By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Writer
EVERETT — Mayoral candidate David Sherman’s biggest campaign issue is getting a government that represents the majority of citizens.
Under that campaign umbrella, Sherman places the proposed combination hockey arena and special events center, a sure example, he said, of government not listening to its citizens.
"I believe that the proposed arena should be reconsidered," Sherman said. "Public consensus for it needs to be developed, other sites should be reopened for consideration, and the financing both long-term and short-term should be re-evaluated in view of the approaching recession."
During the primary election, the proposed 8,000-seat hockey arena was a lightning rod for candidates running for Everett government. Sherman still considers that a hot-button issue. But as a vocal neighborhood association member, Sherman also believes the current administration isn’t listening.
![]() David Sherman |
Sherman is running against incumbent Mayor Ed Hansen in the Nov. 6 general election. The mayor doesn’t vote on anything. It’s a full-time management and administrative position that pays $116,000 a year.
Sherman, an electrical engineer who wears his hair in a pony tail and drives a deuce-and-a-half Army truck, said the hockey arena has not only been pushed through by a narrow set of special interests, it’s being built in the wrong part of downtown.
The arena is proposed for Hewitt Avenue and Broadway. Sherman said other downtown sites should have been considered.
"A multipurpose arena somewhere in Everett is probably a good idea overall for many reasons," Sherman said. "But I am opposed to the Hewitt site because of the additional cost of property acquisition, the destruction of historic buildings, the incompatible architecture and what I believe is the negative impact on future downtown business improvements."
Sherman also believes in greater waterfront access to the public and said his experience of running his own business since 1988 makes him able to run the numbers for Everett.
Hansen, a former Port of Everett attorney, has been mayor for eight years. When he took office, the city was undergoing financial hardship. Hansen said getting through that has prepared him for the pending economic downturn the city faces with massive Boeing layoffs.
Hansen said the city has prepared to diversify its economy by opening a new business recruitment office. Hansen said there are a number of potential sites in the city for more high-tech companies, such as Selectron, which moved to Everett in 1998 and manufactures printed circuit boards for Hewlett-Packard.
"The economy might be facing the same types of financial challenges over the next year or two that I faced when I first became mayor, and I’ve tried to take a balanced approach," Hansen said.
The mayor also points to the new Everett Station and the Pacific Avenue overpass as ways he’s led the city to overcome traffic congestion. He said he’s a strong believer in waterfront access, saying his administration helped pave the way for the Lowell Riverfront trail.
As for the hockey arena and events center, Hansen said the city did consider the public when it sent out 5,000 questionnaires and held about 10 focus groups. The city also held a number of public hearings and formed a citizens committee to review the center’s feasibility study.
You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097
or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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