EDMONDS — City Councilman Mike Nelson plans to run for Edmonds mayor this year.
The current mayor, Dave Earling, wasn’t ready to discuss his long-term plans this week. His term will expire at the end of the year.
Nelson was appointed to a vacant council seat in 2015 and won an election to a short term that year. He was re-elected without opposition in 2017.
“We need to balance the needs of our citizens while making sure that our charming community does not lose its way to crime, traffic, and over-development,” Nelson, 43, said in an announcement. “We are at a crossroads and I believe the best path forward is to focus on creating a livable city, not a big city.”
Nelson lists housing, health care, child care and transportation among his priorities. Last year, he introduced a city ordinance to require safe firearms storage. Among his accomplishments, he lists support for the police department and a plan to make Edmonds the first Washington city powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
Earling, 75, was elected mayor in 2011 and previously served on the City Council. He sits on the board of directors for Sound Transit and Community Transit, as well as the board of trustees for Economic Alliance Snohomish County.
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