Bonney Lake City Council votes to oppose change of government measure on Feb. 3 ballot

Heated words and accusations have been flying concerning Proposition No. 1, which asks Bonney Lake voters to decide if the city’s government should change from a code to a charter-code form.

The proposition is on the Feb. 3 special election ballot.

The Bonney Lake City Council passed a resolution Jan. 13 opposing Proposition No. 1. Five council members voted for the resolution, which opposes the proposition, and two abstained.

Supporting the resolution were councilmen Mark Hamilton, Dave King and Jim Rackley, Councilwoman Laurie Carter and Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman.

Carter brought the resolution forward.

Councilmen David Bowen and Dan Decker voted to abstain.

Decker collected the signatures for the charter-code petition, which he submitted to the city March 17. The councilman stated during a phone interview Saturday his reason for abstaining was, “they didn’t understand they did some things demonstrating untruthfulness. I’m not going to be part of untruthfulness.”

The evening following the council meeting, a group of about 30 citizens gathered for a no-charter rally in an upstairs room at the Windermere real estate office in Bonney Lake. Among the crowd were four council members – King, Swatman, Carter and Rackley.

Three of the freeholder candidates – Heather Stinson, Donn Lewis and Ray Bunk – spoke to the gathering.

Stinson is a planning manager for the city. Bunk is a Federal Way police officer and serves as a fire commission for District 22. Lewis is a Bonney Lake High substitute teacher and retired Air Force colonel.

All three candidates stated their opposition to Proposition No. 1, but said they were running in case the measure passed.

“I think the mayor and council have done a bang-up job,” Lewis said. “In no way will going to this type of government be a seamless transition. It will be an abrupt break. I see no benefit. Is there a secret agenda? I don’t know? And even if this is voted down it will cost money.”

Much of the distrust and anger at the proposition was directed at Decker.

Bunk said, “I have a fear one fellow went out and found 11 people to agree with him and I’m not sure where he is going,” Bunk said. “It’s scary if this passes and Councilman Decker gets his way. The City Council and mayor have a vision and you can go ask them. Dan Decker won’t tell what his vision is.”

Ron Nicholas, a citizen who signed Decker’s petition, said at the meeting he no longer supports the measure.

“I’m trying to figure out what’s best for me and best for my street,” Nicholas said. “I just haven’t been able to figure this out and what it is going to do. I like the way I have it now.”

Louie Dahl, a former council member, said, “We have one or two people who have an issue with the city. He has a vendetta against the town and they are not going to do anything but destroy the town.”

Decker said he was not “interested in destroying my own home. The city is my home.”

When informed of Lewis’ comments, Decker said, “He’s a fascist, isn’t he? The secret agenda is to give people more control over their government. If that’s a secret agenda that is only in his own mind. If he’s against a capitalistic, constitutional way of American life, that is what our country is about, he must be a socialist or fascist or some other form of government I don’t understand. Fascist rule by a small elite. That would be a council and mayor.”

When Decker was asked if he was implying the mayor and council were fascists, he said, “I think they try to control the government. I didn’t say that (they were fascist), but they lied and misled the public.”

Decker stated he thought Lewis, Stinson and Bunk were “running for the wrong reasons. I’m trying to get a constitution for the city.”

Reach Dennis Box at dbox@courierherald.com or 360-802-8209.