BOTHELL — Two incumbents and four newcomers Tuesday won the right to battle for three open City Council seats.
Two brothers, Apollo and Robert Fuhriman, who were publicly accused of not living in Bothell, appear to have found themselves out of the Nov. 4 general election.
In Position 3, Diana Dollar — a former planning commissioner who was appointed to the City Council in June — will face Mike Johnson, a candidate who lost a narrow election two years to current Mayor Jeff Merrill.
They are running to see who will hold the post for the remaining two years of the term. The spot opened after Mayor Bob Bandarra left office in May to accept a job in Vancouver.
Johnson — who manages street design for Seattle and served on the Planning Commission before resigning in October — said the council has loosened regulations on developers for too long.
"Over the past four years, the community has lost faith with this council," Johnson said. "I think they’re saying a change is necessary to make sure government is responsive to citizens."
Dollar could not be reached Tuesday night.
Apollo Fuhriman fell in his first bid at public office. Fuhriman and his brother, Robert, were embroiled in some controversy over questions about whether they actually live in Bothell. They say they’ve lived in Bothell for five years.
"There were rumors flying around," said Robert Fuhriman, who ran for Position 6.
Position 4 looks to be a heated clash between incumbent Tim Olsen and longtime community activist Andrea Perry. Both are on opposite sides of a controversial land-use amendment, and Perry singled out Olsen as her foe the day she filed her candidacy, saying he "represents all of the things on the City Council that concern me."
"I think that the message is out," Perry said. "I believe the citizens of Bothell are looking for a council that will represent citizens, not special interest groups."
Olsen has said he is just getting warmed up and that there is a lot of work to be done on the council. He could not be reached Tuesday.
Kara Yusen was out of the running.
Position 6 doesn’t feature an incumbent. Councilman Dick Paylor is moving to Kirkland.
Political newcomers Ernie Bellecy and Mark Lamb will vie for the position, with Bellecy pushing his distrust in the City Council. He also thinks too much power is being given to developers in the city.
"I am against (the land-use amendment), but I’m not focusing my complete campaign on that," Bellecy said. "I’m still going to protect neighborhoods, manage growth — I’m not against growth, but do want to manage it — and I want to attract business to Bothell."
Lamb is a business-first candidate who thinks Bothell’s survival hinges on its ability to draw businesses into the city, which he says is not business-friendly.
"The results in my race would tend to indicate that voters are responding to candidates who have broad background on a number of issues," Lamb said. "And are not just focused on a single issue."
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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