Everett, Wash.
Published: Monday, June 9, 2008

Council and Reardon mending rift

The Snohomish County Council is restoring the county executive's authority to sign checks for up to $50,000, after restricting it earlier.

By Jeff Switzer
Herald Writer

 There's less bad blood between Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon and the County Council these days.

Since the start of the year, there have been more private meetings between the branches of government. Closer bonds between Reardon, a Democrat, and two new Democratic county councilmen also have improved relations and communication.

The rosy feeling prompted the County Council to vote 5-0 last week to restore Reardon's authority to sign checks for up to $50,000 after it stripped him of some powers last year.

The council is controlled by a 4-1 Democratic majority, but it was also Democrats who took away Reardon's authority in April 2007, reducing Reardon's authority to sign contracts for $5,000 or less in most cases.

Last week's decision "does not restore fully the authority, but it gives some flexibility" for Reardon to sign bigger contracts, County Councilman Dave Gossett said.

For weeks Deputy Executive Mark Soine and Gossett, who then was council chairman, were locking horns in public meetings.

At the time, the council was pressing for information about Reardon's plan to bankroll a Boeing 787 Dreamliner rollout party. Soine declined to share details about talks with the Boeing Co.

The council worried Reardon might spend money in ways the council might disapprove of, Gossett said. At the time the council voted 5-0 to temporarily remove his authority, and later made it permanent.

For a year, the council reviewed and signed possibly hundreds of contracts for amounts over $5,000.

Now Reardon again has power to sign many contracts up to $50,000 for grants with matching funds and intergovernmental services, and up to $10,000 for contracts for which there is only one vendor.

Reardon can sign grants up to $25,000 to hire consultants outside bidding rules, the council decided.

County Councilman Brian Sullivan said he wanted to return authority to the county executive. There's still room for improvement, he said.

Sullivan, the council's budget chairman, wants to spend up to $9,400 to hire a King County Council analyst to advise the council on ways to improve budget talks between the Snohomish County Council and Reardon's office.

Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA