EVERETT — Three candidates are looking to earn a council position in south Everett’s District 4.
They are political consultant Niko Battle, Boeing engineer Luis Burbano and construction manager Alan Rubio.
The seat is currently held by Liz Vogeli, who was first elected to an at-large seat in 2018 before winning the District 4 election in 2021. She announced in April that she would retire from the council at the end of her second term.
The City Council is Everett’s governing body. Council members earn $33,372 per year and serve four-year terms. It is a part-time position.
This seat is one of three council positions on the ballot in August and one of five up for grabs this year.
The primary election is Aug. 5. The top two candidates will advance to the November general election.
Niko Battle
Battle, 24, is a political consultant and activist. He also served as a youth adviser to Mayor Cassie Franklin’s transition team after her election in 2017.
Battle’s top priorities are housing affordability, public safety and improving multimodal transportation, he said in a June 13 interview.
“When Everett fails to lead on housing, on substance abuse, on mental health, not only are we impacting all of us, we impact the entirety of our regional community,” Battle said. “The areas that get hit particularly hard are the areas that are the cheapest to live, the areas that are most diverse. And lo and behold, that area just happens to run right through my district.”
District 4 is home to the Casino Road neighborhood, one of the densest and most diverse areas of the city. Relatively lower housing costs there compared to the wider Puget Sound region, along with the imminent arrival of a new light rail station, means those living there face displacement pressure, the Puget Sound Regional Council has found.
Battle said the city should allow for more housing options, as well as promote walkability and access to public transportation. He also backed the council’s decision to implement inclusionary zoning in the Casino Road neighborhood as part of its comprehensive plan periodic update.
“Housing is, yes at the end of the day, a question of building more units,” Battle said. “But it’s also a question of making sure that the units we’re investing in, besides just being affordable, set up people for success by making sure they’re close to transit options, the services they need, and particularly in District 4, close to the culturally significant businesses that line the streets in my district.”
In regards to public safety, Battle said local officials should focus on proactive policing and addressing the root causes of crime, while also making sure those who commit crimes are held accountable.
He also said the police department could implement an “explorer program,” giving youth the opportunity to ride along with officers and build connections from a young age, hopefully inspiring people to apply for local positions.
“It’s about improving public safety outcomes, yes, but it’s also about specifically choosing to invest in good relationships between the Everett Police Department and the communities they serve, something that will help with our overall retention goals,” Battle said.
On the budget, Battle said although some strategic cuts may have to be made, he does not support ”cutting our way to prosperity.”
He also does not support raising taxes. Instead, the city should expand public-private partnerships, create interlocal agreements with other municipalities and seek “creative ways to generate revenue,” Battle said.
Battle opposed regionalizing services like Everett’s libraries or public transportation. But he did say that nearby cities and Snohomish County should address problems like homelessness and human services on a more regional level, pooling resources to solve problems.
“Instead of creating an artificial duplication of efforts, we’ll be able to be more strategic with the funds that we are spending,” Battle said.
Battle said the city should have dedicated liaisons to both the Everett and Mukilteo school districts to collaborate on programs. The city should also be “a leader,” he said, in improving digital literacy and implementing AI education for young people by facilitating internship programs and community workshops.
On the city’s outdoor multipurpose stadium project, Battle said building the stadium is a “foregone conclusion.” His top priority in regards to the stadium is ensuring the revenue from it is distributed fairly, particularly to under-served areas of the city, he said.
Questions have been raised over Battle’s eligibility to hold the position because he recently re-registered to vote in Washington. Everett’s city charter requires candidates to “have been a registered voter and resident of the City for a period of at least one (1) year next preceding his or her election, and, for Council positions elected from Council districts, a resident of an applicable Council district, for a period of at least six (6) months prior to the primary election date,” the charter reads.
Battle registered to vote on May 7, Secretary of State records show. He had previously registered to vote in Snohomish County in 2018 before it was canceled in December 2024, election officials in King County said.
It’s unclear if Everett candidates must be a registered voter for at least one year prior to the election or if they must simply be a registered voter at the time of filing, which would align with state law. Even the city itself isn’t sure.
“Our legal team is still in the process of reviewing how Section 2.2 of the City charter should be interpreted,” spokesperson Simone Tarver wrote in an email Tuesday. “While we can’t comment further right now, we are committed to providing more information when we can.”
Battle served as a precinct committee officer for the Snohomish County Democratic Party in 2020. Secretary of State records show he previously cast Washington ballots in 2020 and 2021.
In a July 24 interview, Battle maintained he is eligible to hold the position and said the questions stemmed from a misinterpretation of the city charter. He also said that if there was a time requirement, he would meet it because he was previously registered as recently as December 2024.
“I’ve got a very clear and demonstrated record of history here,” he said. “… I think it’s something that voters will see through.”
