By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — The audience and candidates listened politely to ideas about hiring a city ombudsman, widening streets and offering tax breaks. But no one could ignore the gorilla in the room.
That gorilla was the absence of the three Marysville City Council candidates who boycotted Friday’s Chamber of Commerce forum, saying it was co-sponsored by a group that has its own political agenda.
Incumbent NormaJean Dierck, who is up for re-election for Position 1, and candidates Tim Bond and Jeff Seibert, who are running for Positions 4 and 3, respectively, say Concerned Citizens of Marysville is a political action committee bent on filling the council with pro-business candidates.
These three candidates say Concerned Citizens wants to further the interests of developers and had some influence over the questions asked at Friday’s forum at the school district office.
Members from the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce and from Concerned Citizens have denied the accusations.
![]() Tom Grady |
Although Friday’s forum questions were asked from a business perspective, most covered general topics such as the candidate’s vision for Marysville, quality of life and the objective of the Growth Management Act.
The four candidates who attended Friday’s forum were in striking agreement on several issues, though there were occasional deviations from the norm.
John Myers, Seibert’s opponent for Position 3, supports diversifying the city’s tax base by recruiting high-tech business and attracting a satellite college campus branch. Also, Myers believes in allowing new businesses a break in their taxes for up to two years. Myers also said he wasn’t totally up on the city’s downtown revitalization plan, but believed the city doesn’t have to take away all the parking on State Avenue.
During Myers’ earlier stint as a councilman, he said he also tried to start an amusement park in Marysville.
Jon Nehring, who is running against Bond for Position 4, supports the development of Strawberry Fields into soccer fields because of the "2,000 soccer families waiting for those fields."
![]() Donna Wright |
Nehring also expressed some criticism regarding the downtown revitalization plan, saying the city didn’t work hard enough to get downtown businesses involved. Now, Nehring suggests the city buy land for a parking garage to compensate for any loss of parking. Nehring also wants to establish tax incentives for business owners.
Tom Grady is running against incumbent NormaJean Dierck for Position 1. Grady, a former Albertson’s manager, believes the city needs to hire an ombudsman to work to create a more business-friendly environment. He would also like to see 152nd Street NE developed from a two-lane to a four-lane road and has publicly supported the development of Strawberry Fields.
"Business is key and it pays the way," Grady said.
A past member of the council for three terms, Donna Wright, who is a 27-year-old small business owner, is running unopposed for Position 2.
You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097
or send e-mail to
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