The Business of City Hall
Mayor-elect George P. Wright promises a new, business-minded administration for a debt-burdened Tacoma.
George P. Wright, the Democratic candidate for mayor of Tacoma, was elected with 4,501 votes against Republican Louis D. Campbell's 3,764. In his post-election statement, Wright promised that his administration would be untrammeled by pernicious influences and focused on correcting the city's dire financial state. He emphasized that his campaign was a 'business campaign' supported by business interests, rather than the saloon vote. Wright acknowledged the city's territorial size and debt burden, suggesting that improving streets and balancing the sinking fund would be the primary objectives for the coming term, noting that he had to be careful not to overtax the citizenry while making necessary improvements.
“This city is debt-burdened and is large territorially. Something must be done to improve our streets, put money in the sinking fund, and eventually wipe out the city's debt.”
Wright’s 1904 struggle to balance the 'territorially large' city's debt with the need for infrastructure and taxpayer sensitivity remains a cornerstone of Tacoma’s civic identity. His attempt to distance himself from the 'saloon vote' is a recurring motif in Washington’s political history, where temperance and civic morality were perpetually pitted against urban commerce.
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