Forum: Edmonds — The pursuit of happiness, health and the taxpayer
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 29, 2026
HERALD FORUM | Fiduciary responsibility
I am a nurse. I look at the person holistically. I don’t compartmentalize a person — physical, mental, emotional, financial health separately. In my life’s work we/you are one. They are inseparable.
In reflecting on what our City’s fiscal health and the taxpayer health is, I can’t help but think of how our elected discharge fiduciary responsibilities owed the taxpayer.
Please take a step back with me. As I look at the Levy Lid Lift, the RFA annexation, and subsequent recent city taxes (after the huge defeat of the Levy Lid Lift) through the lens of a nurse I see parallels. In life some of us may face a life — threatening diagnosis. Some of us may choose treatment because we hope to live. For the taxpayer, when government continually overspends, through increased employee salaries, benefits, failed programs, (Waste Water TX plant), you jeopardize a taxpayers’ financial health. You can and often do force that person to sell and leave their home of decades. In many cases, you don’t give the person the option of staying – as you would have a choice for life saving treatment. He either pays the higher tax or he sell’s his home and leaves Edmonds. You, our elected officials, have in essence made the life altering decision for the taxpayer. Some have hinted that perhaps these old timers have outlived their stay in Edmonds and should sell and move on leaving their property to some younger, more affluent buyer to pay the higher taxes. Would we also callously say that this unforeseen life-threatening illness is nature’s way of telling us that it’s time for us to get off the planet and make room for those in better health – that we are only taking up precious health care recourses? Likewise, when you continue to raise taxes to the point of making Edmonds unaffordable, you are making this life altering decision for the taxpayer. Fair?
Mayor Rosen and most of Council championed the RFA (Regional Fire Authority) annexation. They literally froze the taxpayer who wanted to offer an opposing viewpoint out of any discussion. Annexation was forced down our throats. We now pay almost double for the same level of fire and EMS service. We were told at all City held and RFA Rep events that the RFA was a well-funded organization that would serve us well. We gave them two of our fire stations – FREE. Yet, today we find the Councils own hand-picked RFA Rep Will Morris (president of the Police Union), who also through the police Union donated $10,000 to the Levy Lid Lift campaign, delivering the news at the May 5, 2026 City council meeting that the RFA in an “oversight” failed to mention during the annexation campaign that they would be asking for a 420 million bond measure to renovate and build new fire houses, and improve staffing. Improve staffing? Do we need more than three fire engines, an administrator in some cases, and 10-11 firemen to respond to a 911 call? Council and Mayor are now “clutching their pearls” in disbelief that the RFA is promoting this massive 420 million dollar bond measure. Mayor Rosen and Council owe Edmonds a fiduciary responsibility. They failed to do their due diligence and have jeopardized the very livelihood of those they swore to represent.
They’ve dehumanized us, reduced us to a property parcel number and a wallet to suit their agenda – not ours. When you compromise, diminish, ones’ fiscal health and that of our family you can and often do jeopardize our mental, emotional, and physical health — you have deprived us of our home and neighbors. You have rocked our very foundation.
Theresa Campa Hutchison lives in Edmonds.
