EVERETT — Liz Vogeli won’t have much time to relish her new position when she’s sworn in to the Everett City Council next week.
After taking her place at the dais, Vogeli, 41, will be thrust immediately into determining the city’s priorities for 2019 as she votes on the proposed budget for next year.
Vogeli, having done her homework, is ready to start making those hard decisions. She was a regular attendee of council and community meetings during her campaign.
“I’ll be bringing compassion, approachability and the willingness to really dive deep into a situation,” Vogeli said. “I’m excited for the challenge. It’s going to be difficult, but I’m glad to be in there.”
Vogeli moved to Everett from Bremerton in 2013 when her husband, Noah, got a job as a Machinist at Boeing. They live in the Westmont neighborhood with their two young children. Vogeli also has an adult son who lives out of state.
The 2016 presidential election helped spur her re-entrance into local activism. It became even more important that neighbors know one another, Vogeli said.
She began participating in rallies and marches, and was one of the organizers of last year’s March in Solidarity with Immigrants and Refugees in south Everett.
But she still wasn’t meeting people from her neighborhood, she said. This drove her to revive the Westmont-Holly Neighborhood Association.
“I’ve always been an advocate,” Vogeli said. “I really enjoy finding information and dispersing information. And letting the neighbors be heard.”
Vogeli aims to bring more voices to the table. She knows she has to seek them out to make that happen.
“It’s really important to show up and listen,” she said.
She’d also like to hold town halls.
For the larger issues facing Everett, Vogeli aims to draw on her personal life to develop her leadership style.
“I’ve had an extreme amount of experience in the world of misfortune,” she said.
As a teenager, she spent a few months homeless living out of the family car. Later, as a young single mom, she often struggled to balance her budget. She was left a widow three months after giving birth to one of her sons.
“I’ll speak for the people who are too afraid to speak,” Vogeli said.
Vogeli beat Tyler Rourke to win the seat that was left vacant when Cassie Franklin became mayor. In January, Ethel McNeal was appointed to the position until the election.
Vogeli has small changes in mind, such as getting rid of the single-use water bottles provided to councilmembers at meetings. She notes that the council is preparing to pass a ban on disposable plastic grocery bags.
Vogeli also has larger targets. She wants to increase spending to expand the anti-gang initiatives launched this year.
“Everett hasn’t thrived yet,” Vogeli said. “There’s so much wonderful potential. I want to see it thrive for everyone.”
Lizz Giordano: 425-374-4165; egiordano@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @lizzgior.
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