Despite financial worries across the country, Snohomish County faces “no imminent economic threat,” County Executive Aaron Reardon said Wednesday as he marched through his key goals for 2008.
Instead, complacency is the county’s enemy as it tries to find solutions for affordable housing, homelessness, tough times for farmers and protecting the environment, he said.
“Today we stand tall, bolstered by a strong economy, fiscally responsible government and an electorate that has voiced their confidence in the direction we are taking Snohomish County,” Reardon said.
Reardon made his comments during a 20-minute state of the county address. It was his fifth such speech and the first one since voters re-elected the Democratic leader in November.
He highlighted the county’s job growth, more than 22,500 new jobs last year, thanks in part to Boeing’s 787 production line increasing the number of family-wage jobs.
Republican County Councilman John Koster said he appreciates Reardon’s optimism about the economy, but the county executive needs a dose of reality.
“I’m nervous about the economy,” Koster said. “It’s a bit naive to say there’s no economic threat given what’s going on around us. We need to look outside the county and be a little realistic. We need to tighten the seat belt a little bit in case it gets a little rough.”
To stave off national recession, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates another half-percentage point on Wednesday, on top of a three-quarter percent cut last week.
No new initiatives were announced in Reardon’s speech. Instead, he focused on his ongoing efforts.
“Among the greatest challenges facing Snohomish County families today is the need for affordable housing,” Reardon said.
His plans include reforms for the county’s social service spending and land-use regulations to help make housing more affordable. He also is working with a broad coalition of community members to talk about the issue. He said he also supports teaching people how to be self-sufficient and financially stable.
Koster said he was glad Reardon focused on affordable housing and government regulations that can drive up the cost of construction.
Reardon focused on the right local issues, Democratic County Council chairman Dave Somers said.
“I thought it was a positive speech,” Somers said. “It’s a good road map for what we need to tackle.”
It surprised Koster that Reardon’s speech made no mention of public safety.
“He didn’t address whether he felt things are better in that regard, or if improvements need to be made,” Koster said. The county spends 71 percent of its general fund on public safety.
Reardon made no mention in his speech of transportation challenges facing the county.
He did reiterate his climate change goals to reduce Snohomish County’s greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below the year 2000 levels by 2020.
Agriculture also will get special attention this year, he said. Plans include nurturing the county’s biofuels crops and a study of the long-term community goals to sustain farmland and farming in the county.
Reardon closed by pushing the County Council to quickly approve hiring a community inclusion manager to promote diversity in hiring and in applying for county contracts.
The council rejected the idea a year ago, but new council members reintroduced the proposal.
Reardon said he hopes for a hearing and approval by March.
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
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