Published: Thursday, September 22, 2011
Herald endorsement / Lake Stevens mayor
Keep Vern Little at the helm
In 2005, the city of Lake Stevens launched in earnest a quest to control its own destiny, expanding its borders through annexations to realize the long-held vision of "one community around the lake." The population has roughly quadrupled since, to more than 28,000.
With that growth has come an opportunity for coordinated planning and economic development that didn't exist when the county controlled most of the area. Under the leadership of Mayor Vern Little and a capable City Council, that planning is poised to reap benefits that would create jobs within the city limits, improve traffic flow and offer continued protection of the city's glorious natural asset -- the county's largest lake.
Voters would be wise to continue that positive momentum by electing Little to a second full term in November.
Little is an energetic leader who understands the connections between smart development, sustainable budgeting and a high quality of life for citizens.
On his watch, conservative revenue projections have allowed the city to grow rapidly without compromising vital services. As co-chair of the Highway 9 Coalition, he pushed for design of a new, much more functional intersection at Highways 9 and 204. That planning is well underway.
Plans and environmental studies for attractive, relatively low-impact development along 20th Street SE and in the Frontier Village area are nearly complete, and should yield the revenue necessary to keep improving the city's roads, sidewalks and other services. Depending on the overall economy, work could begin next spring on diverse commercial areas similar to the highly regarded Mill Creek Town Center.
Little, who was City Council president when he was appointed mayor in 2006, was given a full term by voters the following year. In that time, he said he has learned to listen more than he speaks. He sees his job as working with the council to meet the expressed needs of citizens. That requires lots of listening in order to determine how to balance conflicting desires, and knowing when the time has come to make a decision. It's a collaborative style of leadership that is paying off.
Little's challenger, former council member Arnold Clark, declined to be interviewed by the editorial board, so we have no sense of his vision for Lake Stevens. That's OK. Little's vision of a city where people can live, work and shop, where traffic moves more efficiently and neighborhoods are connected by a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths, and where the lake continues as a well-protected recreational showcase, is proceeding nicely.
With that growth has come an opportunity for coordinated planning and economic development that didn't exist when the county controlled most of the area. Under the leadership of Mayor Vern Little and a capable City Council, that planning is poised to reap benefits that would create jobs within the city limits, improve traffic flow and offer continued protection of the city's glorious natural asset -- the county's largest lake.
Voters would be wise to continue that positive momentum by electing Little to a second full term in November.
Little is an energetic leader who understands the connections between smart development, sustainable budgeting and a high quality of life for citizens.
On his watch, conservative revenue projections have allowed the city to grow rapidly without compromising vital services. As co-chair of the Highway 9 Coalition, he pushed for design of a new, much more functional intersection at Highways 9 and 204. That planning is well underway.
Plans and environmental studies for attractive, relatively low-impact development along 20th Street SE and in the Frontier Village area are nearly complete, and should yield the revenue necessary to keep improving the city's roads, sidewalks and other services. Depending on the overall economy, work could begin next spring on diverse commercial areas similar to the highly regarded Mill Creek Town Center.
Little, who was City Council president when he was appointed mayor in 2006, was given a full term by voters the following year. In that time, he said he has learned to listen more than he speaks. He sees his job as working with the council to meet the expressed needs of citizens. That requires lots of listening in order to determine how to balance conflicting desires, and knowing when the time has come to make a decision. It's a collaborative style of leadership that is paying off.
Little's challenger, former council member Arnold Clark, declined to be interviewed by the editorial board, so we have no sense of his vision for Lake Stevens. That's OK. Little's vision of a city where people can live, work and shop, where traffic moves more efficiently and neighborhoods are connected by a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths, and where the lake continues as a well-protected recreational showcase, is proceeding nicely.
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