LAKE STEVENS — The mayor and two City Council members are facing challenges for their seats in Tuesday’s election, and voters also will select a new council member.
The choices include a varied group with years of experience both on the council and in the community.
Mayor Lynn Walty, 62, a Boeing engineer, is squaring off against Councilman Larry Wagner, 47. Wagner is retired after working for seven years for the state Department of Transportation, most recently as the Northwest region safety officer.
Both agree that the city’s main priority is to get new quarters for the police department. Walty wants to focus on ensuring that the city is financially sound and promotes economic development and job growth. He pledges to always listen and explore possibilities.
Wagner wants a specific plan for downtown development, more openness in government, and he opposes what he sees as unnecessary or burdensome regulations, such as a nuisance ordinance the council is working on.
In the council’s Position 3 race, military veteran and retired Boeing worker William Ostrowski, 73, and Stephen Brooks, 47, a senior software engineer, are seeking the seat vacated last year by Rich Estep, who resigned for health reasons. Virginia Connell was appointed to fill his unexpired term and is not seeking election.
Ostrowski’s focus is on senior citizens, children’s safety, getting a new police station and addressing traffic congestion. Brooks also wants to build a new police station and to find a new location for the post office. He believes the lake is the city’s biggest asset and that public parks and recreational opportunities should be a priority.
In the Position 4 race, community activist Karen Alessi, 64, is seeking to unseat incumbent Genevieve "Gen" Moore, 69, who has served on the council for 20 years and on the planning commission prior to that.
Moore said she represents the public’s interests without influence from any special interest group. She described herself as most concerned about the health, safety and welfare of all residents, and someone who listens to all perspectives.
Alessi wants to capitalize on the lake and its attractiveness as a site for sporting and other events, and to promote economic development and downtown revitalization.
In the Position 5 race, Vern Little, 49, a senior Boeing manager, hopes to unseat Dan Reichenberg, 50, an electrician. Reichenberg wants to bring more tax revenue to the city, pursue a local improvement district for the industrial area to provide more jobs, and attract a mixture of downtown and high-tech light industrial businesses to the city.
Little wants to see a stable police department staff, no takeaways, pursue the downtown plan to generate more city revenue, and develop the industrial area.
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
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