Editorials

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   HAVE YOUR SAY Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor. You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another. Send it to: E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com Mail: Letters section The Herald P.O. Box 930 Everett, WA 98206 Fax: 425-339-3458 Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).   Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 ENDORSEMENT / LYNNWOOD MAYOR Time for a positive change Leadership is an art. In government, its best practitioners get things done by inspiring others. They listen first, building productive relationships that provide the foundation for lasting success. Lynnwood Mayor Don Gough, who is seeking a second term against longtime City Council member Jim Smith, doesn't fit that description. Neither did his immediate predecessor, Mike McKinnon, whom Gough defeated in 2005. Yet four years later, charges reminiscent of those leveled at McKinnon then are directed at Gough. An enthusiastic, hopeful beginning has yielded to complaints from council members that Gough is a top-down manager, that budget details aren't readily shared with the council, and that he doesn't work well with other regional leaders. Complaints have also surfaced from staff members, some privately, some openly, that Gough uses bullying tactics and intimidation to get his way. While we respect Gough's intellect and his ability as a strategic thinker, we see his temperament as a serious problem that threatens how far Lynnwood can progress, both internally and regionally. We endorse Smith, whom we believe can bring a more positive tone to city hall while keeping the city on a reasonably progressive track. In our primary-election endorsement, we favored Lisa Utter to face Gough this fall. She finished third, prompting us to take a fresh look at Smith, who has served on the council for 22 years. Smith knows what he doesn't like: too much spending and too many taxes. Smith has been a leading skeptic of spending initiatives on the council, voting no on the $27 million recreation center expansion (he favored a $9 million option) and on a plan to rent courthouse space downtown that, it turned out, couldn't accommodate that need. A challenge for Smith will be to effectively articulate a vision for the city that keeps it moving forward. He vows to engage in an open process to prioritize city spending, and to build a more constructive relationship with the council. His proposal to do away with the full-time mayoral position and adopt a city manager form of government is intriguing, and deserves a full public discussion. (Gough says he's open to it.) Gough argues that much of the animosity directed toward him is the result of taking people out of their comfort zone in order to make progress on issues that had been languishing. There's something to that, but it hardly explains the depth and breadth of the complaints. Gough admits he should listen more, but we're not convinced he appreciates how much work he needs to do on that front. Gough's interpersonal shortcomings cast a shadow over some successes. We think the recreation center plan is an exciting one — if it turns out to be affordable, given the recession's impact on revenue. He also gets points for the public process of shaping a vision for the city's future. Turning those relatively vague priorities into action, however, will require a collaborative spirit moving forward. We're not confident that Gough can muster it. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Gough/The Herald Looney Lefties? I would of bet the farm that The Herald would of endorsed Gough since the book is that both of them are out there on the extreme left. I guess that Gough is so bad that even The Herald couldn't swallow him any more with all the massive spending and incompetent leadership opposed only by Jim Smith. Not to mention Gough polluting our environment with as many as ten yard signs on the same fence. It is so refreshing to see The Herald choose Jim Smith as their candidate for Lynnwood mayor. He sure has the experience and foresight that has been sadly lacking in Lynnwood city government for so long. His successful shoestring no yard sign campaign was a miracle of sign waving and doorbelling. The topper was joining with three of his fellow more conservative candidates (Swank, Lonergan, and Parsons [who defeated me in the primary]) in a marriage mailer delivered with the ballot. We need to elect this slate of candidates to turn this city around. The previous group choked business and traffic while boosting taxes and regulations. We need people who can manage a business and meet a payroll. Times are tough. We need new leadership all around not Koolaid drinkers. Douglas Kerley Douglas Kerley | Oct 20, 2009 9:01 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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