Battle’s voter registration was previously reported in MyEverettNews and the Lynnwood Times.
Battle has been endorsed by Everett City Council members Liz Vogeli and Paula Rhyne, State Sens. Marko Liias and June Robinson, County Council members Megan Dunn and Strom Peterson, and State Rep. Brandy Donaghy, among others. He has also been endorsed by three local Democratic Party groups.
Battle has received just over $12,500 in campaign contributions as of Tuesday, state filings show.
Luis Burbano
Burbano, 41, is an electrical engineer. He also served on a community advisory board making recommendations to Sound Transit over it’s yet-to-arrive extension of its Link light rail system.
His top priorities are improving quality of life, preventing displacement from the imminent arrival of Link light rail and improving pedestrian and bicycle safety, he said in a May 30 interview.
Burbano’s advocacy stemmed from personal experience, he said. As someone who commutes to work via bike, he has been hit twice in Everett while going to his job, he said. He also made local headlines in 2022 after using a home security camera to track loud and speeding drivers passing by his south Everett home for nearly two years.
Burbano said he wants the light rail to come to Casino Road, a dense population center where residents ride public transport at slightly higher rates than other parts of the city. But he wants the implementation of it to be equitable and not displace members of the diverse community.
“For me, it’s important that the Latino community have a place and a voice here in Everett,” Burbano said. “I don’t want them to be displaced or for them to go away.”
On housing, Burbano said the city should relax zoning to allow for additional development. He also said improving quality of life for the city through safer roads and more parks could be a step toward encouraging employers to have their employees live in Everett.
He also said that Walter E. Hall Golf Course could possibly be redeveloped into a community park and affordable housing. As south Everett is an area where residents earn less on average, he said the golf course is not serving members of that local community.
“To me, that’s a social justice type of situation, right? Here in south Everett, we don’t have a park for our kids to play,” Burbano said. “However, we are serving people who can afford to play golf in our community. So I see that as a problem.”
A recently released city study on south Everett’s economic development also floated the idea of redeveloping the golf course into new housing.
In regard to the budget, Burbano said improving road safety could be a way to save some general fund dollars. He said the city could utilize a current program offering rebates to citizens who plant rain gardens, but implement them in roadways as speed-calming measures. Doing so could reduce calls for service for police, he said.
“This idea of safer roads covers quality of life, community safety, budget, it covers the police department staffing deficit that we have,” Burbano said. “Let’s fix the roads and give the police department less things to do.”
Burbano has been endorsed by the Snohomish and Island County Labor Council, Snohomish County Council member Megan Dunn, Everett School Board member Charles Adkins and two local Democratic Party groups.
Burbano has received just over $1,500 in campaign contributions as of Tuesday, state filings show.
Alan Rubio
Rubio, 33, is a manager at a construction company. He previously ran for a seat on an Alderwood Water and Wastewater District Board of Commissioners in 2023.
His top priorities include public safety and managing the city’s budget without raising taxes, he said in a June 17 interview.
On the budget, Rubio said the city needs to “get more creative” in finding revenue sources and expanding public-private partnerships. He said he would push for a “performance audit” on the city government to find programs to cut, but also said Everett also needs to bring back funding to parks and libraries that the city cut last year following a property tax levy lid lift failure.
Many of Rubio’s online campaign materials focus on a push to lower taxes. In an interview, he acknowledged that the city may not be able to lower taxes right now due to its budget challenges.
“Sadly, it’s going to be another moment type of topic,” he said. “It’s something I’m going to keep in my pocket to bring out when possible.”
Rubio also said lowering taxes could make the city more attractive for businesses to move to the city, broadening its tax base.
On housing, Rubio said the city needs to find balance between allowing for more housing construction while making sure it doesn’t “strangle ourselves with overpopulation or over-density.” The city should have more flexible zoning codes to allow for more housing construction, he said.
“We want more residents, we want more jobs, we want our contractors to be busy.” Rubio said. “Let’s build more units without destroying the face and image of our city, and without over-density in certain areas.”
In regards to public safety, Rubio said the city should speed up the hiring process for new police recruits and incentivize more to join through increased vacation time and benefits.
The department currently has 19 vacancies, Everett Police Chief John DeRousee said at a July 23 council meeting, but already maintains higher staffing levels per 1,000 residents than comparable cities.
On the city’s stadium project, Rubio supports it but wants to ensure “promises are kept and it’s kept on budget,” he said.
“If it’s going to be a burden, another money hole, I will definitely be against that,” he said.
Rubio has been endorsed by Everett City Council members Scott Bader and Ben Zarlingo, as well as Everett’s longshore union and police union.
Rubio has received nearly $15,500 in campaign contributions as of Tuesday, state filings show. Much of that money — about $8,700 — he contributed himself.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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