Lynnwood City Council member, and former Council President, George Hurst is challenging the incumbent to be the next mayor of Lynnwood.
“When I was elected to my third term on the City Council in 2023, I did not think I would be running for Mayor,” Councilman Hurst says, “But during the past two years, I have had increasing concerns about the future of Lynnwood. Under the current administration, there has been a wave of departures of long-term experienced City employees. There is something wrong with the culture at City Hall when you see city workers leaving at such a dramatic rate. And the Mayor’s presentation of the 2025-2026 budget also raised red flags for me. The mayor created a 2025-26 City Budget based on a 52% increase in City property taxes coupled with a 100% increase in red light camera tickets. This type of financial management is unacceptable.”
Hurst added, “I am proud that during my first two terms in office I successfully guided public safety changes that made Lynnwood and our region a safer place.”
Hurst was a leader in creating the South County Regional Fire Authority and he was a key advocate for the successful merger of SnoCom 911 and SnoPac911 into one seamless emergency call center called Snohomish County 911.
Recently there have been deaths of teenagers in our city by gun violence. It is not enough to respond after these tragedies and say we grieve with families, we offer “thoughts and prayers.” Compassion is important but Hurst wants to end youth violence. He wants to provide alternatives to gang membership and confront the promotion of self-harm and violent acts on social media.
“We have two Council Members (Josh Binda and Derica Escamilla) who are creating a council made up of youth who will be able to interact with the City Council to provide proactive solutions,” Hurst says. “I support these two Council Members’ plans. The current Mayor has pushed back on this effort, saying her staff does not have the time to work with a youth council. As the new Mayor I will do everything I can to support all programs that have the mission to end the gun violence that is killing young people in our city.”
During his 9 years on the City Council, Hurst has been elected as Council President three time by his fellow Council Members. He has served on the Snohomish 911 Board, the Community Transit Board, the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board, the Lynnwood City Council Finance Committee, and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Legislative Priorities Committee. In 2022 he was awarded the AWC Certificate of Municipal Leadership.
George and his wife Pam have lived in Lynnwood for over 32 years. Together they have worked to assist displaced low-income tenants in Lynnwood. They are advocates for preserving manufactured home communities, a key source of affordable housing in Snohomish County. Their four children all graduated from Lynnwood High School when it was in Lynnwood.
“As Mayor, I look forward to creating a safer, affordable and livable City of Lynnwood for current and future generations,” Hurst offers as his commitment to Lynnwood residents.
To learn more about or volunteer for the Goerge Hurst campaign, visit ElectHurst4Lynnwood.com or email him at Hurst4Lynnwood@outlook.com.
Source: ElectHurst4Lynnwood
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
