Budget is overriding issue

The bad economy and a city budget crisis looms even higher than building heights as the major issues confronting voters and candidates in three Edmonds City Council races. But never underestimate the height issue. It appears that incumbent Ron Wambolt lost in the primary in part due to the fact that in June he accepted a $1,000 donation from a group called ESC Associates and in July the group submitted an application for two 75-foot-tall condo towers near Edmonds' waterfront.

Wambolt was defeated by top vote-getter Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, and by Lora Petso, who tallied seven more votes than Wambolt in a recount.

Fraley-Monillas campaigned on the need for greater transparency in city government, while Petso is focused on transparency via fixing the budget. While we admire Fraley-Monillas' longstanding community involvement, and ability to connect with citizens throughout the city, we endorse Lora Petso, an attorney, and budget and policy wonk, for Position 3. We believe Petso has the best skills to help get the city back on track with a financial plan shaped by fiscal and legal experts.

In the same vein, we endorse Diane Buckshnis, a former banker and bank regulator, for Position 2 over Strom Peterson, who was appointed to the council in January. Buckshnis points to the scrambled nature of the city's budgeting in the last year as illustrated by the Yost pool situation and the proposed, and then-tabled, levy.

A small business owner, Peterson cites economic development and the environment as his top issues. We agree with Buckshnis, however, that before anything else, the council must take control of the city's finances and create a clear plan so citizens know where their money is coming from and where it is going.

Buckshnis, a longtime community volunteer, critcizes the majority of council, including Peterson, for its “Chapter 20” vote in June regarding shoreline development and variences. The change means that appeals will be decided by a Hearing Examiner rather than the City Council. We agree with Buckshnis that those sorts of appeals are exactly the important type of decisions that the council should make.

In a closer call, we endorse Priya Cloutier over longtime incumbent Michael Plunkett for Position 1. Plunkett has served on council since 1998, and has many accomplishments and contributions to point to — from the Performing Arts Center to the city's newest park. And he was one of two council members to vote against the Chapter 20 change. But Cloutier's energy is refreshing, and her enthusiasm is backed with a law degree. She represents young families, and like Fraley-Monillas, is concerned with neighborhoods and finding ways to connect the city beyond the “Bowl.”