"As a former P-I editorial writer who closely followed City Light and local politics over the years, and also as a member last summer of Mayor Greg Nickels Advisory Committee on City Light, I observed that Ms. Pageler worked long and hard in her oversight role as chair of the City Council Utilities and Environmental Management Committee.

"For example, thanks to her insistence that City Light bring in an expert from the Tennessee Valley Authority to review the plan to rehabilitate Boundary Dam, cost of the project was reduced from $100 million to $60 million and took 5 not 10 years to complete.

"The record shows Pageler faithfully kept her eye on City Light finances during that period and was part of the reason the utility maintained its high bond rating – one of the highest of any utility in the nation. And Pageler steadfastly championed public power in the face of misguided efforts at the state Legislature and in the Congress to deregulate the power industry at the expense of City Light ratepayers.”

Sam R. Sperry