To say passion and emotion runs deep in the Lynnwood mayoral race is like saying there are quite a few cars on Highway 99. It doesn’t begin to tell the story.
History also runs deep between the candidates, Mayor Mike McKinnon and City Council member Don Gough. The two faced off in 2001, when McKinnon won the election for mayor by 698 votes. In the ensuing four years, Lynnwood’s accomplishments and failures have occurred in the shadow of the bickering and fighting between some council members and McKinnon. Particularly between Gough and McKinnon and Jim Smith, the 18-year council veteran and mayoral candidate ousted in the primary.
The barbs go back and forth, but do little to illuminate the true issues facing the city and voters. The testy relations, however, seem to have taken their toll on McKinnon. In election interviews, the mayor has appeared unfocused on the issues and too ready to blame council members for keeping him from accomplishing his goals. Lynnwood has important business to attend to, and it’s hard to imagine waves of progress under the current acrimonious atmosphere.
McKinnon is to be credited for securing transportation grants, pushing the city center project and creating the city’s diversity commission. No one can question McKinnon’s love for Lynnwood. But in order for the city to move ahead, a change is needed at the top. Don Gough earns our strong endorsement for mayor because of his knowledge of what it means to run a city and his vision for accomplishing it.
Gough says the city is currently suffering in some essential ways, such as roads in dire need of paving, because of the lack of comprehensive and economic planning in the past. He vows to fix that. He offers detailed plans for the budget process, ensuring the city will meet revenue expectations. McKinnon’s 2005-2006 budget had expenses exceeding projected revenues by $5 million. Gough says he will prioritize services and base budget decisions on performance measurements.
Gough says the mayor’s role is to be a leader of leaders and recognize that city staff are professionals in their given fields and have jobs to do. McKinnon has been criticized for alienating staff members by micro-managing them, stifling their creativity and/or their ability to do their jobs. The departure of some high-level staff, including respected finance director Mike Bailey, indicates there’s some truth to the accusations.
The mayor must communicate his vision, set the direction and then serve and support the city staff, Gough says. Staff will be free to do their jobs and will also receive regular evaluations, he says.
In order to mend the current mayor-council-staff rift, however, Gough must keep his temper and impatience in check when the inevitable rough spots pop up and mess with his plan. Gough is supremely organized and focused; flexibility will be very handy as a support role.
Lynnwood deserves a strong mayor who will move the city forward to meet its great potential, rather than being mired in four more years of civic strife.
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