The 8th Candidate

When Rules Replace Common Sense

Last month, while seven familiar names appeared on the ballot for the board election, there was supposed to be an eighth. Toni Holm.

Toni has lived here for forty years — long enough to have watched the lake freeze and thaw as generations of families moved in and out of the neighborhood. She’s voted in our elections, attended meetings, been listed in the directory each year, cleaned up debris from our streets, and waved to walkers passing by. She has flamingos in her yard.

When nominations opened, she decided it was time to serve more formally — to give back to the community that had been her home for most of her life. She filled out her paperwork carefully, submitted everything on time, and waited.

Late that night, she received an email stating that she wasn’t eligible to run because her status as a homeowner could not be verified. No details were given.

Confused, she reached out immediately to clarify, offering to provide documentation of her marriage, her household ownership, or anything else that would resolve the issue. She didn’t receive a reply. When the ballot went out the next week, her name was missing.

Toni Holm's Candidate Statement Submitted 10/7/2025 My name is Toni. In 1986, my partner and I bought our first home in Ken Lake, drawn to towering trees, natural beauty, and unique, neighborhood spirit. Now retired, I have time to give back. That’s why I’m running for the Board. My background includes decades in broadcasting, non-profit management, and community service, including co-founding Olympia’s KXXO “MIXX 96.1.” 

I’d focus on our lake and common areas, on keeping Ken Lake safe and welcoming, practical ways to improve pedestrian safety. I also know we can have a beautiful neighborhood without policing our neighbor’s yards.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do believe in researching, listening, and working hard toward positive, creative solutions. With that and a spirit of collaboration, we can keep Ken Lake both friendly and attractive.

I’d appreciate your vote. Call, I’m always happy to talk. (Yes, I have the flamingos and boulder!)

The Technicality

It was later suggested that the issue may have been a technical one — that her name wasn’t listed on the property title, though she and her spouse had jointly paid taxes, maintained the property, and participated in the community for decades. She offered to correct any record or provide proof of co-ownership that same week.

But the opportunity never came. There was no communication, no chance to clarify or amend the paperwork — just silence.

After forty years of investment, volunteerism, and care, a neighbor who had already been part of Ken Lake’s civic life was excluded from running, not because of intent or integrity, but because of how a rule was interpreted and applied.

When Rules Replace Common Sense

Rules exist to protect fairness. But fairness doesn’t live inside the rule itself — it lives in how the rule is applied, and whether we apply it with common sense.

When we lose sight of that, procedural bias can take hold. Even well-meaning processes can start to exclude the very people who built the community in the first place.

Rigid enforcement without room for correction turns procedure into punishment. Good governance doesn’t just ask, “What do the bylaws say?” — it asks, “What outcome serves justice, inclusion, and transparency?”

In this case, the board had a simple opportunity: to recognize forty years of contribution as evidence of good standing, to allow clarification, and to ensure equal access to candidacy. The process could have been upheld — and fairness preserved — at the same time.

The Standard We Should Aim For

Fairness isn’t a favor; it’s a duty. Whether it’s a city council, a nonprofit board, or a small neighborhood association, legitimacy depends on how we treat each other.

A fair process:

• Communicates clearly and promptly.

• Allows people to correct honest mistakes.

• Applies rules consistently, not selectively.

• And above all, recognizes intent and effort as signs of good faith.

When we honor those principles, we build trust — not just in the process, but in one another.

We All Need to Know What Happened

Toni has gracefully withdrawn her candidacy. This story isn’t about one candidate or one decision. It’s about what we choose to stand for when we hold even a small amount of authority.

Do we use process to include or to exclude? Do we use rules to protect fairness, or to protect comfort?

Good governance is a kind of character test. It reveals whether we value the spirit of our rules as much as their letter.

For forty years, Toni Holm has invested in Ken Lake — her time, her energy, and her care. We hope she’ll continue to do so, and that someday she’ll take her rightful seat at the table she helped build.

Because when we make room for experience, kindness, and fairness, the whole community grows stronger.