County voters did the right thing Tuesday by approving money for King County parks. Not only that, they did it with a resounding 69 percent “yes” vote. Those who follow politics call that a “landslide” victory.

The vote has additional significance given the recession because the new six-year levy will cost voters a bit more on their property tax bill. Perhaps voters are now ready to open their pocketbooks.

Lending credence to that is the column on page 7 by Jerry Cornfield, a columnist for the Sound Publishing paper in Everett, The Herald. Cornfield says the state transportation bill that died in the last hours of the recent legislative session might not be dead after all. Republicans are embarking on a statewide tour to see what transportation fixes people want and need – and how much they are willing to pay. A new bill could be passed later this year in a special session.

The primary election also set the stage for what should be spirited campaigns for Bellevue City Council and the Bellevue School Board.

In the race for Bellevue City Council Position No. 4, incumbent Kevin Wallace, with 46 percent of the vote, will face Steve Kasner, who got 42 percent. We expect a hard-fought campaign from candidates with different political views.

In the Position No. 6 race, Lynne Robinson, chair of the city’s parks board, received 48 percent of the vote, a strong showing against incumbent Don Davidson and Vandana Slatter. Both  had 26 percent, but Slatter had 88 more votes that Davidson in early returns. Regardless of who ends up second, he or she will have an uphill battle against Robinson.

The school board race for Director District 5, is a close contest between My-Linh Thai, with 40 percent of the vote, and Ed Luera, who has 36 percent. The district represents voters south of I-90.

We plan to play our part by engaging the candidates through interviews, profiles and a series of questions in the coming weeks.

– Craig Groshart, Bellevue Reporter