Comment: If Everett candidate can fix budget what would he cut?

By Scott Bader, Ben Zarlingo and Don Schwab / For The Herald

We have not taken a position in the race for Everett Mayor, but as council members who have been deeply involved in recent budgets — and who are ultimately responsible for Everett’s budget — we have a critical

interest in realistic budget discussions. Indeed this is true of all Everett residents.

Scott Murphy has repeatedly and broadly criticized the incumbent mayor over city finances. This also includes recent criticism of the City Council as well. So we write as council members who need to know specifically what he proposes to do differently. As we pointed out a few weeks ago when the mayor proposed her budget cuts to balance Everett’s 2026 budget, there is always room to propose changes, but anyone — councilmember or others — needs to propose alternate cuts to make a real budget.

Murphy says that the city has spent beyond its means. If that is the case, then specifically, what positions or programs does he propose to be cut so that he would consider us to be living within our means? After the measures we’ve proposed for a balanced 2026 budget, our structural deficit problem shows the city facing in 2027 a deficit at this time of some $7 million. Murphy says he can do better — without additional revenue. If so, he needs to tell us what positions and programs adding up to $7 million he would cut. We understand he has even said he would reopen the Forest Park swimming pool, which needs many millions to reopen, and would hire new park rangers, which amounts to hundreds of thousands of additional dollars each year. We need to know specifically what positions and programs he would cut to have enough money to fund all of this.

We have noticed in his comments and mailings that he has confused the fund balance and the rainy day fund, and also compared apples to oranges in comparing the budgeted fund balance with the projected fund balance, and with the actual ending fund balances.

Everett’s ending fund balance for 2024 ended up much better than the projections and budgeted fund balances showed, as we expected. The rainy day fund he confuses with the fund balance ended 2024 at over $3.8 million and is stable and healthy.

Murphy continues to claim that the city hasn’t hired enough police officers. From all we’ve heard and seen the city has done everything possible to recruit police officers. Our ranks are staffed within 16 positions of the budgeted number (even as we added 18 additional positions), and we have more officers per resident than any neighboring jurisdiction, all without lowering our standards for hiring. Cities throughout the state have struggled to recruit officers. We want to know specifically what else he would do, beyond what the city has done already, and if it is going to cost additional money, what other positions or programs would be to cut to fund that recruiting?

Murphy has promised more housing to get the homeless off the streets. What other items in the city budget will need to be cut to pay for this additional housing? And in which neighborhoods is he proposing to locate that housing? Everett already provides more than its share of homeless housing and services. Telling residents that he would get more money from the state or grants from nonprofits is too speculative — and ignores the strenuous efforts we are already making — to be called a solution.

Scott Murphy owes us more than just criticism of the painful choices we have all wrestled with. We are all unhappy with the budget cuts the city has had to make — we have been working hard to balance the budget and to find new revenue. Broad criticism, without specific spending cuts and workable ideas for additional revenue, is not a path to a solution.

Scott Bader is an at-large member of the Everett City Council. Ben Zarlingo represents the city council’s Fifth District. Don Schwab represents the city council’s Third District.

Correction: Because of an editing error, an earlier version of the above commentary was originally published. The above is the final version submitted by the authors.