Don Gough says he’ll take an inclusive approach to the city’s future.
Before he takes office, Gough said, he will talk with department heads to get their perspective on what should be done first. Then he and the City Council will set priorities.
“What I want is not important. It’s what we want as a city and a community on those issues,” Gough said.
Major projects on the city’s wish list include a community center and new police station or expansion of the existing one. The city will seek residents’ comments, Gough said, and because of the expense, the projects will likely need a special tax approved by voters.
| Name: Don Gough
Age: 54 Salary: $82,356 a year, full-time. Past service: 10 years on the Lynnwood City Council (1996-present). |
“It’s a multiyear process,” he said.
Funding for big-ticket items will likely be addressed during next year’s budget process for 2007-08, Gough said.
But there are some things that can be done in the meantime. With the City Center plan in place, the next step is to create an economic development plan for the rest of the city, he said. While the City Center plan was being put together, “businesses outside the City Center area were asking, what about us?” Gough said.
He would like to see the city add staff to coordinate issues related directly to neighborhoods. Lynnwood University, a program to educate residents about how the city works, and the city newsletter could be done in that office, Gough said.
Currently, neighborhood concerns regarding traffic and other issues are handled piecemeal by different departments, Gough said.
The neighborhoods office is an example of ideas that have been brewing in the city for a while, he said. “We’re on the verge of doing some things that take a while to get going.”
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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