LAKE STEVENS—Lake Stevens Mayor Brett Gailey received a formal send-off from fellow council members and city staff Tuesday night during what was described as his final workshop and council meeting before his resignation takes effect April 13.
Gailey, who has served as mayor since 2020, announced his resignation March 24. Council Vice President Kymm Shipman presided over the meeting. Council members Sabina Araya, Tosha Edwards, and Nathan Packard attended and spoke; Council President Anji Jorstad, who will serve as mayor pro tem until a replacement is named, along with council members Brian McManus and Ryan Donoghue were absent from Tuesday’s farewell meeting.
The council will fill the vacancy by opening applications to the public, interviewing candidates, voting to appoint a new mayor and swearing that person in to serve until November 2027.
Shipman opened the tribute by noting Gailey led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic and “accomplished so much in just six years.”
“He’s a forward thinker,” Shipman said. “Every time I’ve talked to him, he’s always thinking about what’s the next thing we can do … How can we use this piece of property? How can we get this park?”
She credited Mayor Gailey with securing $40 million in grants to fund capital projects and read a lengthy list of accomplishments:
- Costco development in Lake Stevens
- Main Street improvements
- North Covan downtown
- Cedarwood funding and acquisition
- Bayview Trail and Westlake Park (with recent additional funding)
- Transportation Benefit District
- Museum and Civic Campus
- 91st Street sidewalks and safe routes to school
- Cavalero Park transfer
- Millspur
- Lake Stevens Food Bank
- COVID relief funds to local businesses
- Town halls on opioids and overdose prevention
- “Starbucks with the Mayor” community listening sessions
- Appointments to AWC and NLC boards
- Annual legislative receptions
- Sunset Beach Park and new dock
- APWA accreditation
- Lean Center of Excellence
- 20th Street widening
- Establishment of a Parks Department
- Agreement with Everett on the Waterline property
- Industrial area sewer development
- Farmers Market
- Veterans Memorial
- 91st Avenue Southeast road extension
- State Route 9 roundabout gateway signs and city rebranding
- WSPC accreditation for the Police Department
- Regional mayors group on public safety, legislation and transportation
- Acquisition of land to expand Eagle Ridge Park
- Transfer and renaming of Willard Wyatt Park to Davies Beach (early 2020)
- Replacement of boat docks
- Public workshop remodel and modernization
- Frontier Heights Park redevelopment
- Bond rating upgrade
Shipman added that city department heads and employees described Gailey as “a joy to work with,” with an upbeat demeanor and humor in meetings.
“I’ve been very grateful for everything the mayor has done,” she said.
Councilman Packard thanked Gailey for mentoring new leaders as himself: “You’ve been active in trying to find the next generation of leaders to come behind and keep that mantle going.”
Councilwoman Araya said the volume of community comments after Gailey’s resignation announcement showed he had strong support from constituents.
“A tremendous amount of positive comments,” she said, adding that any leader who takes strong positions draws both praise and criticism. “I think that says a lot about you and about your morals and the issues that stood behind.”
Araya then presented Gailey with a gift: a painting of Lake Stevens by local artist Elizabeth Pearson.
“You can take the man out of Lake Stevens, but you can’t take the Lake Stevens out of the man,” she said.
City Administrator Gene Brazel called the accomplishments over the last few years “absolutely exceptional” and said Gailey’s “fingerprint, your guidance is going to be missed.” He added that Gailey became “a really good friend.”
City attorney Greg Rubstello said he was initially skeptical when Gailey was first elected. He now praises Mayor Gailey’s ability to turn ideas into action.
“You don’t just talk ideas and dreams. You talk solutions, and you talk the energy to get things done,” Rubstello said.
Gailey accepted a plaque from the City that read: “City of Lake Stevens, Brett Gailey, Mayor, 2020 to 2026” with “grateful appreciation for outstanding service and commitment to the citizens of Lake Stevens.”
Gailey credited City staff by name — Eric, Jill, Anya, Aaron, Matthew and Russ saying each major project and accomplishment carried their imprint.
“I’m often the good idea fairy who does bomb a room and walk away and know that there’s great capable people behind me,” Mayor Gailey said.
He recalled taking office expecting routine projects only to face the immediate challenges of the pandemic.
“I thought it was gonna be Costcos and sidewalks, and it was punched in the face by COVID,” he said.
