With only days left before the Aug. 6 primary election, the three candidates for Mayor of Hoquiam describe their leadership styles, their views on working with city staff and department heads, and what they see as the primary role of the city’s mayor.

What do you see the role of the mayor as in the City of Hoquiam?

Jasmine Dickhoff (incumbent): “A mayor sets the priorities and standards for the organization based on feedback from with the public and city staff. The mayor lays out the direction they wish to move the city.”

Greg Grun: “Taking care of people’s needs. Working with staff and council to accomplish the goal of making the city a better place to live and raise a family. I think it is important to make things better for people.”

Ben Winkelman: “While mayors often develop and propose policies, a mayor’s basic responsibility is to carry out the council’s directives and to implement the policies adopted by the council. Long ago, Hoquiam formed the City of Hoquiam government as a mayor-council form of government, where policy and administration is separate. Hoquiam, like many cities in the last decade or so, hired a city administrator, making the form of government in Hoquiam a bit of a hybrid between a mayor-council form of government and a council-manager form of government. This is important for the citizens to understand and can be a bit tricky as it relates to the roles of mayor, council members and the city administrator.

“Since you asked specifically about the mayor’s role in general terms, my response is general. The mayor is responsible for continuing to move the city forward in operations, to promote long-term policies moving the city toward long-term community goals by legally and efficiently operating the city by facilitating effective teamwork. Training of staff, department heads and employees should be offered regularly to keep a comfortable and confident work environment and to better facilitate internal leadership and confidence in achieving team tasks. Relationships with other organizations and forms of government should be fostered to create opportunities to advance the goals of the citizens of Hoquiam. I have the most relevant experience among the candidates. I am most qualified to facilitate effective teamwork for ‘Team Hoquiam” and look forward to working as a community leader through experienced, respectful, leadership. We expect the mayor to be an experienced and respectful leader who builds successful partnerships, is focused on addressing our most pressing needs and is a person that brings out the best in citizens and city employees.”

How would you describe your leadership style?

Dickhoff: “I sway pretty closely between a democratic and supportive leadership style. Allowing space to make changes depending on the need or circumstances of whatever issue we are working on.”

Grun: “I like to understand something. I’m not afraid to ask questions. I like to see things, I would probably get out more to see things. During my time as a council member I was known for asking questions. I would continue to follow the familiar order the council is accustomed to at meetings. I would continue the current schedule of twice-monthly meeting of the mayor with the department heads.”

Winkelman: “Some of this was addressed in my answer to the previous question, however one of my greatest strengths is communication. I intend to facilitate communication among team members and the mayor. My experience shows I lead by then effectively identifying strengths of team members and delegating tasks to those most qualified on the team to help the team meet their goals. I am often told I do well in identifying strengths of team members and demand accountability from them in a respectful way. I appreciate professionalism, creativity and a desire to be better, especially by bringing new ideas and incorporating creativity.”

How much would/do you rely on the input of the city administrator and other department heads?

Dickhoff: “The input of department heads and city employees is paramount as mayor. The institutional knowledge cannot be wasted. What we have arrived to do is create opportunity for advancement and set the city up in such a way it can gracefully adapt to anticipated growth.

“Having a city administrator is so important because they provide a steady leadership where the nature of elected leadership does not. So be that legislative relationships or other entities no matter who comes into office there is a stability and familiarity that transcends terms.

“They work at the pleasure of the mayor and as such they allow the day to day operations to put those priorities and standards into action.”

Grun: “I would depend on them a lot, they are the professionals and they do really well. The current staff was chosen well and ultimately they run the city. The staff is good to attend the committee meetings of the City Council.”

Winkelman: “The city administrator plays a large role in the day-to-day operations of the city of Hoquiam as well as assists to promote long-term policies and addresses many of the day-to-day operations of the city. I would rely heavily upon the city administrator as well as department heads to communicate the needs of their departments as well as to bring creative ideas to address those concerns through effective communication and accountability. Our city administrator additionally acts as a public works director or department head and has a well established communication chain so much input from the administrator is derived from his communication with department heads. Department heads and the city administrator are readily available to the mayor and city council. Hoquiam has some remarkable department heads and a long term city administrator, all of whom I appreciate regular input from. Department heads should have the best understanding of the needs and demands of their departments, so I would rely on their regular input.”

Ballots are due to the Grays Harbor County Auditor’s Office by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. If you still have not turned in your completed ballot, it’s best now to drop it by 8 p.m. Tuesday at an official ballot drop box. There is one at the YMCA at 2500 Simpson Ave. in Hoquiam.