Mukilteo council candidates looking to manage growth, budget

MUKILTEO — Citizens in Mukilteo will see new faces on the City Council after the November election as three incumbents did not file to run for reelection.

The City Council is Mukilteo’s governing body. Council members serve four-year terms and earn $10,992 per year.

Position 1

Bob Champion is running alongside Ilona Van Duser for the Position 1 seat, currently held by council member Louis Harris. Harris did not file to run for reelection.

Bob Champion

Robert “Bob” Champion, 70, previously served two terms on the Mukilteo City Council. He is a retired aerospace worker who spent 40 years in the industry.

His top priorities are managing the city budget and keeping Mukilteo “unique, beautiful and small,” he said.

Champion has concerns about the state of the city’s finances, citing Mukilteo’s biennial budget that was approved in 2024. That budget showed that the city would have only about $1 million in reserves by the end of 2026, about $2.6 million short of a city requirement to keep at least two months of operating expenses in reserves.

City staff and Mukilteo’s mayor, however, said potential new revenue — including a new traffic camera program, an annexation and the sale of Hawthorne Hall — would leave Mukilteo with enough fund balance to meet the city requirement.

Champion said his approach to budgeting is to “tear it down, brick by brick; build it back up, brick by brick.” He said he would work with council members to make tough decisions — which could possibly include cuts to staffing or service levels, if necessary — and find ways to generate revenue.

“You prioritize city needs and residential needs, you find that balance, you make the tough decisions, and then you operate within the budget framework that you have,” Champion said. “That’s just my philosophy.”

He said his experience managing budgets in the private sector was valuable experience.

“The mantra was: You stay in cost, on budget and on schedule,” Champion said. “I’ve lived my life that way.”

To boost revenues in the city, Champion said he would form an economic development committee to engage with local business owners and Snohomish County officials to find opportunities to generate tourism spending. He also said the reopening of the Edgewater Bridge next year will be a boost as it serves as a vital connection between Everett and Mukilteo.

On the city’s waterfront redevelopment project, Champion said he would like to see more transparency from both Mukilteo and the Port of Everett as to the project’s status.

“Patience is a virtue, but I believe one day we’ll get to the vision that is outlined in the plans,” Champion said. “I’d just like to know what that timeline is.”

On housing and development, Champion said he believes there is “a place for bedroom communities in the United States.” He said higher-density housing should be focused in areas other than Mukilteo, closer to rapid transit options like light rail, and opposes state laws that mandate most Washington cities to allow missing middle housing — in a city of Mukilteo’s size, two units per residential lot — in most areas.

“I’m not anti-housing, I just believe that local communities should have local control. And politicians, if they believe that too, should allow us to do that,” Champion said.

Champion filed a mini reporting campaign with the state Public Disclosure Commission, meaning he does not have to file contribution and expenditure reports but cannot raise or spend more than $7,000 on his campaign. He is not seeking endorsements.

Ilona Van Duser

Van Duser, 64, is the chair of Mukilteo’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission. She is retired, having previously worked as a senior manager in the cybersecurity field.

Her top priorities are funding fire and emergency medical services, moving the waterfront development forward and making sure growth is carefully planned.

Van Duser supports the EMS levy on the November ballot, which would increase the city’s property tax levy rate from 27 cents per $1,000 in assessed value to 50 cents per $1,000.

Citizens in Mukilteo currently pay the least in property taxes for EMS services in Snohomish County, and would still pay the least if the levy lid lift is approved. In 2025, the city used American Rescue Plan Act dollars to cover a $1.9 million shortfall in the EMS fund and plans to use general fund dollars to cover that same gap in 2026 if the levy fails.

That levy faces opposition from the city’s firefighters union, however, which has said it has faced consistent challenges with understaffing and expressed frustration that the levy would not fund additional services. In an Oct. 26 press release, the union said the current EMS delivery model is “outdated, under-resourced and unsustainable.” The union has supported joining the South County Regional Fire Authority.

Many city council members said the levy was not intended to be a long-term solution to the needs of emergency workers, but rather a measure to support the city and fire department’s finances in the near term.

Van Duser said she supports the levy as a way to maintain existing services, then hopes to look for longer-term solutions over the next year.

“Right now, we need to fund our fire personnel, our EMS personnel, then we need to have bigger conversations with the fire department, with our residents, with the city council,” she said. “What are the next steps? There are needs within the fire department that are not being met.”

