In the only contested race for Mukilteo City Council this fall, voters will choose from a pair of qualified, committed and energetic candidates who clearly love the city and know its key issues well.
As the city continues to wrestle with the financial challenges of a limited commercial tax base, the council needs members who understand how to work within a tight budget, and are able to prioritize needs over desires.
Against that criteria, Linda Grafer is our choice over Pat Kessler in the contest to replace Lori Kaiser in Position 6.
Grafer is a 28-year Mukilteo resident who has made a mark as a founding member of the Parks and Arts Commission, where she has served since 1981, working successfully with the City Council, city staff and consultants to plan and develop parks and open space. She also has experience working with budgets in that role, and as an office manager for a private firm in Everett. She knows that careful annexations will be necessary to expand the city’s tax base, but also that city leaders must “learn to live within our budget,” making a distinction between what the city needs to have and what would be nice to have.
Grafer also has a record of working cooperatively with others and learning from them. She comes across as a good listener who would give strong consideration to citizen input in deciding tough issues.
Kessler has lived in Mukilteo for seven years, and has been a civic activist and volunteer here just as she was while living in California, Connecticut and New Jersey. She’s been a regular at City Council and Everett Port Commission meetings, learning the fine points of policy issues.
She has been a strong and consistent voice in favor of the historical renovation of the Rosehill Community Center, arguing that the building is structurally sound and that, if renovated, would serve as a keystone for the revitalization of Old Town. Grafer, on the other hand, worries that cost estimates have already grown, and might balloon further once workers get inside the building’s walls. She favors the public vote that’s coming, but understands that the city can only do what’s affordable.
Three other City Council positions have just one candidate running. Incumbents Jennifer Gregerson and Tony Tinsley are running unopposed, as is Emily Vanderwielen, who will replace longtime council member Bruce Richter in Position 5.
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