Coen is a local leader for all Islanders
Mark Coen and his family have made Mercer Island their home for over 17 years and are very involved in all aspects of our community. He has an extensive record of local volunteering activity from the Youth and Family Services Board, forest stewardship and Rotary Club events to name a few. He cares deeply about his community and wants to bring his decisive leadership skills to the city governance to help solve our budget deficit, aging infrastructure, transportation issues and bring the community together to work in an open and transparent way to bring creative solutions to the forefront.
As a long-time local resident who also works on the Island, Mark is solely committed and focused on improving the Mercer Island community. Mark has committed to only accept local donations unlike his opponent, Benson Wong who works at a large Seattle law firm and has accepted thousands of dollars in donations from off-Island companies, individuals and clients. Mark believes that off-Island donations and support can lead to conflicts of interest and transparency issues. In fact, this lack of transparency is the “single-greatest frustration that voters have expressed to him.” Mark is committed to prioritizing local issues over regional ones and disclosing decisions fully to the public.
Mark Coen will bring a fresh new level of advocacy, transparency and local leadership to our city governance. Please vote for Mark Coen for City Council.
Sue Johnson
Mercer Island
Coen will be great addition to council
First, Mark Coen will represent Mercer Island interests, not regional interests. With changes in Interstate 90 access and restriping of the bridge, we can see how it has worked out having a council more interested in regional interests than looking out for the citizens they have been voted to represent.
Mark listens and is objective in making decisions. There are many issues the Island faces in the next four years. Perhaps the biggest is the budget crisis. The budget crisis that is always played down in an election year, will be front page and center in January 2018 along with the faux surprise, we did not know, usual excuses. Mercer Island residents and taxpayers will be asked to pay more taxes because the current council cannot make decisions about decreasing expenses. Their only solution is to ask for more money from the taxpayers. Mark Coen understands the inner workings of the city because of his years of involvement in the community and will be an asset in the budgeting process and allocation of city resources.
Mark is forward thinking. Mercer Island does not have a vibrant downtown corridor (think old Bellevue) to help pay the city budget expenses. Therefore, the burden of expenses will again primarily fall upon the shoulders of Island homeowners. The city center does not have adequate parking and the current council does not seem to have any plan to make the city center usable and attractive for current business, much less a plan to attract new businesses.
I attended a recent debate at the Beach Club and listened to Mark’s vision of what is needed for Mercer Island to develop a vibrant downtown corridor. Mark Coen is the right person to have on the Mercer City Council. We need a council member who is willing to listen to citizens, and not elect a council member who will be entering office with an already stated, specific agenda without listening to all the citizens. Vote Mark Coen for City Council.
Jackie Dunbar
Mercer Island