Perhaps the most pivotal race in Snohomish County this year is the one for the District 5 seat on the County Council. The winner of the Sept. 20 Democratic primary in the east county district will take on Republican incumbent Jeff Sax. An independent candidate, Greg Stephens, will also be on the November ballot.
The general election race could be close, and could take away the Republicans’ 3-2 council majority. With the county’s population expected to grow by 50 percent in the next two decades, growth issues are paramount. The race will have much to say about how well-planned that growth will be.
The Democratic primary pits former council member Dave Somers, who lost his seat to Sax four years ago, against Lake Stevens native Steve Hobbs. Somers, a fisheries policy analyst and expert on land use issues, is the better choice, given his expertise in these key areas and experience in public office.
Somers says county growth policies are out of whack, favoring developers through discounted mitigation fees. He argues that growth should pay its own way, covering the costs of the extra traffic and school crowding it creates. At the same time, he wants to make responsible growth easier, continuing the permitting improvements the county planning department has made and streamlining such processes even more.
Hobbs, an Army veteran who served in Kosovo and Iraq but hasn’t held public office, is sharp, well-spoken and passionate. He and Somers don’t differ much on growth and traffic issues, and both list continuing to fight methamphetamine use and production as a priority.
Hobbs claims to be a budget hawk and chides Somers for voting to dip into county reserves during his council term. Somers responds that after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the economic downturn forced the county’s hand. While that may be true, we’d like to see a strong emphasis on tight budgeting from Somers if he advances to the general election.
In District 1, which includes Marysville, Tulalip, Arlington, Stanwood, Granite Falls and Darrington, Democrats Marian Harrison and Suzanne Smith are competing to face GOP incumbent John Koster in November.
Harrison is a party activist and community volunteer who was born in Everett, grew up in Marysville and raised her family in Arlington. She is steeped in county history and up to date on current issues. She understands that regional approaches to transportation and economic development issues have the greatest effect, and supports efforts to bring manufacturing jobs to the county as a way to boost the economy and cut down on traffic congestion. Harrison also has been an active participant in race-relation discussions, and would push for progress and greater understanding there.
Smith, a businesswoman and former Marysville City Council member, believes that growth must pay its own way; that taxpayers pay for mitigation after the fact if developers don’t pay up-front – a position shared by Harrison. On traffic, she favors building the public’s trust by identifying smaller projects that can be completed quickly. On some issues, though, such as what the county can do to provide more ballfields for kids, she appears to have more homework to do.
Our recommendation is to vote for Harrison in the primary.
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