Mark Harmsworth’s victory over Chuck Wright for Position 7 on the Mill Creek City Council appears to have been decided on Tuesday by 165 votes.

“I’m honored that citizens have chosen me to represent them,” Harmsworth said amid cheers from friends and family gathered at his home on election night. “The results really validate what I identified as the major issues facing Mill Creek.”

Economic development and growth management were among the power points of his campaign, which clearly resonated with residents not just in Mill Creek but across the region. His desire to support Mill Creek’s budget through promotion and development of local business seems in line with Washington voters, who turned down all statewide initiatives relying on increased property taxes.

“People are clearly concerned about the cost of living in this area,” said 39-year-old Harmsworth, who will take over the seat being vacated by longtime councilman Dale Hensley in January. “I think it’s very important that we support our services by nurturing the business community and not raising taxes.”

Wright, who agreed with Harmsworth on most of the campaign issues, said his former rival will represent well the interests of the community.

“I think Mark and I shared a lot of common goals and I’m sure he will do a good job on City Council,” said Wright, 62. “At the beginning of this campaign we agreed, no matter what the results were, that we’d share a beer together after the election. We spoke earlier and a set a date for Friday.”

Wright focused much of his campaign on establishing a permanent facility for senior citizens, demanding the city take a lead role in securing funds and community support for the endeavor. He also pushed for improved communication between the Council and residents.

“The city needs to improve the way it communicates with people,” he said. “We need to take advantage of tools like the Internet to give people who are afraid of speaking at city meetings or unable to do so, for whatever reason, a chance to be heard.”

Despite losing his bid for a council position, Wright plans to continue pushing for the objectives set forth in his campaign.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m on the Council or not,” he said. “I can still serve my community and bring attention to the issues raised by citizens throughout the campaign process.”