Howard Lee Will Run For City Council

A Navy retiree and former ship captain who’s been critical of some of the University Place’s City Council’s decisions will run to serve on it in November.

Howard Lee is vying for the Position No. 2, the spot held by Mayor Debbie Klosowski, who announced Friday that she .

Lee says he wants to bring change to the City Council, and it starts with accountability. A ship captain, he says, is held to a much higher standard of accountability compared to an elected official, which would be good for the city.

“The end result is increased staff performance and productivity, with higher staff morale due a consistent management style,” he wrote to Patch today. “Although I have never aspired to public office, I want the electorate to have the opportunity for a viable option to a incumbent who may be running unopposed for reelection.”

He announced his candidacy Thursday on University Place Patch, the day before Klosowski announced her decision.

Lee says he wants to make the city more business-friendly, and would change the name of the Town Center project.

“The whole Town Center concept has to be rethought and repackaged with emphasis on both a sense of urgency for completion and providing the greatest impact on debt reduction,” he said.

Lee said he also supports placing term limits on elected officials.

Lee is the second challenger who has announced their candidacy for this year’s election. Late last year, Ken Campbell announced he will vie for Position No. 6, the spot currently held by Gerald Gehring.