Kent City Councilmember Toni Troutner, first elected in 2017, is running this year for a third term.
“As your City Council member during these last eight years, every decision I have made has been to support Kent families and strengthen our city,” Troutner said in her March 4 announcement. “From supporting policies that protect our environment, improving our parks and recreation facilities, to strengthening our infrastructure to support our growing community, I am committed.”
As chair of the Public Safety Committee, Troutner supported the addition of body-worn cameras for police officers to increase accountability and transparency in policing. She said she is dedicated to improving emergency response times and fostering strong partnerships between law enforcement and the community.
“I continue to support the Kent Police department and am proud to have the endorsement of the Kent Police Officers Association,” Troutner said.
Early on as a council member, Troutner said she supported and stood behind apprenticeship utilization ensuring young people can get local jobs in the building and construction trades. As council president from 2020-2021, she shepherded over $2 million in federal CARES Act funds to local businesses to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Troutner has lived in Kent for over 25 years, and raised her family here.
“We have a responsibility to the over 140,000 residents, hundreds of city staff members, and the taxpayers of Kent to ensure each voice is brought to the table and that we deliver high quality city services,” Troutner said. “We must continue our commitment to create a safer and more resilient city for all.”
Troutner’s endorsements include Mayor Dana Ralph; fellow Kent City Council members Bill Boyce, Satwinder Kaur, Zandria Michaud and John Boyd; Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus; Covington Mayor Jeff Wagner; state lands commissioner Dave Upthegrove; King County Council members Reagan Dunn and Pete Von Reichbauer; and Kent Fire Fighters Local 1747.
Troutner defeated Clliff Cawthon in the 2021 election. She defeated Tye Whitfield in 2017 to earn her first four-year term.
Other terms ending
The council terms of Brenda Fincher and Satwinder Kaur also are ending in 2025. Neither has publically announced if they are running for reelction, but Fincher has filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission.
Fincher was appointed by the council to a vacant position in 2014 and then defeated Troutner in 2015, Russ Hanscom in 2017 and Larry Hussey in 2021.
Kaur defeated Paul Addis in 2017 to start her first four-year term. She ran unopposed in 2021.
Pay increase
The city’s Independent Salary Commission raised annual salaries for the part-time council positions to $36,000 in 2023 from $17,132, partly in an effort to get more people to run for office.
Filing deadline
Candidates for the Kent City Council must file May 5-9 with King County Elections. This year’s primary election is Aug. 5 and the general election is Nov. 4.
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