EVERETT — Mike Cooper will replace Dave Somers as chairman of the Snohomish County Council this year.
Cooper, who has served just one year on the council, was elected by the rest of the five-member group to lead them. He served as vice chairman in 2008.
Dave Gossett, a former council chairman, will serve as vice chairman.
The elections were unanimous, Cooper said.
Cooper said he told the other councilmen that he wanted the top post this year.
“When I was elected vice chair last year I had hoped that this would happen this year,” he said.
Cooper said his first priority as chairman will be to stimulate the local economy. The council approved a bare-bones 2009 budget in November that cut dozens of county jobs, but it’s possible that more workers will be laid off later this year, Cooper said.
“We may find ourselves in the middle of the year amending the budget,” he said.
The council asked each department head last year to trim 9 percent from their budgets. Each department head must also submit proposals for an extra 1 percent in budget cuts to the council by the end of the month.
“We continue to look for savings,” Cooper said.
Cooper last month proposed a 55 percent reduction in the vehicle stipends offered to the county’s elected leaders. The council is expected to vote on that proposal this month.
Cooper said when he proposed the reduction that he didn’t know he could opt out of the stipend, even though county Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis has declined the payment for years.
On Monday, Cooper said he plans to opt out of the payment this year.
Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
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