Elected leaders looking for a blueprint on how to get past a bitter campaign and govern effectively should pay a visit to Everett City Hall.
Mayor Ray Stephanson, who was elected 13 months ago to fill the remaining two years of Ed Hansen’s term, survived a close and contentious election in which he was accused of sounding false alarms about the city budget. Egos on both sides were bruised, and the mayor took office in an atmosphere of deep mistrust.
A year later, such feelings have largely disappeared. Why? Several reasons, including a growing economy and better communication between the mayor and City Council. But at the heart of the positive momentum is the relationship between Stephanson and City Council President Arlan Hatloe.
Stephanson and Hatloe hold nonpartisan offices, but they’re far from political brethren. Stephanson can fairly be categorized as a moderate Democrat, Hatloe as a conservative Republican. Add resentment and suspicion produced by the campaign and you don’t exactly have a recipe for success.
But success is what they’ve found in their working relationship, and citizens have benefited. The 2004 budget was trimmed in midstream to keep expenditures from exceeding revenues, helping to set the stage for a 2005 budget that includes ample service delivery and no layoffs. The council is expected to approve that plan Wednesday.
Stephanson and Hatloe have succeeded by keying on areas where they can agree. Perhaps as importantly, they’ve kept their egos in check, a rarity in today’s political realm.
“Nobody wins at the far end of the spectrum,” Hatloe said last week. “The only way to get consensus is to get to the middle.”
But Stephanson and key members of the council, including Hatloe, first had to heal the bruises inflicted during the campaign. Stephanson had argued forcefully that it was unwise to use the city’s budget surplus for ongoing expenses. It was a losing strategy, he said, that only masked the fact that current spending levels were unsustainable.
Hatloe, keeping an open mind, arranged after the election to have a budget consultant offer advice, and came away convinced that Stephanson’s strategy was a good one. From there, successes grew.
“I encouraged my colleagues on the council, pretty successfully I think, to find the areas where we can work together, then expand on that,” Hatloe said. “If you keep a positive attitude and see what can happen, it’s almost contagious. Then you start looking at other areas where you can forge agreement. Ray was very open to that process.”
Stephanson and the council, over which Marian Krell will preside next year, now have a sound foundation upon which to build. The mayor’s Vision Team, which includes council members, will soon unveil its ideas for the city’s future. Those ideas can add to economic development efforts that are reaping exciting results. A cooperative city government surely is attractive to businesses considering where to locate.
Effective leadership is making good things happen in Everett. Stephanson and the City Council are showing how government works at its best.
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