Voters to decide on Marysville fireworks ban

MARYSVILLE — Should the City Council prohibit the use, sales and possession of fireworks within the Marysville city limits?

Yes or No?

The question will be put to an advisory vote in the November election.

The measure passed in a rare split vote of the council 4-2 on July 27. Council members Michael Stevens and Rob Toyer voted against the majority. Jeff Vaughan, Jeff Siebert, Donna Wright and Stephen Muller voted with the majority. Camille Norton was absent.

Muller took the lead in asking for the nonbinding fireworks advisory vote, citing complaints from the public.

“They want us to step up and quit dancing around the issue,” Muller said.

The council started discussing a ban last year. Despite numerous meetings, a committee could not come to a consensus. An online survey showed 51 percent of city residents favor fireworks.

But Muller said many seniors didn’t take the online poll. They are more likely to vote, he said.

“It just gives us more information,” Muller said.

The council was facing an Aug. 2 deadline to get it on the ballot. Vaughan was worried about putting a measure together at the last minute. He said approving bans in other cities has taken years of work.

“I don’t feel comfortable not knowing how it would read,” Vaughan said.

Stephens said the community obviously loves fireworks.

“I could see that from my back yard,” he said.

Even though he eventually voted for the measure, Vaughan expressed some concerns.

“We were elected to make decisions, and we studied it,” Vaughan said. “In my 12 years or so this is a different way for the council to do business.”

Mayor Jon Nehring said the council is looking for a solid majority either way. “There’s passion on both sides” of the issue, he said.

About half of Snohomish County cities have fireworks bans, including Everett and nearly all of south county. This was the first year that a new ban was active in Lynnwood. State law requires notice of new bans about a year before they can go into effect.