Yelm Mayor Joe DePinto took to his Facebook page around 7:50 p.m. on Friday, March 7, to announce in a video that he’ll be seeking a second and final term as Yelm’s mayor in the general election later this year.
DePinto was elected mayor in 2021. He was first elected to Yelm City Council in 2015 when he was just 28. If reelected, DePinto will be 42 by the time he leaves office as Yelm’s mayor.
”It has been my honor to serve Yelm, my hometown, as mayor. I wanted to let folks know that I intend to run for reelection this year,” DePinto said. “This would be my second term as mayor, and as a believer in term limits, it will be my last.”
Throughout the last nine years as a City of Yelm official, DePinto said he’s never once missed a Yelm City Council meeting or study session and has regularly given citizens updates on what’s going on in Yelm through social media.
“I’m the first Yelm elected official to consistently do so,” DePinto said. “Since I became mayor in 2022, I’ve been able to work with our city council to pass two biennial budgets. Both of which were balanced and did not include tax increases. We prioritized public safety and budgeted for additional six police officers, increased training, and reduced response time. By the end of this budget, we will have two officers on duty at all times — a promise I made to voters.”
The mayor added that City of Yelm recreational activities for both youth and adults have increased tremendously with a limited budget. Led by the City of Yelm’s Parks and Recreations department, DePinto said the city went from hosting two events each year — Prairie Days and Christmas in the Park — to welcoming community members to over 100 events yearly.
While highlighting city accomplishments over the last four years as mayor, DePinto said Yelm has opened up a dog park and continued the Prairie Line Trail to the Nisqually River, with plans later this year to continue that specific trail across the river. DePinto noted the plan is to create an alternate route to move Seattle-to-Portland Classic cyclists off Yelm’s main streets.
”I’m always listening and trying to make it easier for our residents’ voices to be heard,” DePinto said. “That’s why you’ve seen for the first time ever in Yelm a town hall that featured your elected officials at the local, state and federal levels. We’re going to be hosting another on March 20, and I hope you can attend.”
Under DePinto’s administration, the City of Yelm has started monthly “Community Conversation” events at local businesses and quarterly stakeholder meetings with various organizations and groups within the business and veteran communities.
DePinto said he’s also listened to many residents’ criticism of local roads and parking availability throughout Yelm.
”I heard you, and we increased the budget for filling potholes and are now contracting with the county to paint lines on more streets, more frequently,” DePinto said. “We also paved the parking lot at Yelm City Parked, constructed another paved parking lot, and worked with a local developer to add more parking at Longmire Park.”
The mayor added he’s advocated for various transportation projects throughout Yelm, including several roundabouts coming in late 2025 or early 2026. Roundabouts are slated to be installed at Bald Hill Road Southeast and East Yelm Avenue, Bald Hill Road Southeast and Morris Road, state Route 507 Southeast and Walmart Boulevard Southeast, and at state Route 507 Southeast and Vail Road Southeast.
”These are going up pretty quickly,” DePinto said. “They started in conception with the idea in late 2022, with initial engagement with the community on pre-design in early 2023. It was designed in late 2023, funded by the state in 2024, and will be under contract later this year with construction happening late 2025 or early 2026.”
After decades of delays and anticipation, DePinto said the Yelm Loop project will finally go to bid later this summer. He expects to see construction of the long-awaited project begin in late 2025 or early 2026. The mayor has been working closely with state Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, to bring this project to fruition. DePinto crowned Barkis as “Yelm’s Champion” for the decades-in-the-making Yelm Loop.
”I’ll keep folks updated with any news from the Legislature, which we should see in the next month or so,” DePinto said in the Facebook video.
DePinto added that the office of mayor is non-partisan, and, as Yelm’s mayor, he’s there to represent all citizens within the city.
”That includes both Democrats and Republicans, as well as independents,” he said. “I work well with both parties because I keep it all about Yelm and don’t stray into national politics.”
He claimed that he’s already received early endorsements from Republican state Reps. Barkis and Matt Marshall, and from Democrat Thurston County Commissioners Wayne Fournier and Rachel Grant.
“I ask for your support one last time. Some of you have been with me from the very start, which I deeply appreciate. I’ve made promises and I’ve kept them. I’ve given this community some of the best years of my life. I’m not retired, looking for purpose or something to do — I’m doing this to end the cycle of tax increases and broken promises, to ensure the voices of people are heard and listened to,” DePinto said. “This is my hometown, and I’m proud to be mayor of Yelm. You can expect me to continue on my priorities of supporting our police, increasing public safety, prioritizing transportation and infrastructure projects, and to increase recreational opportunities for both youth and adults.
“Like the promise I made and kept last election, I won't raise your taxes,” he continued. “My last election, I was humbled to receive 71% of the vote, and I’m looking forward to earning your vote once more.”
