Unless some more residents come forward during next week’s candidate filing period, the race for the three open seats on the Mill Creek City Council might be a quiet one.
So far, only four men – two of whom are Council incumbents – have announced publicly their intentions to run for City Council. The three Council seats, all four-year terms, that are up for election this year are: Position 5, held by Dale Hensley; Position 6, held by John “Jack” Start; and Position 7, held by Dan Hodge. All positions are elected city-wide.
Hodge, who has served two terms on the Council, has said he will not seek a third term. He said he wants to spend more time with his family and do some traveling.
Former Mill Creek Police Officer Mark Bond, meanwhile, announced in late June that he would seek Hodge’s position. Bond, 35, is currently a deputy with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Bond has said he wants to ensure the city maintains high development standards, be business-friendly to increase the tax base and make public safety the highest priority.
“As we approach build-out, we must hold our development standards to a high level,” Bond said.
Hensley, meanwhile, intends to seek re-election to a third term. He announced his intent to do so at a June 10 Council meeting.
Hensley, along with Hodge, is the second-longest serving Council member behind Mayor Terry Ryan. Hensley said he is seeking a third term because of a concern for the city’s financial future, the potential impacts of monetary problems on services, and the possible effect annexations of areas east of 35th Avenue SE might have.
“We’re coming to crunch time,” Hensley said. “We’ve lived off development mitigation funds for the last few years, but as the city reaches build-out, that revenue source is going to dry up.”
Currently, Hensley is the only candidate to draw a challenger – John Ware.
Ware is a manager at Quilceda Creek Winery in Snohomish. Ware, who majored in political science at the University of Washington, has been involved in various business associations, Special Olympics and coaching youth soccer.
“What I can offer the city is a fiscal conservatism,” Ware said. “I want to make sure the city is as lean as possible.”
Start, meanwhile, said last week he will run for a second term on the Council. Start has been one of the more vocal opponents of large-scale annexations of areas east of 35th Avenue SE, favoring a slower approach to keep the city small. He has been concerned about the impact annexations would have on city finances and public safety.
“We have to do a better job managing changes,” Start said. “We have to get our priorities in order. We have to get our finances in order.”
Mill Creek is a Council-Manager form of government, meaning the Council has all legislative and policy-making powers. The Council’s main role is to make policy for the governance of the city and its citizens. The Council enacts laws and policies consistent with state law, usually through the enactment of ordinances and resolutions.
The Council meets regularly at 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at Mill Creek City Hall. Council Study Sessions also take place on the first, second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. Council members also participate in various committees and boards.
Any Mill Creek resident interested in running for a City Council seat can call the Snohomish County Auditors Office at 425-388-3401 for more information on filing or visit http://www.co.snohomish.wa.us/auditor. The filing period is Monday, July 28 through Friday, Aug. 1; filing fee is $60.
The primary election is Tuesday, Sept. 16, with the general election set for Tuesday, Nov. 4. A primary for city council will only take place if there are three or more candidates seeking one seat.
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