SOUTH COUNTY POLITICS: Edmonds vacancies are rare

Published 8:06 pm Tuesday, May 25, 2010

When Edmonds Councilman Dave Orvis resigns at the end of May, the council will start the process of filling a vacancy for the third time in a year and a half.

That number of vacancies is rare on city councils.

Lynnwood Councilman Loren Simmonds said recently that in 11 years on Council he has helped fill only one vacancy. That was to fill Don Gough’s seat after Gough was elected mayor in 2005.

Councilman Ted Hikel told me Gough vacancy’s is the only one that the council has filled since 1972 or 1973.

Simmonds warned against reading too much into the Edmonds situation, noting the coincidence of a move, a death and a family issue in a short period.

Like Lynnwood, Mill Creek has had to fill only one vacancy in 11 years, according to City Councilwoman Donna Michelson and City Clerk Kelly Chelin.

Mountlake Terrace has had to fill three vacancies in 10 years, according to city manager John Caulfield.

Brier had to fill several vacancies in the 1990s, one when an elected candidate decided not to accept his seat; one when a councilman resigned because of illness and several in 1990 when the council had so many vacancies it couldn’t do business.

Kirstin Haugen out of 1st District race

Last week, I wrote about 1st Legislative District Democrats’ endorsing Luis Moscoso and Derek Stanford for the seats now held by retiring Democratic state Reps. Mark Ericks and Al O’Brien. I mentioned Kirstin Haugen as a possible challenger for O’Brien’s position. On Monday, Haugen told me that she would not be a candidate.

Democrats Nicholas Carlson, Vincent Dimiero, Judy Janes and Sherry Krainick, and Republicans Jack Hawes and Dennis Richter are possible challengers to Stanford for the O’Brien position.

The 1st District includes Mountlake Terrace, Brier and Bothell.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@verizon.net