MUKILTEO — Emergency medical services, redeveloping the city’s waterfront and the city’s relationship with the Mukilteo School District were the hot-button issues Wednesday night at a City Council candidates’ debate.
About 150 people packed into the Olympic View Middle School Commons to get a look at eight candidates vying for four spots.
Incumbents Eileen Hinds, Bruce Richter and Bruce Brown touted their experience, as did former planning commissioner Dan Gray.
Tony Tinsley, Julie Irwin, Donna Lansberry and Jennifer Gregerson said the current council doesn’t listen well enough to its citizens.
"Many of us feel that things are not right in Mukilteo," said Tinsley, who is running against Hinds for Position 5. "Our biggest problem is the city government."
All of the candidates said the city needs reliable emergency medical services. But some said they would like more assurance that, if an emergency medical services levy going before voters Nov. 4 is approved, the levy revenue all will be spent on emergency medical services.
Brown, challenged by Lansberry for Position 6, said the money won’t be misspent.
"I can assure you all, if there is any misuse of funds, you’ll hear about it," Brown said.
All candidates said redeveloping the waterfront in a way that protects public access while limiting the impact Whidbey Island commuters have on the city is critical, but candidates had different ways they would go about it.
Brown, Hinds and Richter said they support building a road through Japanese Gulch as an alternative to widening Mukilteo Speedway in Old Town.
Gregerson and Gray, who are competing against each other for Position 7, both said they could support building a road through Japanese Gulch if it becomes necessary, but both would pursue more short-term solutions to improve traffic now.
Lansberry, Tinsley and Irwin don’t want to see the Speedway widened or a road go through Japanese Gulch, saying other options should be pursued.
Lansberry said ferries should be diverted to Edmonds and Everett to reduce traffic flow in Mukilteo, but Hinds said that wouldn’t work.
"On this planet, in this universe, that ferry isn’t going anywhere," Hinds said.
All the challengers said the city should improve its relationship with the school district, with several saying the city should have never sued the district to find out what can be built at the site of the Rosehill Community Center.
The incumbents all said it’s unfortunate that the lawsuit was costly, and that they wanted only clarification of what the city could build at the site.
Irwin is challenging Richter for Position 5.
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