STANWOOD — Mayor Dianne White feels pretty good about her city.
Stanwood has a balanced 2011 budget. Housing starts are on the upswing. New restaurants and shops are open. People are supporting the idea of a new YMCA. Local festivals and events are set to bring in tourists throughout th
e year.
White, who delivered her annual state of the city address Thursday at the Stanwood Chamber of Commerce, is cautiously optimistic.
“There are positive economic signs and we are a city that is financially responsible,” White said. “I don’t like to brag, but we aren’t Lynnwood. We balanced our budget without having to use any reserve funds. Our employees agreed to no raises. We offer nothing new, but we are maintaining the quality of our customer service.”
However, many staff chairs remain empty at City Hall, and White is concerned that the city has for too long put off repairs to city buildings, streets and equipment because of lack of money and lack of staff.
For now, the city is looking for help from volunteers, such as the youth crew planning Saturday to plant tulip bulbs around Stanwood. People in town have cleaned up messes on their properties. A drug coalition is addressing addiction and trafficking in the city.
And in the last flood, city staff were told by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office that they ran the best prepared and organized emergency operations center in the county, and did a great job with volunteers.
“We’re doing well,” White said.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
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