EVERETT — Ray Stephanson, already Everett’s longest-serving mayor, plans to run for re-election this year.
“I’m in,” Stephanson said on Monday. “For me, and what I look forward to for our city is seeing a lot of what we’ve started come to fruition.”
Stephanson has been mayor since 2003, when he won a midterm election to fill out the end of Ed Hansen’s term. That year he narrowly defeated interim mayor Frank Anderson. Since then Stephanson has served three full terms, defeating former councilman Ron Gipson in 2005 and Jim Johnson in 2009. Stephanson ran unopposed in 2013.
He’s overseen a period when Everett has experienced major growth in population and jobs. At the same time, the city has seen what some health officials describe as an epidemic of opiate use as well as increased homelessness.
In 2014 he launched the Community Streets Initiative task force, a group of community leaders who drew up a long list of recommendations to tackle homelessness and the related problems of untreated mental health problems, addiction and street-level nuisances.
The Safe Streets plan that grew out of that has included several programs, such as embedding social workers within a special police unit, launching a work program (now being taken over by HopeWorks), and the construction of a housing complex for the most vulnerable people in the homeless population.
“There’s a lot of work to be done in that regard,” Stephanson said. “I very much want to be a part of that and do what I can to be supportive.”
Stephanson also said that he wants to continue building on the economic growth the city has experienced with the new riverfront and waterfront housing projects and keeping Boeing’s 777X assembly and wing production in the city.
He also lobbied heavily to have Washington State University establish its North Puget Sound campus in Everett, which he hopes will help support a growing medical industry in town.
“I’m ready to go and ready to work hard and see these opportunities come to fruition,” Stephanson said.
Stephanson faces a likely challenge from three-term Snohomish County Councilman Brian Sullivan. Sullivan represents District 2, which includes Everett, Mukilteo and Tulalip.
The two have had several political disagreements over the years, especially over the establishment of commercial air service out of Paine Field. Stephanson has supported it, while Sullivan, a former Mukilteo mayor, was vehemently opposed.
Stephanson’s drive to build a low-barrier housing project has angered many of the apartment building’s future neighbors in the Pinehurst and Glacier View neighborhoods.
“I clearly understand and appreciate people’s concerns about providing supportive housing in the community,” Stephanson said.
“I would say again that this is a solution that’s worked very well and has been proven in other communities, and we’ll have success here,” he said.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
