Calmer mood won't help City Council challengers

For all the energetic jockeying for seats on the Seattle City Council, this doesn't seem like a year for major change. The economy is steady. Grumbling about King County elections aside, civic life is all but scandal-free. And The Single Big Issue has yet to appear.

Several candidates for council are doing what candidates typically do at this point in the election cycle: jumping from one contest to another, sending out a blizzard of press releases, proffering ideas for the city.

There goes Metropolitan King County Councilman Dwight Pelz, moving from a race this fall against incumbent City Councilman Richard Conlin to a contest against incumbent City Councilman Richard McIver. Pelz abandoned a crowded campaign where the odds of any candidate winning were slim, then dove into a race against the council's only African-American member.

There goes Casey Corr, former Seattle Times journalist and mayoral aide, still in the Conlin race, sending out press releases with his opinion on absolutely everything, especially schools.

And there goes Port Commissioner Paige Miller, also in the Conlin race, cutting a fast deal to save the George Benson Waterfront Streetcar. It may have been too fast. Her plan likely won't work because she did not work collaboratively enough with partners in local government.

This year's batch of challengers should not kid themselves. Challengers in 2003 made it look easy; three incumbents were thrown out.

That was then, when people were in a mood to throw incumbents out. This year, the table has not been set for big change.

Two years ago, Seattle had a sour economy, troubles aplenty at Seattle City Light, and Strippergate, which featured juicy campaign donations at a time when the council was considering a controversial rezone favoring a strip club.

This year, the economy is better. Angst from Strippergate and City Light has subsided. And more than likely, incumbents will be re-elected because voters are not particularly unhappy.

The best proof is the lack of a credible challenger for Mayor Greg Nickels. If there were dissatisfaction, he'd have a big-name opponent trying to snag his job. He does not.

One or two council challengers might win, but it won't be easy. The only thing really wrong in the city is the direction, or lack of it, at Seattle Public Schools. Most citizens realize the City Council has little to do with schools, so wrath at the School Board will be separate.

Now, if someone new wants to be on the School Board, raise your hand. Those seats are available and voters are desperate to hear from qualified candidates.

City Council candidates are talking about schools because they know voters are concerned. Pelz says the city should take over and manage playgrounds and ballfields owned by the district and treat them as public park facilities, saving the district $1 million or more. Corr issued a press release talking about short-term financial help, long-term funding strategies — even a larger, nine-member School Board.

Seattle voters are a gentle lot. Mayors and City Council members can stay in office a long time if they don't aggravate voters or call too much negative attention to themselves.

Conlin is the council's biggest target, because he has offered a few flaky resolutions and is seen as someone who takes too long to make a decision or get behind a good idea.

Corr calls Conlin the duke of dither and prince of process. Some years, that might make him look very bad.

I'm no Conlin supporter, but a little process at a time of big change in the city might be more popular than imagined, which is why Conlin is all but bragging about his penchant for process.

Nickels has proven to be an adept, pro-business mayor. Conlin's need to meet and meet again might seem like appropriate brakes on a mayor moving too quickly on urban density.

Several qualified people want to join the council. In addition to Corr and Miller, environmentalist Darlene Madenwald is running against Conlin. In addition to Pelz, Robert Rosencrantz is taking on McIver. Rosencrantz is running on a theme of making Seattle more affordable. Good luck.

So far, incumbents Jan Drago and Nick Licata, both up this year, either have nominal or no challengers, but there is still time.

Whoever joins in between now and the end of July has to be mindful that 2003 made it look easy to defeat incumbents. The current mood in the city iscalmer.

Joni Balter's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. Her e-mail address is jbalter@seattletimes.com