Lynnwood mayor: Three city council members challenge incumbent mayor
Published 5:50 pm Friday, July 31, 2009
LYNNWOOD — The three people standing between Mayor Don Gough and his re-election to the city’s top office are all familiar foes.
Each of them sits on the city council.
Together, they have 44 years experience in city government.
“Three council members running against a sitting mayor speaks for itself,” said Jim Smith, 58, a 22-year council veteran who has run unsuccessfully for mayor multiple times, including in 2001 and 2005.
Smith said relations between the council and the mayor’s office are now at an all-time low. He called them “strained at best.”
Gough, who was elected mayor in 2005, says the city’s political culture explains more than anything else.
“It’s the same people (running for mayor) over and over,” Gough said. “They are just running again to fulfill their own ambitions — period.”
Gough’s other challengers also offered barbed comments.
Loren Simmonds, 66, and a 10-year council veteran, criticized Gough for not working out of his office in City Hall very often. Simmonds ran for mayor in 2001.
Whoever fills the mayor’s office needs to be more professional, said Simmonds, who also said the city had “lapsed into a we-versus-them attitude.”
Lisa Utter, 47, and a 12-year council veteran, accused Gough of giving the council very little information during the last budget process, and failing to answer questions. Utter has never run for mayor before.
The council is frustrated with the mayor, she said.
Lynnwood has a strong-mayor type of government. Mayors are paid $95,881 a year and are elected to four-year terms.
Gough said the city is moving forward.
“I’m getting things done that need to be taken care of,” said Gough, who cited the renovated fire station, the renovated City Hall and the soon-to-be-built recreation center as evidence of Lynnwood’s progress. “And I have a good relationship with the council — this stuff doesn’t get done without them participating in it.”
He wants another term to ensure city finances stay balanced in trying times — and without massive layoffs in City Hall, he said.
“That’s the task, and I believe I can do it,” Gough said.
His opponents would also like a crack.
As the city contemplates annexation, it needs to wrestle with serious infrastructure needs, Utter said.
Lynnwood also needs to actively recruit new businesses and industries to better diversify its tax base, Simmonds said.
Those are good goals, said Smith, who said halting runaway taxes was his top priority.
He harshly criticized the new $26 million recreation center. The timing was not right to add to people’s utility and garbage bills, he said.
“It’s almost like (the other candidates) have been playing with these millions of dollars for so long they don’t realize how much it is,” Smith said.
Chris Fyall: 425-339-3447, cfyall@heraldnet.com.
@List subhead:Don Gough
Age: 58
Lynnwood mayor
@List subhead:Loren Simmonds
Age: 66
Non-profit resource development consultant
@List subhead:Jim Smith
Age: 58
Business owner
@List subhead:Lisa Utter
Age: 47
Studying for a master’s degree at University of Washington; previously a small business owner
