City Council challengers share distrust of Marysville’s goals

MARYSVILLE — Two incumbents on the City Council here are facing two challengers running as a team.

Donna Wright, who has 18 years experience on the council, faces a challenge from Quinn King. Jeff Seibert, seeking his third term on the council, is challenged by Patrick Larson Jr.

Both King and Larson are employed in security at the Tulalip Resort Casino.

Larson challenges city policies on several fronts. King did not respond to several e-mails and phone calls from The Herald requesting an interview.

“I want to participate, I want to serve, I feel they’ve made bad decisions,” Larson said of the city.

Larson and King have posted a statement on a joint Web site. They level several criticisms against the city.

On the Web site, he and King say the city wants to build a $100 million city hall.

“How is your current government going to pay for this? The answer; RAISE TAXES!” the Web site says.

City officials say there is no definite cost for a new city hall building; the latest ballpark estimate is $35 million, city administrator Mary Swenson said.

The city rents a former office building at 1049 State Ave. and has discussed consolidating some of its approximately 250 staff members scattered through several buildings around town. Officials say they have put the city hall project on hold until the economy improves. When the time comes to build, they plan to use a lease-to-buy plan that will not require a tax increase, Swenson said.

Regarding property taxes, the city has not taken the 1 percent annual increase allowed by law for the past six years, Swenson said.

“I think that’s been the responsible thing to do,” Wright said.

Larson criticizes the city for a tax on admissions to events at which a cover charge is levied, such as bars with live music. City officials say there is no such tax in the city. The council considered and rejected the idea last year.

The challengers also oppose the way the city is planning to add nearly 20,000 people to Marysville. The city is annexing areas east of State Avenue by an interlocal agreement with Snohomish County, rather than through an election or petition. State law allows a city to annex any area by agreement with the county if 60 percent of the area’s boundary touches the city. In this case, it’s 75 percent.

“I’m indifferent to the annexation, it’s how they did it,” Larson said. “We’re supposed to elect the people that govern you. You’re not breaking the law but that doesn’t mean what you’re doing is right and you’re not doing it in the correct way.”

Seibert says it’s the job of city officials to make such decisions.

“It’s kind of a nonissue,” he said. “This is a representative democracy. The citizens don’t want us to have them vote on everything.”

The agreement with Snohomish County also allowed the city to get some funding for improving the congested 88th Street NE, he said.

Seibert said improving traffic and infrastructure, and how that can help bring jobs into the city, is a priority for him and the council. Improvements are being made to streets and storm-water runoff in the north end of the city in hopes of speeding traffic flow and attracting light-industrial jobs, he said.

“We’ve been working on that for about two and a half years,” he said.

In addition to traffic and jobs, redevelopment of the downtown area will be a priority in the future, Wright said. Increasing access to the riverfront is a big piece of the city’s plan.

“I see that as a partnership with the private sector,” Wright said, “to encourage and promote the private sector to develop it to the benefit of the city.”

Wright, who has been on the council for all but a two-year gap since 1990, said much has changed since then.

“Some of these issues are still around,” she said, citing traffic as an example. “We’re seeing progress but there’s still a lot to do.”

Larson has a criminal conviction for reckless driving on his record. The violation occurred April 23. He did not serve any jail time for the incident, he said. He has been assessed a $493 fine.

In other races, city councilmen Jeff Vaughan and Jon Nehring are running unopposed.

For more information on Larson’s and Kings’ candidacy, go to www.quinnkingpatricklarson.webs.com. Wright and Seibert do not have a Web site.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.

Marysville City Council

QUINN KING

Age: not available

Occupation: Security for the Tulalip Resort Casino

DONNA WRIGHT

Age: 69

Occupation: Real estate agent; co-owner with husband of Coldwell Banker Gary Wright Realty Inc. Marysville

PATRICK LARSON JR.

Age: 28