EVERETT — Six candidates are facing off for three seats on the Everett City Council. A seventh candidate, Judy Tuohy, is running unopposed for a full term in Position 7. Tuohy won a special election for the seat last year over Richard Anderson, who had been appointed to the seat in 2013.
Position 4
Cocoon House CEO Cassie Franklin is challenging incumbent Ron Gipson, who is the longest serving member of the Everett City Council.
Gipson, running for a sixth term on the council, did not return several calls from The Daily Herald by press time. In the past he has mentioned his advocacy for working-class Everett, increasing funding for public transit, making parks and services accessible to all, and reining in utility costs.
Gipson has also had to fight off accusations of sexual harassment, and has held a public forum and devoted a page on his campaign website to refuting the accusations, even those that were upheld during an investigation. Gipson works as a corrections officer at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center and was on paid administrative leave for 18 months before returning to his job in September.
Franklin, who oversees an organization that provides services for homeless youth, said the city’s ongoing issues with its homeless population and street crime are rapidly emerging as the biggest problem to be solved.
“What we’re understanding is how quickly these problems can shift, and the recommendations also need to be able to shift,” Franklin said.
She sat on the city’s Streets Initiative task force and said the top priority will be trying to tackle all aspects of the issue, rather than just focusing on one facet.
“We have to be able to move forward on public safety and public services and getting the other jurisdictions on board, otherwise we won’t be able to solve it,” Franklin said.
Position 5
Incumbent Scott Bader, currently serving as the council president, is being challenged by Charlene Rawson, a neighborhood activist for position 5.
Bader won a special election in 2012 to his seat after former councilman Drew Nielsen died in a rafting accident.
He said that the city is largely on the right track, and that good financial stewardship of the city by the current council and mayor have put the city in an ideal spot to rebound when the economy starts to pick up.
“It’s been painful for the last three years because of the slow pace of the recovery,” Bader said. “I certainly hope that as the economy recovers and revenues recover, we can finally do things like the South Everett Library expansion.”
He also hopes to invest more in parks and neighborhoods.
Rawson said the city needs to devote more resources to staffing its Office of Neighborhoods and to fully implement community policing and block watch programs.
“It’s the only way we’ll get drugs and concerns about home invasion under control,” she said.
Her activism in neighborhood issues has made her a strong supporter of a recent citizens proposal to introduce council districts.
“I am a true believer in districts and it gives neighborhood activists a pathway from being active in neighborhood associations and solving problems in their neighborhood to the City Council,” Rawson said.
Position 6
For Position 6, three-term councilwoman Brenda Stonecipher is being challenged by newcomer Erik Richerson.
Stonecipher said her background in finance helps her understand the city’s ongoing budgetary problems and moves to streamline the city government.
“We’re so far behind in so many areas where we can be more efficient, such as using technology resources for bill payment … you can’t even buy your dogtag online right now,” she said.
She said that there are a few things that government must do, such as sweep the streets and keep people safe, and provide services like parks that the private sector won’t, but everything else is on the table.
“I ask the tough questions, I do my homework, I come prepared, I make my decisions based on what’s best for the community at large,” Stonecipher said.
Richerson, who runs a barbershop in downtown Everett and is a youth pastor at Faith Heritage Church, said the city has been neglecting businesses and growth downtown.
The city’s issues with homelessness are a big part of that problem, and the city needs to take definitive steps, such as enacting anti-panhandling and no-sit/no-lie ordinances.
“We’re not criminalizing being homeless, but at the same time we’re not helping them by giving them a handout,” he said. “We need to give them a hand up.”
He said the city’s Streets Initiative task force is “a good start, but I think it’s a Band-Aid,” Richerson said, and instead he thinks the state of Utah’s “Housing First” program — providing homes for the homeless and addressing underlying causes later — is a better model to follow.
Everett City Council candidates
Position 4
Ron Gipson
Age: 57
Experience: Five terms on City Council. Works as a corrections officer at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center.
Website: rongipson4everettcitycouncil.com
Funding raised (as of Oct. 12): $8,157.64 ($2,782.37 spent)
Cassie Franklin
Age: 44
Experience: Served on Everett’s Streets Initiative task force. Works as CEO of Cocoon House and has worked in development for several nonprofits.
Website: cassie4council.org
Funding raised: $31,755.64 ($19,571.79 spent)
Position 5
Scott Bader
Age: 51
Experience: Served on Everett City Council since Nov. 2012. Has served on the Everett Transportation Advisory Committee for, has been active in the Cascade View and Riverside neighborhood associations and was on the city’s council of neighborhoods. Also active in Boy Scouts and church. Works as director of parish financial services for the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Website: baderforeverettcitycouncil.com
Funding raised: $23,989.56 ($10,902.66 spent)
Charlene Rawson
Age: 62
Experience: Active in the Port Gardner Neighborhood Association, including as representative to the Council of Neighborhoods, served on the Snohomish County Parks Board, vice-chairwoman of Snohomish County Democrats for the 38th Legislative District. Works in iPhone technical support for AT&T.
Website: charlene4everett.org
Funding raised: $4,998.52 ($4,784.17 spent)
Position 6
Brenda Stonecipher
Age: 50
Experience: Three terms on Everett City Council, was on transportation policy board for Puget Sound Regional Council, has been on the state Criminal Justice Training Commission, and is also active in 38th Legislative District Democrats. Works as chief financial officer at the Epiphany School in Seattle.
Website: vote4brenda.com
Funding raised: $8,400.00 ($672.18 spent)
Erik Richerson
Age: 33
Experience: Founded Legacy Outreach Ministries in Everett, volunteers at Monroe Correctional Complex to help soon-to-be-released inmates, the Matt Talbot Center in Belltown, and with Toys for Tots. Owns a barbershop in downtown Everett and works as a youth pastor at Faith Heritage Church.
Website: erikricherson.com
Funding raised: None reported
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