John Lovick is the hardest working, most community-involved county executive Snohomish County has seen in the 30 years I have lived in the county. John Lovick has done a tremendous job in the aftermath of both the Oso mudslide as well as his support for the community after the tragedy at Marysville Pilchuck High School.
I was surprised and disappointed when Dave Somers decided to run against Lovick’s stellar record. It seems to go back in part to a silly investigation over an ill-advised joke that was made by the deputy executive. The investigation brought on by Somers, Terry Ryan and Ken Klein found that there was not a threat to them. It did cost the taxpayers $15,000 that didn’t need to be spent in a tight budget year.
Speaking of budgets, don’t forget the fight between Somers, Ryan and Klein over Lovick’s 2015 budget. John’s budget focused on compassionate support for seniors and youth programs, while preserving the integrity of county programs. Somers, Ryan and Klein voted to cut in half the county’s support for a Snohomish Health district program for at-risk new moms and newborn babies. As Brian Sullivan noted, these cuts “takes the poorest and most vulnerable and kicks them to the curb.”
Somers’ budget also cut the new director’s position at the morgue that Lovick appointed to stem the management problems that have dogged the Medical Examiner’s office for years. Taxpayers had to pay over $600,000 that the county had to pay to settle lawsuits brought by employees at the morgue before Lovick made the appointment.
None of this demonstrates Somers as a good manager of our tax dollars.
There is good reason Lovick has been elected time and time again to the county he loves and considers a privilege to serve. Please join me in re-electing Lovick for county executive of Snohomish County.
Kathy Christensen
Everett
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