Most Upper Valley races uncontested; two city council seats, one measure to decide

LEAVENWORTH — With most Upper Valley candidates running unopposed, voters will have just a few decisions to make in the Nov. 4 General Election — two Leavenworth City Council seats and one ballot measure.

Running for seat six on the Leavenworth City Council is incumbent City Councilmember Clint Strand and former councilmember Marco Aurilio. 

Strand, who does not have a profile in the voters’ pamphlet, told Ward Media his continued priorities include finding creative solutions to housing issues, encouraging fiscal responsibility, and “asking the right questions to find the best answers.”

 Strand has served on the council since January 2018, and is a part of the Downtown Steering and Housing Advisory Committees. He has a background in journalism and is currently the director of public relations for Cascade Medical Center.Strand is also a self-described “on-call MC” for organizations putting on community events, such as Upper Valley MEND, Cascade School District, and the Autumn Leaf Festival.

Strand’s opponent is Marco Aurilio, who served on city council from 2022 to 2023, and lost his bid for reelection to current councilmember Travis McMaster in 2024. According to his candidate statement, Aurilio has previously been a commissioner for Point Roberts Park and board president of the Leavenworth Community Farmers Market, and has professional experience as a chemist, firefighter, teacher and Firewise/snow plow contractor. 

During Aurilio’s previous council term, he was a co-creator of the Leavenworth Aquatic Center vision and proposal, and was an advocate for improved snow removal and free parking for locals. Aurilio aims to create a more sustainable balance between community and tourism.

Ron Duncan and Incumbent Mike Bedard are vying for the fourth seat on Leavenworth City Council. When former City Councilmember Rhona Baron resigned from her two-year term Oct. 2024, Duncan and Bedard were two of seven candidates to apply for the vacant position; council ultimately appointed Bedard to serve the remainder of the term.

Bedard has previously served on the city’s Residential Advisory and Parking Committees,  and is currently a coach for local mountain bike and soccer teams. Bedard spent much of his career as a professional firefighter, including six years as a fire captain. He also has seven years  of experience as a commercial and residential construction project manager. Bedard and his wife own and operate the Suites on Main.

In his candidate statement, Bedard says he takes a “common-sense approach” to leadership, prioritizing the community’s best interests through nonpartisan decision-making, respectful dialogue, and listening, while supporting smart growth, local businesses, and the preservation of Leavenworth’s natural beauty and traditions.

Duncan has been a regular attendee of council meetings since early 2024, often providing public comment on council discussions. According to his candidate statement, Duncan spent six years in the U.S. Navy as a 1st class electronics technician, and 35 years as an equipment maintenance technician at Boeing. He retired in 2022, and currently helps maintain the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum building.

Duncan believes there is room for a more “traditional perspective” on the council. He has maintained utility infrastructure and road and sidewalk improvements as priorities since his first attempt for the seat. Duncan also addressed affordable housing in his candidate statement, saying the city should focus on supporting Upper Valley MEND’s efforts rather than pursuing changes through city codes.

Senate Joint Resolution No. 8201

Also on the ballot is Senate Joint Resolution No. 8201. The state measure proposes a constitutional amendment on allowing money in the state’s long-term care fund to be invested in stock and other equities. 

 Also known as the WA Cares Fund, the long-term care insurance program was created by the legislature in 2019 to provide money to pay for long-term care services and support – such as nursing home care or assistance with daily living – for program beneficiaries, including seniors and people with disabilities.

Currently, the fund can only be invested in fixed-income securities such as bonds and certificates of deposit, as the Washington Constitution generally prohibits investing public money in the stock of private companies. There are some current exemptions in the constitution, such as any public pension or retirement fund, workers’ compensation funds, and money held in trust for the benefit of people with developmental disabilities. The Washington State Investment Board invests and manages these funds.

According to state-certified election results, a previous attempt to allow the fund to be invested in stocks and equity failed in 2020, with 54 percent of voters rejecting the measure.

Those in favor say the higher returns will increase the funding available without costing taxpayers. They project growth of $67 billion over the next 50 years, and cite the State Investment Board’s management of $200 billion, with an average growth rate of 8 percent annually. The measure received supermajority bipartisan support from lawmakers, as well as support from organizations such as the WA Association Area Agencies on Aging,

Washington State Nurses Association, and Washington Health Care Association.

Those against the measure call for “fiscal responsibility, not financial roulette,” arguing that safeguards are needed to protect the publicly funded, multibillion dollar program. The argument points to the State Investment Board’s significant losses during recessions and market crashes, including a 26.2 percent loss in 2008, and a 12.9 percent loss in 2022. Rather than having to cut benefits or increase tax rates when returns fall short, the opposition favors guaranteed municipal bonds of three to five percent. Lawmakers opposing the measure include state Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-11th District, state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-20th, state Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-9th, and state Rep. Joe Schmick, R-9th.

The ballot drop-off box in Leavenworth is available 24 hours a day in the parking lot behind City Hall, and will close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. For voters with difficulty seeing or reading, Accessible Voting Units (AVUs) are available at the Chelan County Elections Office, Level 3. The Election Office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media