36-year Yelm resident Louise Oliverio seeks Position No. 6 on Yelm City Council

Louise Oliverio, a 36-year resident of Yelm, says she is committed to the local community and is pursuing a seat on the Yelm City Council to help secure its future.

Oliverio will be featured on the Aug. 5 Thurston County primary election ballot as she seeks election for the Yelm City Council Position No. 6 seat.

Oliverio is one of four candidates pursuing the position. Other candidates include Karl O. Sabaria, Nicole Sims and David Johnstone, who was recently appointed to Yelm City Council after Mayor Joe DePinto broke a 3-3 tie with his vote.

The two candidates with the most votes in the August primary will move on to the general election in November.

In a written statement, Oliverio stated she’s deeply connected to the Yelm community, as her family, including her grandchildren, are growing up here. With a background in real estate, civic leadership and civic commitment, Oliverio believes her background would be a strength on the Yelm City Council.

“With my real estate background, I understand land and housing development. I offered my idea for a Yelm City Park’s splash pad and playground, now bustling with families,” Oliverio wrote. “My 640-acre Central Park West project, embraced by the community, would boost vibrancy, culture and recreation, if implemented. I’ll prioritize infrastructure and public services with transparency and responsiveness, reflecting your values.”

Oliverio added that her civic leadership equips her to serve on the Yelm City Council, where she hopes to ensure a thriving Yelm “comm-UNITY” by listening to citizens’ priorities, ensuring transparency and promoting a local government “by the people and for the people.”
“I hosted many community meetings in Yelm, including with the Secretary of State, to clarify and promote understanding of voting laws. My civic commitment in local and state politics, including my study of the Constitution and other areas of law, prepared me to serve effectively on the Yelm City Council, championing consensus, informed decision-making and community-driven governance,” Oliverio wrote. “I humbly request your vote to deliver leadership, shaping a future that honors our community’s needs and aspirations.”

Oliverio added that she’s applied for parks and planning committee positions, but did not receive a response for either. The longtime citizen has attended council meetings “both in person and online” to follow along with decisions made by Yelm City Council in order to “inform the community to receive the community’s input.”

“I decided that I would like to be involved with the council’s decisions and inform the people for consensus to reach those decisions,” Oliverio wrote.

In her statement, Oliverio answered several questions that Yelm city councilors asked Position No. 6 applicants during a study session on Tuesday, May 6. With the question prompt of “why do you seem like you know more than the average person?” Oliverio wrote that she’s had “more knowledge than the average person” because she’s become personally involved with the community on the many issues facing Yelm.

“Being personally involved allowed me to get the pulse of the community as to what they want and their desired goals,” she wrote. “Working together, gaining consensus is what community is all about.”

The second question Oliverio answered in her statement was, if she was faced with a decision that was popular with voters, but in her view, is “harmful in the long run,” how would she answer that situation?

“Again, it all would depend on the people of the community,” Oliverio said. “I would bring it to the people and be transparent about the situation. The people are smart, in my experience, they most often come to the best conclusion. We are all affected by the decision and would live with the decision that is made.”

The third question Oliverio answered in her written statement was, if her time is committed throughout the week with anything else and if she’d be flexible to go to meetings at any time of the day?

“I’m retired,” Oliverio wrote. “Beyond family obligations, I’m very flexible with my time and can do what is required to offer my services to the council and community.”