For the upcoming Mukilteo election on November 4, I support and endorse the following candidates:
Dode Carlson over Jim Sterba. Dode’s long record of civil and public service must be given consideration. After retiring as our city postmaster, Dode has been incredibly active as a leader in many of our community organizations, including the Lighthouse Festival and the Mukilteo Senior Association. She has sought to serve on city council numerous times in the past. Jim has an admirable business background but is a first-time candidate with limited community or civil service to my knowledge. I think a strong record of community service is a prerequisite to serving on council. On that score alone, I think Dode has more than earned the right for your vote to serve on the council.
Bob Champion over Van Duser. Bob Champion brings an unparalleled background to the council: eight years of experience on the council, including serving as president and vice president, and co-authoring the 2017 long range financial plan. Van Duser’s record is simply not comparable. Given the current budgetary woes of the city, I think Champion’s experience would be very helpful. Of note, Champion served on the council that solved the last budget deficit crisis and resolved that crisis with balanced budgets not revenue gimmicks. I strongly support him and hope you will too.
I support Don Doran because of his long background in government. Although he had no challenger this election, he has, admirably, continued to immerse himself in city finances by serving on the long-term financial planning committee and attending nearly every council meeting since spring 2024. He is clearly focused, like me, on improving the city finances. I look forward to working with him.
Last, Steve Schmalz over Marine for mayor. Unlike the policy making role that is the responsibility of the council, the City’s legislative branch of government, the role of mayor is the city’s executive officer tasked to execute the policies of the council. It is not a policy making job. It is a leadership job that requires good judgment, responsiveness to the residents and an ability to execute in a transparent manner. The current mayor simply has not delivered on that score.
From the sale of Hawthorne Hall to a commercial glass blower, to the questionable execution of the Harbor Grove project, the rezoning of the Harbour Pointe Tech Center and the failed renaming effort of the Mukilteo Speedway, the current term of the incumbent mayor has been marked by questionable judgment and a remarkable tone deafness to the needs, cries and concerns of the residents. It’s almost like he systematically set out to anger and alienate every single neighborhood in Mukilteo. So lackluster is his current term that the lone singular noteworthy achievement listed on his campaign website is the veto of a proposed a sales tax increase after being pressured to do so by the council. I know this because it was I who pressured him.
The mayor’s oft lauded experience and judgement did not avert our fiscal calamity, it exacerbated it. It didn’t bring us a waterfront development, it ended with our prospective partner moving on without us. It didn’t rein in the salaries and raises of the non-represented employees, it oversaw salary growth exploding with no merit process tied to the compensation process for any city employees and with some earning well over $240,000 per year. In short, he didn’t deliver.
I think we can do better. I strongly endorse Steve Schmalz for mayor and look forward to seeing him lead the city forward over the next few challenging years towards a more fiscally secure footing. Steve is laser focused on the needs of the residents, is transparent and is an honest broker. He won’t play games with temporary revenue sources and gimmicks. He’ll look at the facts and follow them to their logical conclusion. After working with Steve on city finances the past two years, I know he will dig deep and do the homework to ensure good and well thought out solutions are brought to the table. And I know he will communicate and be forthright with the people.
Mike Dixon, Mukilteo City Councilman Position 5
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Author: Lynnwood Times Contributor
