Biggest dispute in Mukilteo mayoral race is the job

MUKILTEO — The strongest disagreement between Mayor Joe Marine and his challenger in this year’s election, City Councilwoman Jennifer Gregerson, is related to the mayor’s job itself.

More precisely, it’s over how the top of the city’s administrative pyramid should be formed.

Gregerson, a 10-year veteran of the City Council, doesn’t believe the city needs a full-time administrator in addition to the mayor.

City administrator Joe Hannan makes about $117,000 in base salary, according to Gregerson. Marine makes $70,800.

“We spend $250,000 on the mayor’s and city administrator’s salary and benefits,” Gregerson said.

Marine, finishing his eighth year as mayor, says both a full-time mayor and administrator are needed to run the city.

“The city administrator is a manager and the mayor’s a leader,” Marine said. He said Edmonds and Lynnwood, cities larger than Mukilteo but that deal with similar regional issues, both have high-level staff members who provide considerable support to the mayor.

He said if push comes to shove, if one of the positions has to be cut, the mayor’s position should be reduced to part time.

“She (Gregerson) wants the salary for the full-time mayor so she’s going to get rid of the administrator before she realizes she can do the job,” he said. “I can tell you there’s a very big difference between the city administrator and the mayor’s position.”

Gregerson said a deputy mayor or policy analyst could be hired for $60,000 or $70,000 a year to help the mayor.

“I think you need project-specific support, I just don’t think you need to pay $160,000 for it,” she said.

She said the money saved by eliminating the administrator position could go toward a full-time human resources director, a position the city has never had.

This issue came up earlier this year after the hiring of city public works director Rob McGaughey. He had been accused of harassment by some female employees in a previous job as public works director and chief engineer at Okanogan County. Marine has said he’s satisfied the accusations are false and McGaughey is still working for Mukilteo.

“I think if you look at the missteps in our public works hiring process, it’s important to have someone in city hall to protect the city from the liability and the risk,” Gregerson said. “Our employees deserve to have an HR manager.”

Marine stands by McGaughey but says the city now will do more thorough background checks on candidates for high-level positions.

Longtime city administrative assistant Shirley Engdahl, who recently retired, did double duty and handled many of the human resources duties in recent years. Marine said he is considering several options now, including contracting with an outside firm or hiring a full-time director.

Marine said the city is covered on the liability front by its legal firm, Ogden Murphy Wallace of Seattle.

In another recent controversy, the city lost huge chunks of electronic data last year when its central computer system overheated.

Most of the data was later recovered. The city’s information technology director was fired and Mukilteo now contracts for IT services, saving about $40,000 a year, Marine said.

Gregerson said she’s OK with that, at least for now.

“It seems like it’s working but I would want to talk to staff and make sure we’re being as efficient as we can,” she said.

Gregerson said many voters have told her they hope the city can put the brakes on raising city property tax levies, which have gone up 1 percent per year for seven years.

“I think we need to take a break and look inside our budget at what we can cut,” she said.

Marine said his current proposed budget for next year does not include a tax increase. He said he remains “cautiously optimistic” based on projected tax revenue that he’ll be able to stick to that plan.

Gregerson has been a leading proponent of preserving Japanese Gulch for recreation. The city currently has $4.3 million — including $3.5 million in state and county grants — to purchase a 98-acre parcel on the west side of the gulch that straddles the Mukilteo-Everett border north of Paine Field.

The city could still be up to $1.5 million short, depending on a pending appraisal, she said.

Gregerson said the city could piece together money from its park acquisition fund, real-estate excise taxes and cutting travel budgets and the mayor’s cellphone stipend to make up the difference.

“I’m happy to use my cellphone (for city business),” she said.

Gregerson in 2009 drew attention for using her phone for a late-night tweet about a dinner “debriefing” at Ivar’s restaurant at which a majority of City Council members showed up. She later said participating in the accidental quorum was a mistake.

Marine said he supports preserving the gulch. He’s confident the city will find the money it needs without raising taxes.

“We will come to council when we know that the appraisal is,” he said. “I’m fairly certain I won’t have to cut someone’s cellphone.”

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.

Meet the candidates

About the job: The mayor of Mukilteo is elected separately from the City Council and is not a voting member of the council except to break ties. The Mukilteo mayor oversees 138 employees. The base salary for the position is $70,800.

Jennifer Gregerson

Age: 35

Experience: Mukilteo city councilmember, 2004-present; master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Washington.

Independent sales representative for Herff Jones Yearbooks

Website: www.jennifergregerson.com

Joe Marine

Age: 50

Experience: Mayor of Mukilteo, 2006-present; city councilman, 1998-2001; state representative 21st District, 2001; serves with several regional boards, commissions and associations. Former Medicare and long-term care insurance agent

Website: mukilteomayorjoe.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Judge sentences man for role in human smuggling ring

Jesus Ortiz-Plata was arrested in Everett in May 2024. A U.S. District Court judge sentenced him to 15 months in prison.

Bill Wood, right, Donnie Griffin, center right, and Steve Hatzenbeler, left, listen and talk with South County Fire Chief Bob Eastman, center left, during an Edmonds Civic Roundtable event to discuss the RFA annexation on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds community discusses annexation into the regional fire authority

About 100 residents attended the Edmonds Civic Roundtable discussion in preparation for the April special election.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens schools bond leading early; Arlington voters reject latest levy attempt

A $314 million bond looks to pass while Arlington’s attempts to build a new Post Middle School again appear to take a step back.

The second floor of the Lynnwood Crisis Center on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Funding gap leaves Lynnwood without a crisis center provider

The idea for the Lynnwood crisis center began in 2021 after a 47-year-old died by suicide while in custody at Lynnwood Municipal Jail.

Three seriously injured after head-on collision on Highway 522

The crash between Monroe and Maltby happened around 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.