EVERETT — The Snohomish County Council’s new chairman for this year, Brian Sullivan, said he wants to focus on getting the county a fair shake from the state when Olympia lawmakers start making budget cuts.
Sullivan’s 2012 to-do list also includes working with Everett on the future of the waterfront land left after the anticipated closure of Kimberly-Clark’s mill in March. Building a new justice complex to replace the aging courthouse at the county campus is another issue he’d like to revisit, in addition to continuing efforts to bolster the local aerospace industry.
“The legislative session is going to be a huge priority,” said Sullivan, a former state lawmaker. “Getting funding for counties is going to be critical.”
The five-member County Council elected Sullivan unanimously Tuesday to his first stint as chairman. The job entails running regular council meetings and taking a lead role in crafting the 2013 budget. It pays an extra 10 percent over the other council members’ $102,779 salaries.
The council picked Councilwoman Stephanie Wright as vice chairman, also unanimously. Their selection to new leadership roles came a few minutes after they took the oath of office.
Wright and Sullivan, both Democrats, cruised to victory in Nov. 8’s election. Sullivan, of Mukilteo, is in his second four-year term. Wright, of Lynnwood, won her first term after serving a little over a year as an appointed councilwoman.
Redrawn County Council district boundaries also took effect this year to better reflect where people live after the 10-year census. The biggest change is that Sullivan now represents the Tulalip area, in addition to Everett and Mukilteo. Councilman John Koster’s north-county district lost Tulalip but picked up areas to the north and east of Lake Stevens.
Also taking the oath of office last week was County Executive Aaron Reardon, who in November won his third term. Reardon earned 55 percent of the vote despite news just days before the election about a criminal investigation by the Washington State Patrol of his use of county resources during out-of-town trips.
Reardon, in remarks posted online about his third term, touted the county’s ability to weather the economic recession without raising taxes. He also said the county is better positioned than other local governments for economic growth.
“Today, our government is financially stable, our taxpayers pay less for the services they receive than any others in the region and our economic environment is the most competitive in the state,” Reardon said.
Washington’s ongoing budget woes could have ripple effects for counties, cities, school districts and other local governments. State lawmakers need to plug a $1.5 billion hole in the budget after regular session starts next week.
In addition to worries in Olympia, there’s also the question of what to do with the portion of Everett’s waterfront that has been home to the Kimberly-Clark’s mill and its predecessors for the better part of a century.
In December, Kimberly-Clark officials announced they would close the mill in March after talks with a potential buyer, Atlas Holdings Inc., fell through. Most of the plant’s 700 workers already have lost their jobs. Up to 160 could stay on during the coming months until the closure is complete.
It would be unfortunate for such a large complex to become a blight on the waterfront, Sullivan said.
The county campus could become an issue in 2012 — again.
In 2008, the County Council prepared to ask voters whether they were willing to pay for a new $163 million criminal justice center for Snohomish County. Reardon vetoed the proposal, saying it was too big and cost too much.
The project would address security problems and expand space for courts, county attorneys, public defenders and the sheriff’s office.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
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