With two talented, qualified and moderate candidates vying to be the next Snohomish County executive, choosing one involves more than political analysis. In part, it’s a gut call based on which candidate has the best leadership skills to guide the county through crucial and contentious issues like land use, economic development and transportation.
In a close call, we think Dave Earling wins on that score. His broad experience in the private and public sector, his knowledge of local and regional issues, and his track record of making difficult but correct decisions give him the tools necessary to be a successful county executive.
The next executive will be challenged to provide the right balance of strong leadership and open-minded facilitation on issues that will influence the quality of life in this county for decades to come.
Earling, 60, has the experience to bring both. As the longtime president of the Edmonds City Council, he has taken the lead in making unpopular but necessary budget cuts while protecting public safety as much as possible. He understands the budget process well and would seize every opportunity to intelligently streamline county spending.
Earling showed backbone as board chairman of Sound Transit by going against powerful interests in King County to temporarily halt the light rail project when costs were beginning to spin out of control. As Transportation Committee chairman of the Puget Sound Regional Council, he has worked effectively with other leaders in the region to set priorities and direct federal dollars to Snohomish County projects.
Earling says he would lead an effort to update county planning policies so that zoning changes can be made predictably for all concerned, avoiding unnecessary court cases. He says he would work with all stakeholders to identify pockets where urban growth areas can reasonably be expanded while still protecting vital agricultural lands and open spaces.
Reardon, 32, a state senator and five-year legislator from Everett, is extremely bright, energetic and self-confident. He studies issues like most of us breathe air, and has well-thought-out plans to address many of the county’s problems.
On growth, he favors convening a summit to bring divergent stakeholders to the table to set priorities. He notes that infrastructure hasn’t kept up with the pace of growth, and that the problem must be addressed.
Reardon’s self-confidence could be considered both a plus and a potential minus. Clearly, to be effective a leader must be sure of himself. But there’s a fine line between self-assuredness and overconfidence. Reardon refers to his plans for the county as "bullet-proof," leading one to question how much he might be willing to weigh other views.
Like Earling, though, Reardon is a capable public servant who could serve Snohomish County well. Voters have two good candidates from which to choose. For us, the experience factor makes Earling the best choice.
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