By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

The 2005 political party is ready to roll and the guest list is in place.

The filings for elective office were completed last week and the Bonney Lake mayor's race has drawn five candidates. Three council seats are up for bid with the at-large, Position 1 the only one drawing two candidates.

The five running for mayor are Quinn Dahlstrom, currently a member of the Planning Commission, Dan Decker, community activist, city councilmen Neil Johnson and Jim Rackley and the incumment, Bob Young, who is seeking a third term.

Dahlstrom said her campaign theme is "neighbors helping neighbors" and she has spent the last 18 months gathering people together who want to back her candidacy.

"The reason I'm running is to bring honesty back into City Hall," Dahlstrom said. "If I'm elected people will be able to talk to people running the city and get the truth."

This is Dahlstrom's second try at political office. She ran for the Ward 1 council seat

againstDave King in 2001 and lost.

The 63-year-old Dahlstrom works as a freight consultant.

Decker will also make a run at the mayor's office. This is the first time Decker has run for political office, but he has collected signatures for petitions. Most notable was a Proposition 1, asking to change the city's form of government from mayor-council to council-manager where a city administrator selected by the council runs the city.

The proposition failed with more than 70 percent voting no.

"I've lived in this city for 44 years and I haven't seen anything happen for the people," Decker said. "I've seen it happen for the city, but not the people. It's time for a change."

The 58-year-old Decker, who works as an independent insurance agent and notary, said he collected more than 700 signatures in support of his bid for the mayor's office. If a candidate collects over 96 signatures the filing fee of $96 is not required. Decker said he turned in the petition and did not pay the fee.

Johnson was elected to an at-large seat in 2001 by 58 percent over Sharon Hill.

The 40-year-oldJohnson has decided to give up his council seat and pursue the mayor's position.

"I want to change the perception of Bonney Lake," Johnson said. "I don't want us to be South Hill junior. My administration will have a vision. In the first 90 days this vision will be laid out and everyone will have a voice. I want to reinstate the integrity of the office, which has been damaged."

Johnson works as a senior account executive at CDS Publications.

Rackley said he intends to improve roads, sidewalks and parks.

"We have to make sure we don't lose sight of the fact we are a family community," Rackley said. "We are here for families, not business."

The 58-year-old Rackley also said he wants to improve the morale of the city, which has been damaged by the large turnover of department heads.

Rackley is a retired accountant.

Young is running for a third term. He beat Sherri Bennett in 2001, getting 55 percent of the vote, and Rex Pulfrey in his first bid.

"I think I have the edge because of the last eight years," Young said. "We need strong leadership to set the tone for this area over the next 30 years. There are still some problems, that's why I'm running."

The 59-year-old mayor is a minister at Valley Christian Center in Sumner and works as an insurance agent and in sales.

The two candidates with the most votes in the Sept. 20 primary will move to the November ballot.

The at-large council position Johnson will vacate has attracted two candidates, Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman and Melvain Donyes.

Dave King will run unopposed for his council seat in ward one

David Bowen will be unopposed for council position four, currently held by Swatman.

The mayor's position pays $800 per month and a council member is paid $400.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.