Gold Bar, Sultan councils welcome new members
Published 10:25 pm Monday, August 9, 2010
Two political neophytes will take office this week in the cities of Gold Bar and Sultan, filling vacancies that opened in the spring.
In Sultan, Joe Neigel is slated to move into Jim Flower’s former City Council seat Thursday. Flower resigned in late May so he could work an evening shift at Damar AeroSystems in Monroe.
A few miles east on U.S. 2, Davi Martin is expected to take over tonight for former Gold Bar Councilman Rick Merritt. Merritt left office in the spring for a job in Arizona.
Both council members said they have never held office before but are looking forward to the challenge.
Neigel, 34, won unanimous appointment from the Sultan council. Two other people applied for the open position.
Neigel said he wants to help shape the future of the city. It’s the first place the married father of four has owned a home.
“This is where we’re putting down roots,” he said. “I want to have some influence.”
Neigel works as a substance abuse counselor for Snohomish County. He said he hopes to increase communication among residents through his council role.
“People always know when something is going wrong around here, but people don’t always know when something is going right,” he said.
Sultan Mayor Carolyn Eslick said Neigel’s work for the county in human services could benefit Sultan.
“Nobody else at the City Council has that experience,” she said.
Martin, 66, was the sole applicant for Merritt’s open seat. She is a retired hospital laboratory technician who now serves as an active volunteer in Gold Bar. She works with Snohomish County Fire District 26 and on the city’s annual summer celebration, Gold Dust Days.
Martin described herself as a listener who can see both sides of an issue.
“I’d like to think that I can be a voice of reason if people get really heated,” she said.
She sees next year’s budget as the town’s biggest issue, a point Mayor Joe Beavers echoed. The council may take up that topic at its Tuesday night meeting, Martin’s first on the job.
“That’s going to be some hard work,” Beavers said. “She’s going to be good at that, because she doesn’t get flustered.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com.
