This year, nearly 60 percent of the people who filed for the more than 235 open seats on city councils, fire districts, school and water boards in Snohomish County will be running unopposed.
Many are incumbents. All of the city candidates in Darrington, Index and Marysville, for example, are in line to continue their current jobs. Still others are newcomers.
And it’s not just traditionally quiet or low-profile posts such as the Island County Cemetery District. Some mayoral seats are in the mix, too.
“I couldn’t believe it. I would think there’d be more people interested,” said Dianne White, a Stanwood City Council member who was the only person to file for the Stanwood mayor’s post by Friday’s deadline.
The growing community recently split over allowing Wal-Mart to set up shop. White opposed the big-box store, while outgoing Mayor Herb Kuhnly was a supporter.
Still, White says she plans to hit the streets in the weeks ahead.
“I would like to meet the constituency and hear what their concerns are. They’ve read in the paper what mine are,” she said.
And there may be good reason to campaign.
It may be a rare feat, but just two years ago, Joyce Jones won the Darrington mayor’s seat as a write-in candidate.
Joe Marine is also poised to take the top post in Mukilteo without a fight.
The city will be quiet this year, since each of the open City Council seats also are unopposed, including three newcomers and incumbent Lori Kaiser, who was appointed over Marine just last fall to fill a term.
“I guess I was a little surprised. I’ve never run unopposed before,” said Marine, a one-time Mukilteo City Council member and former state representative. “I’m not sure what it means, other than I hope people have seen what I’ve done in the past and think I’ll do a good job.”
Even in Everett, the county’s largest city, one new face and one incumbent face no challengers for City Council seats.
Then there are the seats that no one at all is claiming.
No one filed for 20 open positions in Snohomish and Island counties, including school board seats in the Darrington, Monroe, Northshore, South Whidbey and Sultan school districts, fire district positions in Robe Valley and Oso, and a water district post in Jordan Village.
Other open and unclaimed Island County seats include Bayview Beach Water District (two seats); Crockett Lake Water District; Freeland Water District; Long Beach Water District (three seats); North Whidbey Water District (three seats); Rhodena Beach Water District; and Swantown Water District.
A special filing period has been scheduled Wednesday through Friday in an attempt to attract candidates.
Monroe School Board President Tom MacIntyre was mildly surprised when no one filed for one of three open seats there. Both he and Greg Accetturo are running unopposed.
Accetturo was appointed earlier this year to fill the rest of a term. He was one of four people to apply at the time.
“So my guess is if we advertised (the open seat) and got the word out, we’d get a few people,” MacIntyre said. “There’s got to be somebody out there.”
Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@heraldnet.com.
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