Three of the 10 applicants for the vacant position on the Edmonds City Council now have registered their intent to run in the coming election.
City Planning Board member Michael Jay Nelson registered with the State Public Disclosure Commission as a candidate Thursday, joining Deputy Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Cornell and retired Qwest Communications Public Policy Director David Teitzel, who both registered with the PDC three weeks ago.
The three who have registered with the PDC and the seven other applicants are seeking to fill the vacancy created in January when former Councilman Strom Peterson resigned to start the position in the state legislature that he won in November.
The six current council members plan to vote on filling the vacancy at a March 3 meeting.
The council has 90 days from Peterson’s Jan. 6 resignation to name a new council member. Otherwise, the five-member Snohomish County Council would have 90 additional days to fill the vacancy. If neither could reach a decision, the governor would make the appointment.
None of the three who have registered with the PDC have listed specific positions, meaning that any could run for the last two years of the four-year council term that Peterson won in 2013 or for full terms for the positions now held by Council members Joan Bloom, Diane Buckshnis, Thomas Mesaros and Lora Petso.
Registering with the PDC allows candidates to raise and spend money for the coming election. Early registration is a sign of an intent to run. All candidates who file for ballot position must register with the PDC.
Candidates file for ballot positions in early May. Positions with three or more candidates appear on the August primary ballot, with the top two vote getters advancing to the November general-election ballot. Positions with only one or two candidates appear only on the November ballot.
Cornell, Nelson and Teitzel have registered with the PDC under the full reporting option, which requires frequent reporting but doesn’t have the $5,000 limitations on total fundraising and spending that mini-reporting has. None have yet reported any fundraising or spending.
Other applicants to replace Peterson are Mario Brown; Stephen Clifton, a former Edmonds economic development director; Debbie Matteson, a member of the Edmonds Economic Development Commission; David Preston, an Edmonds port commissioner; Alvin Rutledge, a former council and legislative candidate; Jeff Scherrer, a Republican candidate in the 21st Legislative District in 2015; and Neil Tibbott, an Edmonds Planning Board member who was an applicant in 2014, when the council appointed Mesaros to replace former Councilman Frank Yamamoto.
The person appointed would serve through certification of the November election, when voters will choose someone to fill the last two years of the term that Peterson won in 2013.
The only other declared candidates for offices in south Snohomish County are incumbent Lynnwood City Councilman Loren Simmonds and incumbent Snohomish County Councilwoman Stephanie Wright.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.
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