The position No. 6 seat on Yelm’s City Council is slated to be decided by voters in the Nov. 7 general election, and candidates Ashley Brooks and Trevor Palmer made their claims as to why they should be elected to the seat.
The Thurston County general election is slated for Nov. 7, and ballots will be available for voters on Oct. 18. Voters pamphlets were mailed this week.
Ashley Brooks
Brooks, who was appointed to position No. 6 on the council on Oct. 11, 2022, described herself as a proven leader and a community connector. She is a Yelm resident of 26 years and serves as chair on the Yelm Homelessness Committee, vice chair of the Public Safety Committee, in the Thurston Thrives Coordinating Council and the Yelm Emergency Operations Board.
Within the community, Brooks served as the Ridgeline Middle School Booster Club president, BeSMART Washington Lead, Love Abounds Here board member and was a two-time Yelm Community Schools Volunteer of the Year recipient.
“I hold five job titles while getting 150-plus volunteer hours since I was appointed on Oct. 11 last year. I’ve also attended over 100 events in our community where constituents are,” Brooks said. “I bring balance to the council, which is something city staff has said to me, as well as other councilors. I’m truly nonpartisan. I look at all sides, the entire view. I study each and every email and document that’s given to me to vote on.”
Brooks said she represents Yelm and the city’s interests in county and regional meetings, where she said she was successful in gaining endorsements from Thurston County Commissioner Tye Menser, Yelm City Councilor Brian Hess and Mayor Joe DePinto.
“The one I think is my biggest has been spearheading the creation of the Yelm Homelessness Committee, to which I was elected chair of. It goes to show that my commitment to those that are under-served or under-represented is being considered. We need to continue our commitment to making sure all residents are healthy and have a roof over their head,” Brooks said. “If I retain my seat, I would continue the same commitment I made a year ago when I was appointed. I’ll continue my public engagement and building upon it.”
Brooks said Yelm needs an urgent care facility, for which she would continue to advocate if she is re-elected. She added that Multicare has expressed interest.
“Aside from those medical things, I also have the community resource fair event that I’m a part of each month. We get to connect with the community there. When residents walk in there, they have ample opportunity to sign up for health insurance, and they’ll get it that day. They can then walk to the Sea Mar booth and make an appointment with a doctor,” Brooks said. “Making sure there’s access to health care is absolutely a priority to me.”
One frequent question that Brooks has been asked along her campaign is how she’s focusing on “keeping Yelm the way Yelm is,” while anticipating the growth expected in the next 10 to 20 years.
“I think that’s an important question to be addressed, especially because of what that could bring to us as far as assets and issues. Everybody talks about the roads, but I think there’s a lot more to talk about, such as affordable housing or medical care. How about access to shopping,” Brooks questioned. “There were times we couldn’t get our basic essentials at the local stores because so many of us were shopping at the same three stores.”
She added if she is re-elected, she’d look forward to finding business opportunities within the city through codes, or possibly incentives for new businesses within the city.
Trevor Palmer
Palmer said he’s attended numerous Yelm City Council meetings and has worked on many election campaigns. He said he’s fit for the job because he’s good at handling high stress situations. The military veteran said, between his military experience and state jobs, including in the public disclosure unit, he said he has a good idea of how government works internally and all the problems it can cause.
Palmer, who attended Fort Stevens Elementary, Yelm Middle School and Yelm High School, said he loves the community and wants to see it succeed.
“I’d like to get in there and make some meaningful changes as I have Yelm’s best interest at heart,” Palmer said. “I’d bring a military and aviation background, the ability to deal with intense situations and negotiations, that willingness to drive forward even if you’re getting shouted down by the greater Thurston County.”
Palmer said if elected, his three biggest focuses would be growth, infrastructure and roads. He noted that road projects have been “low priority” for the last five to 15 years in the city, but believes there are pathways the City can take for improving local roads.
“I don’t know what’s taken so long, but when we talk about roads (city councilors) like to point at the bypass. We can go in there and make noise at the state, but at the end of the day, we’re Yelm and what they might consider a lower priority city,” Palmer said. “My question has always been, and I haven’t got a straight answer from the council, why aren’t we building our own roads? That’s something that’s in our ability to do. We wouldn’t have to wait on the state or the county.”
If elected, Palmer said he’d hope to build interconnected roads in Yelm and would like to finish the southern loop from Walmart to Yelm Highway Southeast.
“I’d also like to see our older roads up to modern code and to fix up the sidewalks and parking situations within the city,” Palmer said. “I want to focus on thoughtful growth. If we want to grow this community, I want to do what we need to do so that growth isn’t a burden on this community.”
He said this includes projects such as updating older roads, fixing sidewalks and parking around the city, and by looking into the town’s master plans.
“I’ve been a Yelm resident my whole life, outside of a few years of college and a deployment,” Palmer said. “Yelm’s been my home. I love this place, and I want to see it continue to be the city we know and love. I’m here to maintain the heart and soul of Yelm while still maintaining growth responsibly.”
