SULTAN — The Nov. 6 general election may cause a major shuffle among the city leaders. In less than two weeks, Sultan voters will choose a new mayor and decide who will occupy three of seven seats on the City Council.
Councilman John Seehuus and Carolyn Eslick, a former councilwoman, are vying to become the city’s next mayor. Incumbent Mayor Ben Tolson, elected to the position in 2003, said he decided not to seek another four-year term because he got tired of contentious local politics.
City officials have been scrambling to save money this year, as the city’s general fund budget faces a shortfall of about $450,000. That has forced the city to reduce its police force to only four officers and the police chief.
A long-term solution for the city’s financial woes is to increase its retail tax base, Eslick said. The former Sultan restaurant owner now works as a business loan officer for First Heritage Bank.
“I can entice businesses to Sultan,” she said.
Seehuus, general manager of Galaxy Theatres in Monroe, said he wants the city to streamline the paperwork process to invite new businesses.
“We need to go out and recruit them,” said Seehuus, who served on the city’s planning commission before he was elected to the council in 2003.
Seehuus said he fought to keep the city’s police department intact earlier this year when officials considered contracting with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for service.
“It was about keeping local control,” he said.
The council has drafted its 2008 budget based on a very conservative revenue estimate, which will allow the city to add two additional police officers in January, Seehuus said.
“We’ve turned around the corner,” he said.
Eslick said she wants to encourage residents in Sultan to start a neighborhood watch to keep the community safe. If elected, she would try to hire reserve police officers to help the short-staffed police department, Eslick said.
People can turn the city’s challenge into an opportunity, Eslick said.
“We have to come together for the community to prosper,” she said.
Sarah Davenport-Smith and Richard Hill are facing off for Position 4. They got more votes than Brady Boucher in the primary election in August.
Hill, an Army veteran, works at a local restaurant. He said he’s familiar with local people’s concerns.
“I’ve lived here for a long time. I know the ins and outs of Sultan,” he said.
Davenport-Smith works for the state Department of Ecology as a municipal storm water specialist. She also serves on Sultan’s planning commission. She said she knows how a city should deal with state and federal regulations
She wants to use her expertise to help Sultan improve its financial issues.
“I think I can be a tremendous resource for the city,” she said, adding that she wants to focus on youth and youth safety.
The projected budget shortfall has occurred partly because the city received less revenue in building permits than it originally estimated, Davenport-Smith said.
“I will focus on a very conservative estimate instead of speculative revenue,” she said.
If elected, Hill said he would work to get a new skateboard park built in the city for youth.
Hill said that the current council’s decision to keep the city’s police department was a mistake. The city can’t afford the department, he said.
“I think they should’ve gone with the county,” he said.
For Position 5, incumbent City Councilman Jim Flower is facing off against Derek Boyd. Boyd couldn’t be reached for comment.
Flower, who has owned a tool and die-making business in Sultan for more than 20 years, was elected to the position in 2003. He has worked to inform Sultan residents of the city’s issues and decision making, Flower said.
“I’ve done my best to provide transparency,” he said.
There’s no magic solution for the city’s financial woes, Flower said. If re-elected, he would continue to work on improving the city’s budget.
“We are looking at all options right now, but the budget is the No. 1 priority,” he said.
Two political newcomers are vying for Position 7. Neither Dale Doornek nor Kerry Ourada have held an elected public office.
Ourada, who moved to Sultan from Lake Forest Park 21/2 years ago, said he has attended City Council meetings for more than a year to learn about issues that Sultan faces.
“I can better serve the city if I’m on the City Council,” Ourada said.
Doornek said he has lived in Sultan since 1996 and knows what’s happening in the city.
“I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” he said.
If elected, Doornek said he would help the city increase its police force. The city needs at least six officers and the police chief to keep people safe, he said.
“I’m a very honest man and a very straightforward man,” he said.
The growing city is facing many challenges and could use a new voice on the council, Ourada said.
“I can bring a different view to the City Council,” he said.
His priority is to help the city revise its comprehensive plan to meet state requirements.
“They need to look at why the comprehensive plan isn’t working,” he said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@ heraldnet.com.
Sultan mayor and City Council
MAYOR
John Seehuus
Age: 52
Occupation: general manager of Galaxy Theatres in Monroe
Web site: none
Carolyn Eslick
Age: 57
Occupation: business loan officer for First Heritage Bank
Web site: none
POSITION 4
Sarah Davenport-Smith
Age: 27
Occupation: municipal storm water specialist
Web site: none
Richard Hill
Age: 37
Occupation: restaurant employee
Web site: none
POSITION 5
Jim Flower
Age: 49
Occupation: tool and die maker
Web site: none
Derek Boyd
Information not submitted
POSITION 7
Kerry Ourada
Age: 43
Occupation: printing estimator-engineer and pet sitter
Web site: www.kerryourada.com
Dale Doornek
Age: 42
Occupation: maintenance-operations controller for an air cargo company
Web site: none
About the job: The Sultan City Council meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. Council members set city policies and make financial decisions. The mayor sets general direction for the city and supervises the city administrator who is in charge of the city’s day-to-day operations. Council members are paid up to $150 per month depending on the number of meetings they attend. The mayor gets paid $500 per month.
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