Fred Butler, who has spent the past 13 years on the Issaquah City Council, has announced his candidacy for mayor. Mayor Ava Frisinger has said she will not seek another term.
Butler, 72, is the first candidate to file for mayor. He said he’d been thinking about it since mid-December, but waited until now to make an announcement. He said Frisinger wanted him to run last time.
“I wouldn’t run against her,” he said.
Butler has been a major voice in many decisions, including the recently approved Central Issaquah Plan and the Lakeside Development. He said he wants to keep that momentum going, and help Issaquah be a great place to live, work and play without taking sides.
“I’ve been involved in public service for a long, long time,” Butler said. “The citizens think city government is moving in the right direction.”
Butler, a retired colonel from the Army Corp. of Engineers, worked for the corp 27 years, serving in the U.S., Germany and Vietnam. After that he was the chief engineer for Seattle City Light for six years, before devoting his time to public service.
Butler has resided in Issaquah since 1990.
“I’m sure someone will challenge me,” he said. “I expect to run an ethical and above-board campaign. I enjoy working with people, being around people and helping people.”
Butler doesn’t have a campaign manager yet, but he said he has a number of people in his camp already.
It will be a busy election season for the city in November. Three city council seats will be open; position 3, currently held by Eileen Barber, position 7, held by Tola Marts and position 1, formerly held by Mark Mullet who was elected District 5 Senator. Mullet’s old seat will be appointed to a qualified candidate in the interim, but that individual would have to run for the seat if he/she wishes to remain on the city council.
If Butler becomes the new mayor, his seat, which isn’t up until 2015, would also have to be filled in the interim, and that appointee would have to run in 2015. Election Day is Nov. 5 and the deadline for candidates to file for election is in May.
“I will make one promise,” Butler said. “To work hard, listen, help if I can, and link people up with folks who can help them.”
