The city of Edmonds has survived some severe budget challenges in the past eight years, and more may be on the horizon. A limited commercial tax base, combined with rising costs for services, has forced the city to run continually leaner since a voter initiative repealed most of the old car-tab taxes in 1999. Much of that revenue went to local governments.

That same year, Gary Haakenson was first elected Edmonds mayor. The former clothing retailer and city council member went to work tightening the city’s belt, and over two terms he has worked with a talented staff to find ways to become more efficient, doing more with less.

Citizens should be glad he’s seeking a third term, and it appears they are. He received 56 percent of the vote in a three-way primary, an indication of the broad support he has earned. We concur with those voters — Haakenson should be re-elected in November.

His challenger, City Council member Mauri Moore, criticizes Haakenson for failing to offer detailed budget contingency plans, saying that another term for him will only lead to more of what she calls the “Band-Aid treatment.” She says her first move would be to hire an economic development director — the position is currently vacant — and come up with a detailed economic plan for the city. If she had her own outline of such a plan, her criticism of Haakenson might carry more weight.

As it is, Haakenson and his staff have shown a remarkable ability to find solutions to the budget squeeze, and he deserves credit for recruiting and managing that effective staff.

Both candidates believe commercial expansion in key areas throughout the city is the path to increased revenue, as is business retention. A new broadband network the city plans to market — something Moore takes a bit too much credit for; others worked hard to make it happen, too — and a pending change in how sales tax revenues are distributed will help. And both Haakenson and Moore believe the city may have to begin charging fees for ambulance service, something Haakenson thinks citizens will support if they understand the reasoning behind it.

Moore hasn’t made a good case for replacing a mayor who has managed the city well. Edmonds city government is in good hands. We believe citizens will be best served by granting Haakenson another term.

EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL

Position 5: In a race between two strong candidates to fill the seat being vacated by Moore, we endorse Adrienne Fraley-Monillas in a very close call over D.J. Wilson. Fraley-Monillas, an administrator for the state Department of Social and Health Services, bills herself as an activist who is “not a politician.” She says she can bring an objective, open-minded approach to issues because she’s not entrenched in Edmonds politics. She’s familiar with the issues, though, having grown up in nearby Richmond Beach and keeping a close eye on council meetings. The Ballinger area resident believes the city must work harder to seize economic development opportunities outside the downtown corridor, and says finding ways to address the affordable-housing crisis must be high on the council’s agenda.

Wilson is a sharp, capable candidate who made an unsuccessful run for the Snohomish County Council four years ago. He’s a downtown business owner, former economics teacher at Edmonds Community College and community volunteer who argues for a positive vision of what the city can be rather than a negative reaction against what it doesn’t want. He says predictable development rules are key to seeing new urban centers established in outlying areas of the city, an important point. Either candidate would serve well, in our view. It’s a tough choice.

Position 6: We endorse the incumbent, Richard Marin, who in two terms has become a strong regional leader on transportation and other issues. Marin is one of three Snohomish County representatives on the Sound Transit board, and helped negotiate a plan to get light rail service north along I-5 to 164th Street SW, a plan voters will also decide on Nov. 6. Marin also represents the city on the Community Transit board, the county board of health and the Puget Sound Regional Council, where he has built numerous relationships that benefit the city. He’s a hard-working, capable council member who advocates encouraging attractive retail development to outlying neighborhoods as a way to boost city revenues and decrease traffic congestion.

Marin is challenged by Steve Bernheim, an attorney who lives and works downtown and brings a strong conservation agenda to the race. Bernheim has personal experience with downtown development issues, having successfully sued a developer over an illegally oversized project, a suit he says sparked the “furious effort” to save the three-story limit on downtown buildings. He favors maintaining the appearance of a small-scale downtown and a “return to legal sanity” regarding development. On economic development, he advocates city investments downtown — in benches, grassy open spaces, bike paths and festivals — to draw people and new businesses.

Bernheim could serve ably, but we think Marin is too valuable a servant, at the city and regional level, to be replaced.

Position 7: Strom Peterson is our choice over the incumbent, Dave Orvis. Peterson, a downtown merchant with a long history of community service, believes that the key to the city’s revenue problems is encouraging modern development that will attract high-quality businesses. He would focus on adding and redeveloping business centers in and around neighborhoods, encouraging new hubs of activity where people can live, shop and walk. To encourage high-quality developments, he’s open to allowing taller buildings on those areas. His involvement in the business community, commitment to sustainable building practices and vision for the future of Edmonds neighborhoods combine to make him a strong choice.

Orvis, a software engineer, was the council’s most outspoken voice on stopping taller buildings downtown. He has kept up that mantra during the campaign, implying that Peterson might try to revisit the council’s decision to cap downtown heights at 30 feet — a suggestion Peterson rejects. Orvis’ almost singular focus on that issue, and his strategy of attacking Peterson with it, is disappointing because it sells other important issues short.

Position 4: Council President Peggy Pritchard Olson is unopposed in her bid for a second term.