Re-elect strong incumbents
Published 4:02 pm Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The process — or perhaps the lack of it — that has Marysville on track to add about 20,000 people to its population through a major annexation appears to be the chief reason two veteran city council members face challenges in the Nov. 3 election.
The pending eastward expansion of the city limits is moving forward without a public vote, which rubs some residents the wrong way. Among them are Quinn King and Patrick Larson Jr., two political newcomers who are challenging incumbents Donna Wright and Jeff Seibert, respectively. Two other incumbents who support the annexation, Jeff Vaughan and Jon Nehring, are running unopposed.
The challengers, who both work in security at the Tulalip Resort Casino, aren’t one-issue candidates, but the no-public-vote annexation helped motivate them to run. Both are passionate in their belief that the city is annexing too much too quickly, and that the citizens being annexed should have been able to register their opinion by voting. Neither, however, comes close to Wright or Seibert in issue knowledge or political seasoning. We recommend Marysville voters elect both incumbents to another four-year term.
Wright, a longtime real estate broker who has served four council terms since 1990, brings boundless energy and a deep institutional memory to the job. She represents Marysville on the county Board of Health and last fall was appointed by the governor to the state Board of Health. She’s also been active in the National League of Cities and Association of Washington Cities, which helps keep the council abreast of what’s working — and what’s not — in other municipalities.
Seibert, an electrician who brings a valuable working-class background to the council, is seeking a third term. He has built a reputation as the council’s “detail guy,” poring over the minutia of legislation, codes and contracts. He’s quick to ask questions, serving as a valuable check on the work of staff, but maintains constructive relationships with his even temperament.
Both incumbents argue that the annexation was done wisely as an interlocal agreement with the county because it included an investment of $6 million in county money to improve 88th Street, along with a pledge of county help to secure more road funding from state and federal sources. A public vote wasn’t required under state law because 75 percent of the land being annexed already borders the city.
King and Larson also say that the city should back away from plans for a new civic center campus, calling it an unwise expense that could force higher taxes. The project currently is on hold because of the uncertain economy, and the incumbents say it can eventually be completed without a tax hike.
Given the current council’s record of fiscal prudence — it hasn’t taken the 1 percent annual property tax increase it’s allowed for several years — that claim is credible.
