MUKILTEO — In a race with incumbents touting their experience and challengers calling for change, eight people are vying to fill four open spots on the Mukilteo City Council.
Incumbents Bruce Brown, Eileen Hinds and Bruce Richter say they know how to keep running the city, as does former planning commissioner Dan Gray.
Jennifer Gregerson, Julie Irwin, Donna Lansberry and Tony Tinsley say the council doesn’t listen well enough, and it’s time for a new one.
Hinds said she has the "experience and high ethical standards" needed to be re-elected to Position 4.
"I understand the issues and will make decisions that are in the best interest of the whole community," Hinds said.
She said developing a quality waterfront plan and getting ferry traffic off Mukilteo Speedway are among her top issues.
Tinsley believes voters should elect him because he’s in tune with what residents want.
"As I have observed the City Council, they seem to have their own agendas, and they seem to ignore the will of the people," he said.
He said he wants to push for adequate funding for the health and safety of the city’s residents, for slowing growth and easing traffic congestion.
Tinsley said he also would like to give city residents a top priority when it comes to using city facilities such as the city boat ramp.
Richter wants to keep his job so he can work on relocating the ferry terminal in a way that protects Old Town from climbing commuter traffic levels.
"I want to work on an alternate route to the ferry through Japanese Gulch," he said, adding that widening Mukilteo Speedway would devastate Old Town. "If it were wider, the state is talking about taking 20 to 25 homes."
For Irwin, running for City Council is about connecting the city with its residents.
"It’s to bring communication back between government and the public," said Irwin, running against Richter in Position 5. "It’s really lacking right now."
She wants to work on a waterfront plan that protects the historic character of Old Town.
Brown, who is running for Position 6, wants to be re-elected so he can continue to work on issues such as making sure the city has emergency medical services, that it can balance its budget without laying people off and trying to get ferry traffic off Mukilteo Speedway.
"I have a history of trying hard to not alienate people," Brown said. "I try to be fair and balanced as I can be."
Lansberry believes she should replace Brown at Position 6 because "I’ll listen and advocate for the people who live here."
Like other candidates, she wants to limit the effect growth has on the community, especially by ferry commuters.
"I’d like to see a historic downtown with little shops and restaurants," Lansberry said, "not huge commercial development and commuter parking lots."
Vying for Position 7, Gray wants to build on his 12 years as a planning commissioner.
"I’d like to see us finish a lot of things I worked on as a planning commissioner," Gray said, including finishing a plan for the city’s waterfront and adopting a new comprehensive plan.
Gray said he wants to work at keeping growth "maintainable and sustainable," meaning it should be slow enough that the city can provide the proper infrastructure.
Gregerson, Gray’s opponent, also wants to work at keeping growth under control.
"I’m really concerned about preserving our small-town character," Gregerson said.
She said she would like to see the city adopt incentives to preserve the small-town feel and protect open space.
Reporter Lukas Velush:
425-339-3449 or
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