Ron Sims for King County executive

Imagine King County suddenly grappling with a strange, sweeping flu epidemic, a terrorist attack or earthquake. Voters pondering which candidate would do a better job leading in times of trouble should pick incumbent King County Executive Ron Sims.

Sims has the leadership qualities to board the plane to Washington, D.C., and seek federal help in a convincing, productive way. He has the command of the county and region to oversee the crisis and set the county right again. All that said, Sims has demonstrated an inexplicable and uncharacteristic lack of attention to detail the past five or six months. Politicians tire of the job or get distracted. This endorsement of Sims, therefore, over an underwhelming but earnest challenger, David Irons, is based on nine years of watching Sims do his job well.

A most important accomplishment, one overlooked in all the brouhaha surrounding his weak handling of the elections office, is his very skillful management of the county operating budget in difficult times.

Over the past four years, as county revenues sagged from a sour economy, continued annexations, municipal incorporations and passage of statewide initiatives, Sims cut $137 million from the budget and realigned expenses with revenues. It was a lot harder than it sounds.

The county is in a stronger financial position as a result. Two large, national rating agencies gave the county triple-A bond ratings, the highest available for local government.

Sims creatively leads the way holding down employee health-care-benefit costs, limiting the rate of growth to 2.4 percent from an average 11 percent annually and asking employees to choose between healthier lifestyles or paying more. By comparison, health-care costs are rising more rapidly for the city of Seattle and the state.

Sims has stumbled noticeably. He did not catch on soon enough to problems in the elections office, which were both institutional and technical — and it reflected poorly on him; spurred to pay attention, the recent primary ran smoothly. Outside entities provided stellar advice; personnel changes were made. If re-elected, Sims should make a stronger elections office his top priority.

Sims' other lapse centered on the county's critical-areas ordinance, which was reviewed to keep the county in line with the state Growth Management Act. The executive did not manage reaction effectively. As a result, he smugly, and needlessly, alienated rural citizens.

Opponent Irons, the Republican King County councilman from Sammamish, is a decent man, a businessman and hard worker unafraid of assailing Sims' policies. But his résumé and leadership skills pale in comparison.

In a crisis, or everyday management of the county, Sims is the better choice because he has the capacity to be a strong leader.