6-10. For more information visit https://wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/en/candidateinfo/Pages/FilingforElectiveOffice.aspx or http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/aud/elections/main/cand.htm.