EVERETT — Former City Councilman Ray Stephanson was slightly ahead of Mayor Frank Anderson Tuesday night in an election that was still too close to call at press time.
"I’m cautiously optimistic," Stephanson said. "But I don’t think the outcome of this election will be determined for a few days, until the absentee ballots are counted."
"It’s a nail-biter," Anderson said. "Other than that, we’ll have to wait and see."
When the final results are in, whoever wins will have to start thinking about the next election right away. Tuesday’s vote was only to complete the last two years of the four-year term of Ed Hansen, who resigned last year to head the Snohomish County PUD. The mayor will face another election in November 2005.
If he wins, Stephanson would take office as soon as the county certifies the election results — probably within the next two weeks.
The campaign was at times bitter. Anderson and his supporters accused Stephanson and one of his key backers, Hansen, of misleading voters by twisting budget data to make it seem as if the city was heading toward a financial crisis. Stephanson and Hansen said that even if some terminology in the campaign material was incorrect, they stood by their contention that Anderson’s policies could eventually lead to severe budget problems.
Stephanson charged that Anderson was being fiscally irresponsible for planning to use $4.8 million of the city’s $22.4 million surplus to balance the 2004 budget. Stephanson said he would cut $4.8 million from the $96.2 million in spending that was allocated in the 2004 budget.
Anderson contended that he would rather use part of the surplus than cut programs or lay off employees.
Anderson said it was "hard to say" whether Stephanson’s mailings criticizing his handling of the city’s finances helped lead to Stephanson’s strong showing.
Stephanson said, "Our message resonated with the public. There is a different approach (on city finances) between the mayor and I."
If he wins, Stephanson would have to work with a City Council that may be initially hostile toward him. Six of the seven council members endorsed Anderson and criticized Stephanson’s campaign tactics — although one of them, Dale Pope, lost his re-election bid in a landslide. Another, Doug Campbell, was ahead in his race. Only one council member, Bob Overstreet, supported Stephanson; he appeared to have won his race Tuesday.
Stephanson also would inherit a city workforce that has been worried that his election would mean their jobs would be in jeopardy. Stephanson called layoffs a last resort, but the talk at City Hall was that there might be no other way to slash $4.8 million from the city budget, as Stephanson proposes to do.
The mayor, who oversees a workforce of nearly 1,100, earns $122,832 a year.
Reporter David Olson: 425-339-3452 or dolson@heraldnet.com
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