What was purpose of Snohomish’s Carnegie project?

The City of Snohomish’s decades-long Carnegie project costing city, state and federal taxpayers well over $4 million is nearing completion.

However, the purpose and practicality of the investment is still unclear.

Mayor John Kartak, at the end of the Nov. 17 council meeting, made the startling statement that the planned weddings/events rental center idea is now outdated and that the financial viability and cost effectiveness of the project was never a goal. Presumably, the restoration project was only for aesthetics and the preservation of early 20th century Euro-centric culture.

For example, the building’s four newly exposed “printer’s marks” or “publisher’s marks” honor French, Dutch and Anglo-Saxon cultures.

The mayor’s disregard for fiscal responsibility epitomizes the mindset of a lot of bureaucrats and elected officials; namely, their belief the taxpayers have bottomless wallets and who cares whether or not a project is financially viable and cost effective.

Morgan Davis

Snohomish