On the budget, Van Duser said the city is in a healthier financial position than some others may think. New revenues from the sale of Hawthorne Hall, new automatic traffic cameras and a recent annexation will help the city meet its fund balance requirements, she said.

“Does that mean we can just let the foot off the gas in looking for efficiencies? Absolutely no,” she said. “We always need to keep a critical eye on every dollar that is spent and where we invest our hard-earned dollars.”

Van Duser said, if elected, she would meet with department heads at the city to find where efficiencies could be gained.

On the waterfront development project, Van Duser said she would get acquainted with the agencies involved — including the city, the Port of Everett, the Tulalip Tribes and private landowners — and work to start sharing information with residents when possible. She said the possibility of the city surplusing a piece of land along the waterfront may lead to progress on the project.

In regard to housing, Van Duser said Mukilteo doesn’t want big apartment complexes. She said she hopes to make more opportunities for home ownership and allowing accessory dwelling units as ways to add growth while staying in the city’s character.

Van Duser has been endorsed by Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine and City Council members Louis Harris, Tom Jordal, Jason Moon and Richard Emery. She filed a mini reporting campaign with the Public Disclosure Commission.

Position 2

Carolyn Carlson is running alongside James Sterba for the Position 2 seat, currently held by the council president, Tom Jordal. Jordal did not file to run for reelection.

Carolyn Carlson

Carlson, 78, is retired. She previously worked as a manager and coordinator for the United States Postal Service and has run for city council multiple times.

Her top priorities are addressing the city budget and giving more say to seniors in the community.

Carlson feels that Mukilteo’s budget is heading in the wrong direction.

“It’s like being at home,” Carlson said. “You take care of the things you have to and maybe later, you look around and go to the things you want. And I’m not sure that’s happening.”

She has said she would support leveraging public-private partnerships and encourage volunteering as additional measures to balance the budget.

On the waterfront redevelopment project, Carlson said the city should clean up the area around where it may surplus a piece of land. She also said the city should install a “touch tank” along the waterfront, a public aquarium that allows people to touch the wildlife in the tanks.

Carlson has also said she wants the city to establish an office of neighborhoods to increase citizen participation in government.

Carlson has been endorsed by the Snohomish County Democrats and Snohomish County Indivisible. She’s also received endorsements from Snohomish County Council member Megan Dunn and Mukilteo City Council members Jason Moon, Richard Emery, Mike Dixon and Steve Schmalz, among others.

Carlson has reported $6,048 in campaign contributions as of Thursday, state filings show.

James Sterba

Sterba, 58, is a senior procurement manager at Boeing. He has never sought elected office before.

His top priorities are protecting the look and feel of Mukilteo and supporting first responders.

On housing, Sterba said he would oppose any new developments that don’t fit with established neighborhoods. Development that does occur should be “managed and well thought out as part of an overall plan,” he said.

The budget is balanced and has some reserves, Sterba said, but the council needs to keep a watchful eye on it as other cities across the region face budget challenges. To address the city budget, he previously said he would attempt to grow revenue through economic development efforts.

“The budget seems to be really forward-looking and cautious, but committed to the quality of life of our residents,” Sterba said. “I want to be able to reinforce that.”

Sterba said the waterfront redevelopment project is a “generational opportunity” to change the shape of Mukilteo’s shoreline and bring new revenue to the city. He said he would meet with stakeholders like the Port of Everett, Tulalip Tribes and regulatory authorities to make sure the area is well thought out.

“I think you need to put a lot of horsepower behind that and get it right to make it a benefit for people not just in Mukilteo, but the surrounding areas as well,” Sterba said.

Sterba said he is in full support of the upcoming EMS levy to reduce strain on the city’s general fund and maintain existing service. After November’s vote, he would consider proposals that come forward — which could include further revenue asks or a regional fire authority — to make sure Mukilteo is “well taken care of,” he said.

Sterba has been endorsed by Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine and City Council members Tom Jordal and Donna Vago, along with the chair of the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce board, Jim Tinsley.

Sterba has reported $5,064 in campaign contributions as of Thursday, state filings show.

Position 3

Don Doran, a former mayor of Mukilteo, is running unopposed for the Position 3 seat, currently held by council member Steve Schmalz. Schmalz is running for the mayoral seat against incumbent Joe Marine.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Carolyn Carlson had raised $185 in campaign contributions as of Monday, Oct. 27. She had reported $185 in campaign contributions to the Public Disclosure Commission as of Monday, Oct. 27. The story has also been updated to reflect new public disclosure reports.