Ray Stephanson
Age: 58
Residence: North Everett
Education: associate degree in professional management from Edmonds Community College; bachelor’s degree in business administration from Columbia Pacific University.
Occupation: Mayor of Everett, former executive with Verizon Communications.
Political experience: Two years as Everett mayor, seven years as Everett City Councilman, including two years as council president and mayor pro tem.
Top 3 issues:
1. Preserve: Our quality of life and sense of community.
2. Protect: Our citizens in their homes and on the streets.
3. Provide: Open government that partners with our citizens to create a vision for the future.
Statement: I’m proud of my record as mayor. I’ve balanced the budget, protected Boeing jobs and Naval Station Everett and invested in parks, libraries, streets and transit.
Fun fact: Climbed Mount Rainier to celebrate 50th birthday.
Ron Gipson
Age: 47
Residence: South Everett
Education: Everett High School, University of Washington, bachelor’s degree in society and justice.
Occupation: Snohomish County Juvenile Correction Officer.
Political experience: 10 years Everett City Council, budget committee chairman, Snohomish County Health District, National League of Cities and Association of Washington Cities.
Personal experience: UW football player on Rose and Sun Bowl teams, pro football player, various community boards of directors and small-business owner for nine years.
Top 3 issues:
1. Preserve: Our neighborhoods, the very heart and soul of our community. It is paramount that we preserve the character of our neighborhoods by addressing public safety issues and not allowing over development.
2. Protect: Our economic vitality by bringing in new companies to our city – companies that will bring in not only high-tech jobs but family wage, blue-collar jobs as well.
3. Provide: Our employees with a workplace environment that treats them with respect. Our employees are the face of the city and our greatest resource. They want a mayor that will work with them, not against them. That is why three major city unions endorse me.
Statement: The mayor’s job is full-time. You can’t dance around an issue; you have to make the call 24/7/365. Even during election season, citizens want a mayor who will make decisions.
Fun fact: Taking piano lessons and playing piano with my daughter.
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