Crowded race to fill open Position 3 seat

MARYSVILLE — A soon-to-be-vacant seat on the Marysville City Council has opened up the gates for five candidates to seek the position in the August primary.

The Position 3 seat is currently held by two-term council member Tom King, who did not file to run for reelection.

There are four council seats up for election this year in Marysville. Only the Position 3 race will be on the primary ballot.

City council members in Marysville serve part-time and are paid $20,281 per year.

The primary election is Aug. 5. The top two candidates will advance to the November general election.

Amber Cantu

Cantu, 45, is an educator.

Her top priorities are improving services to combat drug addiction, expanding services for seniors and addressing the housing crisis, she said in a June 27 interview.

To support people suffering from drug addiction, Cantu said she would work with private nonprofits and public programs to find ways to connect individuals to needed help.

Cantu also said she would like to expand senior services offered through the city’s community center. She said she would look at ways to bring services to seniors at their homes.

“They deserve to have joy,” Cantu said. “They’ve invested, they’ve given, now it’s time for us to invest and give back.”

On housing, Cantu said she “doesn’t have an answer” on how to solve the affordability crisis, but said she would lean on the advice of city experts to learn about the issue. She also said the city should aim to make sure vacant housing units are occupied.

Out of the city’s 29,000 housing units, about 950 are vacant, census data shows.

On public safety, Cantu said she would “never defund or decrease anything that has to do with the safety of our community.”

Cantu has received about $750 in campaign contributions as of Friday, state filings show. Her campaign website lists no endorsements.

David Garrett

Garrett, 40, is an engineer at Boeing and a shop steward at his union.

His top issues are public safety, housing, and traffic and transportation, he said in a June 10 interview. As a first-time candidate, his focus is on listening to constituents, he said.

“I feel like there’s a lot of business-centric or rich people-centric stuff going on, especially at the federal level,” Garrett said. “It’s like no, we need to take care of the people.”

On public safety, Garrett said his focus would be on making sure the police and fire departments are properly funded and properly staffed.

In regards to traffic and transportation, Garrett said the city’s infrastructure is decades behind where it should be.

He said possibly widening roads, adding more arterial routes and supporting public transportation efforts like Community Transit’s Gold Line would be ways to address traffic issues.

To address the housing crisis, Garrett said middle housing initiatives are good progress but it “may not be enough” to solve the issue.

“At the same time, we have to do it with intention, and not just go too far, too fast,” he said.

Garrett also said he would call for the city to implement project labor agreements on city construction projects, requiring contractors to negotiate with labor unions to provide opportunities for apprentices and local workers.

Garrett has been endorsed by the Snohomish County Democratic Party, the Snohomish and Island County Labor Council, Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson and Snohomish County Council member Megan Dunn. He has received just over $900 in campaign contributions as of Friday, state filings show.

Gary Kemp

Kemp, 54, is a union electrician and an assistant training director for an electrical apprenticeship. He also serves on the city’s planning commission.

Kemp previously ran for a Marysville council seat in 2019. In 2022, he also ran for a seat on the state Legislature as a Republican.

His top priorities are public safety, keeping taxes low, improving home ownership opportunities and beautifying the city, he said in a June 11 interview.

On public safety, Kemp said the current city government “has done a really good job” with the police department. His online campaign materials say he would work with agencies like police, fire and emergency services personnel to make sure they have the resources needed to continue operating.

To improve housing accessibility, his focus is on responsibly stopping “a generation of renters, and get these renters to become homeowners,” he said.

Incentivizing subdivisions and accessory dwelling units could give more opportunities to individuals looking for starter homes, Kemp said, giving them a chance to build equity.

In regards to beautifying the city, he said some buildings in the city are aging and need updating. He also said he supports improving sidewalks across the city.

On the city’s budget, Kemp said he would keep the city’s finances transparent and not raise taxes.

“That’s one of the reasons I believe people move here,” Kemp said. “They see this is a great community, and the city is not trying to take the money away from the citizens that live here.”

Marysville has not increased its property tax rate for 13 years, even though state law allows the city to do so at a rate of 1% annually. About a third of the city’s general government revenue comes from sales tax. Marysville allocates about half of those dollars toward its police department.

Kemp has been endorsed by City Council members Mark James, Steve Muller and Peter Condyles, as well as Marysville’s local electrical union and a regional building trades union.

Kemp received about $3,400 in campaign contributions as of Friday, state filings show.

Dan Perkins

Perkins, 55, is a fifth-grade teacher in the Marysville School District.

His top priorities include supporting new business opportunities, creating neighborhood associations and addressing the housing crisis, he said in a June 5 interview.

Perkins said individual neighborhoods need more representation in the city. He suggested the city could create a structure for Marysville’s 11 neighborhoods to participate more in city government, to make sure nobody is left behind, he said.

To grow opportunities for workforce development and businesses, he said the city should promote apprenticeship opportunities and business groups, as well as creating concentrated areas for food carts to operate, a system popular in cities like Portland, Oregon.

On public safety, Perkins said Marysville has a great police department. But he said that the city should strive to “step up a little more and provide more resources” to individuals going through drug addiction or homelessness, as many rely on regional leaders like Everett.

He also said the city should invest more in its youth in an attempt to prevent drug issues or homelessness before it begins.

“Whatever decision I’m going to make, whatever vote I’m going to cast, it’s going to be done through the lens of what’s best for kids,” Perkins said. “That’s what’s been guiding my decisions and my plans for the last 30 years or so, and I think that’s a healthy thing for a council.”

On housing, Perkins said the city should attempt to create more home ownership opportunities through new middle housing laws and subdivision rules.

He also said the city should improve its infrastructure, allowing for more parks, services and businesses near residential areas as well as improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

“We’re a big city, we need to act like a big city and put services close so people don’t have to drive all the way from end to end,” he said.

Perkins has been endorsed by Marysville City Council members Kelly Richards, Kamille Norton and Peter Condyles. He opted to run a mini reporting campaign, meaning he does not have file contribution and expenditure reports, but cannot raise or spend more than $7,000 on his campaign.

R.J. Whitlow

Whitlow, 55, owns 5 Rights Brewing in downtown Marysville. The company celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month.

His top priorities are government accountability, public safety, and quality of life, he said in a June 23 interview, but he stressed he is “not a political candidate at all.”

His skills running a small business, he said, would be useful experience he could translate to city government.

Whitlow said the current city administration have done a great job of including public input and making decisions transparently. He said he would continue that work if elected.

“I believe government has a role, but it doesn’t have every role in our lives,” he said. “Being open and transparent is huge for us, and a government that’s responsive to the people that actually elect it, that’s huge.”

On housing, Whitlow said the area is facing a housing shortage that needs addressing. But he said some state laws have added red tape and expenses that are preventing housing from being built.

“Before we know it, we’re going to have even less housing because people won’t have any incentive to build housing,” Whitlow said. “They won’t be able to make any money off that.”

Whitlow said there should be more dense housing near transit corridors and zoning that allows for more housing variety, but the city should also find “a balanced approach” to allow people to still own single-family homes.

On public safety, Whitlow said he would continue the city’s work of putting the necessary resources into maintaining its police department. He also supports the city’s use of social workers to assist individuals with substance abuse or mental health problems.

“If there’s a law on the board, it should be enforced, and should be enforced equally for all,” Whitlow said.

Whitlow has received about $7,150 in campaign contributions as of Friday, state filings show. He has not received any endorsements.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.