1st District Democrats focus in on growth

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, September 9, 2001

By Warren Cornwall

Herald Writer

The sprawling 1st District of the Snohomish County Council encompasses a wide range of voters, from commuters in fast-growing Lake Stevens to farmers in the Stillaguamish River valley.

Two Democrats are trying bring those residents, and their concerns, into a winning combination for the county council primary Sept. 18.

Incumbent Mike Ashley, a Silvana dairyman, has reached out to the more urban areas with promises to manage growth, while at the same time vowing to speak for farming interests.

He faces political newcomer Chris Laird in the race to be the Democrat in the November general election.

The 36-year-old Marysville man charges the county hasn’t done enough to deal with traffic, and he has refused to engage in any fund-raising, saying it taints the process. However, Laird has a troubled past of his own (see sidebar).

One of the two will advance to the general election. Republican John Koster and Libertarian Frank Ball have no primary opponents from their parties but must get at least 1 percent of the vote to advance to the general election.

Ashley is running for the seat he was appointed to in January, filling out the term of Rick Larsen, who was elected to Congress in 2000.

Ashley said while the growth in the county won’t stop, governments can do a better job of planning for it and ensuring it doesn’t damage existing neighborhoods.

"Part of the role of the county council is to provide quality assurance programs," he said.

The 47-year-old earlier this year joined forces with two other council members to tighten limits on a widely-used type of housing development. That earned applause from growth-control groups, but criticism from the housing industry.

At the same time, he has kept his hand in farming issues. During his time on the county’s Agricultural Advisory board, and now as part of a statewide board, he said he has worked to ensure rules protecting endangered fish are crafted to allow farmers to do their work.

Laird, however, said the current county government has failed to deal with pressures of growth.

The county should lobby the state more effectively to get state dollars to reduce traffic congestion on I-5, he said. Highway 9, he said, should be widened to four lanes through the county.

He blamed the recent traffic snarls caused by road closures on Highway 529 partly on poor planning the county could have addressed. Traffic between Everett and Marysville was brought to a halt recently after the state shut down northbound Highway 529 for a state-run construction project.

Laird also said the county is misspending tax dollars, pointing to the council’s recent vote to give raises to the county’s top elected officials.

Ashley was one of two council members to vote against the raises.

Laird also said voters should look to him as a fresh voice unsullied by politics. The pressman for the Skagit Valley Herald has raised less than $1,000 in contributions, and vowed not to take any money from special interests.

"I think they (voters) look at him as a politician," he said of Ashley. "It’s obvious I’m not a politician."

You can call Herald Writer Warren Cornwall at 425-339-3463 or send e-mail to cornwall@heraldnet.com.