LYNNWOOD, Wash. – Scores packed Moonshine BBQ, Tuesday, June 8 to support Councilman Jim Smith for his bid to become Lynnwood’s next mayor and chief executive.
Smith was born in Seattle and graduated from Edmonds-Woodway High School. He then attended Central Washington University where he earned a double bachelor’s degree in business administration and law and justice. He and his wife Sherry have four daughters and two grandchildren.
Smith’s campaign platform is homelessness, public safety, and taxes.
“We need to be thinking about the people of Lynnwood first, not the big corporations,” Smith said.
Smith aims to be an active mayor. He commits to hosting and attending community events as mayor and resolve resident concerns that arise.
The 25-year Lynnwood City Councilman currently serves as council vice president. Smith has also been the Chairman for the Snohomish County Board of Health and is an active community member, acting as liaison to various organizations, like the Human Services Commission, in addition to volunteer work at the Lynnwood Food Bank.
If elected, Smith’s first year in office will focus on addressing the street homelessness issue.
“By the second year of my term, we’re going to make Lynnwood into the safest place in South County,” Smith said. “Lynnwood will be the gemstone of South County like it used to be.”
Lynnwood resident Derek Hanusch first found out about Smith three weeks ago through a Facebook group. Hanusch supports Smith because he does not want Lynnwood to become like Seattle, “where they won’t arrest anyone.”
Joining the campaign is Edmonds resident and native of Veracrúz, México, Karina Gasperín who will serve as Smith’s Director of Community Outreach.
“We need to elect someone who can lead and benefit our communities,” Gasperín said. “It doesn’t matter your race or language; we can [all] make Lynnwood better.”
For more information on Jim Smith and to support his campaign of becoming Lynnwood’s next mayor, visit his website https://electjimsmith.com/ or his Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElectJimSmith/
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
2 Responses
Lynnwood is in the final stages of becoming Lynnwood, Inc., unless we have a course correction with the next mayor. It might be too late, but if anyone can protect what’s left of our city, Jim Smith can. He listens to residents, rather than non-local corporations and Olympia. And most residents are more concerned about being able to walk safely in our parks and on our streets, whatever our race or gender, than we are about our city being some kind of abstract “regional model” as defined by people who don’t live here and never will. Lynnwood as “regional model” just means that we absorb the problems associated with transit corridors (building and traffic density, crime spikes) which Edmonds, Brier, etc. have refused. Developers and investors from out of town are already making a mint on massive projects that will not be affordable or walkable, despite them trying to sell us on both. Traffic gridlock and associated pollution are already unsustainable. Beloved local joints like Strykers, a hub of old-school Lynnwood community, are being destroyed for new-build monstrosities which will *not* increase affordability, and *will* increase gentrification and make lots of out-of-town investors wealthy. While the other two mayoral candidates seem like decent people, and I believe everyone is running in good faith for what they see as the best future of the city, Jim Smith is the candidate taking long-time residents’ concerns seriously, and that’s why he has my vote. Plus, he’s lived here forever, has deep connections in multiple local communities, and is an upstanding fellow who listens to differing perspectives and wants all to feel safe and welcome in Lynnwood. Vote Jim Smith for mayor!
Jim, all I hear is you wanting to make the community safe. How are you going to do this? Where will you start? What do that means for our homeless population? A few years ago, I remember Lynnwood’s police department was getting the homeless people or the less desirables’ out of the Lynnwood via a bus ticket or jail. Can you expound on what your plan will be?