Gailey closed the tributes by recognizing City Clerk Kelly Chellin, presenting her with a mayor’s coin for “stellar activity and stellar work.” He joked that she had kept him “out of jail” and that even her daughter had received a coin before her.
Discussions on mayor vacancy and changing to a part-time mayor
Councilmembers mapped out a tentative process Tuesday night to fill the mayor vacancy of Mayor Gailey after his April 13 resignation, deciding to follow state law that opens the job to any qualified resident rather than limiting it to just current council members.
City Attorney Greg Rubstello advised the council to rely on RCW 35A.12.040 and RCW 42.12.070, which require an appointment within 90 days of a vacancy and make the position available to anyone who meets basic qualifications. He said those statutes take precedence over older language in the City’s code that appeared to restrict the choice to sitting council members, a provision he described as outdated and “buried in council procedures.”
“State law trumps anything inconsistent with our code,” Rubstello told the council. “I’d recommend that we follow the state statute with respect to that.”
Councilmembers leaned towards a model to fill the mayor vacancy after the existing process used for council vacancies: open applications to the public, review submissions, interview candidates and vote on an appointee. The new mayor would serve until the November 2027 election. Pending that appointment, Council President Anji Jorstad will step in as mayor pro tem at midnight April 13, handling meetings and working with staff on ongoing projects.
Rubstello shared with councilmembers that they have the flexibility to shape the details of the appointment process including seeking input from department heads on desired leadership qualities—a measure favored by council. He also urged quick action on whether to keep the mayor’s job full-time or shift it to part-time, as it would require amending the Lake Stevens Municipal Code. The council made the mayor position full-time in 2020 at Gailey’s request.
Councilwoman Araya questioned why the conflicting municipal language with filing the mayor vacancy. Rubstello said it had simply gone unexamined for years. Araya said she favored keeping the role full-time, arguing that the city’s size and growth make it difficult for someone to balance the job with another full-time career while supporting a family.
Councilwoman Shipman echoed Araya’s view, pointing to the progress made under a full-time mayor. She listed challenges unique to Lake Stevens, including stewardship of the county’s largest lake and long-standing efforts to replace the trestle.
“We’ve been trying for decades to get a new trestle,” she said. “There’s some unique challenges with our city that I don’t believe can adequately be addressed part-time.”
Councilwoman Edwards pressed for more data on how comparable cities structure the job. She recalled community backlash when the position went full-time in 2021 and worried that a full-time requirement would shrink the applicant pool.
“Our city, based on the size, needed a full-time mayor and that’s why it was decided to do that,” Edwards said, adding she still leaned toward keeping it full-time but wanted clarity before deciding.
Councilman Packard raised concerns about any current council member who might apply. Packard suggested that if the applicant is a council member she or he should fully recuse from reviewing other candidates, sitting on interview panels and even voting, to avoid conflicts of interest.
Rubstello said state law allows an interested council member to vote but acknowledged the optics could complicate discussions. The council, he added, could adopt a policy requiring recusal if a majority supported it.
Outgoing Mayor Gailey defended the full-time model describing it as a role focused on bringing in resources while City Administrator Gene Brazel managed daily operations.
“I think we’ve got a collective $40 million in grants since I’ve been mayor,” Gailey said. “You have to ask yourself, do you go back to a part-time mayor who is not fully committed 24/7 to the city and can they really give you the ROI (return-on-investment) that a full-time mayor … can be out there bird dogging all the holes for the right decision-making and for the right grants.”
Councilman Packard floated the idea of a temporary part-time mayor for the roughly 18-month interim period as a low-risk bridge until voters elect someone in 2027. Edwards and Araya agreed the full-time versus part-time question needed a clear decision soon so applicants would know the terms as it will affect the applicant pool.
Staff presented a tentative accelerated timeline if the council wanted to move quickly:
- Approve the process at the April 14 meeting
- Gather department-head input over the following two days
- Post the call for applications April 17
- Close recruitment April 24
- Hold interviews at a special meeting April 29
The council has a full 90 days, starting April 13, to fill the vacancy. If no person is selected after 90 days, the authority to appoint a mayor rest with the Snohomish County Council.
The council plans to revisit all the options — including any municipal code changes — at its next meeting on April 14.
Author: Mario Lotmore
