Mayor vetoes sales tax increase that would have made Mukilteo highest in Washington state
MUKILTEO—Mayor Joe Marine has vetoed Ordinance 1518, a measure adopted by the Mukilteo City Council on June 16, 2025, that would have raised the city’s sales tax to the highest rate in Washington State. “As Mayor, I take seriously the responsibility to balance our financial needs with the realities our residents and businesses face,” said […]
Commentary: Mukilteo Council to residents, ‘Let them eat cake!’
As a councilmember, it is my privilege to spend time understanding city finances and explaining them to our residents who are busy living their lives, assuming we are managing their interests well. We are not. At Monday’s City Council meeting on June 16, the mayor presided over a simple majority of the council that gifted […]
Letter-to-Editor: Re-elect Mayor Joe Marine
I am delighted that Mayor Joe Marine is running for re-election, and I encourage my fellow Mukilteans to support him. He has been an outstanding mayor with vision for our city. He is highly capable, cares about all of Mukilteo, and has a pleasant, collaborative personality—plus an endless supply of dad jokes. We are so […]
Automated Traffic Camera program now live in Mukilteo, 30-day warning
MUKILTEO—The City of Mukilteo begins its Automated Traffic Camera program to encourage safe driving on roads throughout the City. Officials worked with NovoaGlobal to install cameras where the most dangerous speeding occurs. “Speeding is a preventable cause of deadly collisions and life-altering injuries,” said Mukilteo Police Chief Illyn. “We look forward to bringing the latest […]
EMS Levy renewal on November general election ballot for Mukilteo voters
MUKILTEO—The Mukilteo City Council approved a resolution on May 5, 2025, asking residents to renew the levy for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) during the November 4, 2025, general election ballot. The average homeowner (defined now as $836,000) would pay an additional $16 per month or $191 per year for a 24-hour Basic (BLS) or Advanced […]
I oppose wasting further time discussing time limits
Below is a table I compiled from reviewing the history of regular and special meetings on Granicus. The number indicates the number of meetings exceeding 4 hours in the middle column and 5 hours in the right column. Below that you will see the 15-year average, which spanned numerous councils, two iterations of the current […]
Mukilteo to hold Public Hearing on Airport Compatibility Code March 3rd
MUKILTEO-The Mukilteo City Council will hold a public hearing on March 3, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, 11930 Cyrus Way to consider adoption of a new Title 17.86 – Airport Compatibility Code. The public hearing will be held in person and can be viewed virtually on Facebook and Zoom for those […]
Hawthorne Hall fiasco, what you need to know
Kudos to the shrewd local businessman who paid $500,000 to purchase from the city a pristine real estate parcel—Hawthorne Hall—zoned single family and appraised at $830,000. He acted to pursue his vision for the city’s property. Shame to my four fellow councilmembers and the mayor for this tone deaf and fiscally derelict decision to execute […]
Mukilteo City Council Elects New Leadership for 2025
MUKILTEO—The Mukilteo City Council has elected its 2025 Council Leadership. Councilmember Tom Jordal will serve as Council President, while Councilmember Jason Moon will fill the role of Council Vice-President. Council President Tom Jordal was elected to the City Council in 2022 for a four-year term. After serving as Vice-President in 2024, he now assumes the […]
Mukilteo Budget: Big bets and tough choices avoided
At the November 25 Council Special meeting, the Mukilteo City Council voted 5- 2, Councilmembers Dixon and Steve Schmalz against, to adopt the biennial budget for the years 2025-2026. The adopted budget, little changed from the mayor’s 2025-2026 preliminary budget, draws down the general fund ending balance, our savings account, from $5 million today, to […]
