This election, two East Snohomish County residents are stepping up to run for office in Snohomish County.
Snohomish County Sheriff's Department Detective Sgt. Jim Upton, a Monroe resident, is taking on incumbent Ty Trenary for the role of Snohomish County Sheriff; and Sultan Mayor Carolyn Eslick is challenging incumbent John Lovick for the Snohomish County Executive's seat. In both cases, the results of the Nov. 4 special election will determine who will serve out the remainder of the current term, which ends in 2015.
Lovick was serving his second term as Snohomish County Sheriff when he was unanimously appointed to the Snohomish County Executive's position last June after it was vacated by former Executive Aaron Reardon. Subsequently, in July, Sheriff Trenary was appointed to the fill Lovick's shoes as the Snohomish County Sheriff.
All four candidates have stated that they will run again in 2015 for the full, four-year term.
The Snohomish County government is structured very similarly to the council-mayor form of government which exists in places like Monroe, Sultan and Gold Bar; but on a broader scale. The executive is responsible for day-to-day operations at the county, as well as the budget, which is prepared and then presented to the five-member county council for adoption.
The executive also plays a significant role in matters relating to the county's comprehensive plan, which is currently in the process of being updated.
Lovick, a Democrat, won the August primary, receiving 46.39 percent of the vote. Republican candidate Eslick received 39.86 percent. Candidate James Robert Deal, a Democrat, received 13.2 percent.
During Lovick's state-of-the-county address earlier this year, Lovick told Sultan City Council that his focus was going to be on "safe schools, good, safe roads, and jobs, jobs, jobs.GÇ¥
Lovick, 63, served in the United States Coast Guard for 13 years, and spent 31 years as a Washington State Patrol Trooper. His foray into politics began in Mill Creek where he served on the city council for five years, including one year as mayor pro tem. He moved on to the Washington State Legislature in 1997, where he represented the 44th Legislative District. Reelected four times, Lovick served in the legislature for a total of nine years. He was first elected as the Snohomish County Sheriff in 2007.
While serving as executive, Lovick worked to implement a new program called Safe Kids, Improved Pathways, also known as SKIP. Dedicated to creating safe and connected walking areas for children, SKIP is committed to bridging gaps in pedestrian pathways surrounding the county's 34 elementary schools.
He also established a mental health task force in an effort to address the mentally ill sector of Snohomish County's population, and developed a new internship program for college students at the county.
Eslick, 64, was first elected as the mayor of Sultan in 2007, and was re-elected in 2011. Prior to becoming mayor, she served on the Sultan City Council for a total of six years. Eslick has held leadership positions in various nonprofit groups including the Sultan Education Foundation, the Sultan Food Bank, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce, as well as others.
Eslick targeted recreation as a means of improving the economy in East Snohomish County, and helped spearhead a collaborative project which worked to unite multiple recreational entities who meet on a bi-monthly basis. In her capacity as mayor, she works to acknowledge local business owners by providing a platform for monthly recognition in front of Sultan City Council. -á
She recently started the Sultan Community Task Force in response to community concerns over local issues such as the area's homeless population, the level of property crimes and issues surrounding drug abuse.
Eslick is the director and founder of GROW Washington, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship in Snohomish County. Eslick has opened three storefront facilities in the past four years, facilitating numerous entrepreneurs seeking to develop sustainable businesses.
What are your thoughts on economic sustainability, currently, in Snohomish County? What can the Snohomish County Executive's office do to help bring economic vitality to the east areas of Snohomish County like Monroe, Sultan and Gold Bar?
Lovick: My number one priority as your Executive is creating the best economic environment to help produce jobs. The economic stability of this great county is a major factor in the decisions that I make. Investing in our county's transportation infrastructure is one way to boost our economy and by investing in our transportation we support the growth of industry in this county.
Tourism is a big industry in Snohomish County, including areas in East County. Investing in our transportation infrastructure especially along Hwy. 2 will create opportunities for tourists to reach desired destinations GÇô eating at restaurants and shopping at local businesses and along the way. I understand that Hwy. 2 is the lifeblood of East County's local communities like Monroe, Sultan and Gold Bar. I believe the better job we do to improve the corridor the more economic vitality we will have.
Eslick: We are fortunate that Boeing is a major employer in Snohomish County and we will do whatever we can to maintain and increase those jobs. But a successful economy is dependent on economic diversity. We need to encourage all types of businesses to locate in this county. I have over 30 years of experience in small businesses, and through GROW Washington I have mentored over 500 entrepreneurs, helping them to start or expand their businesses.
The Snohomish County Jail has been problematic lately with a significant number of deaths; recently a young man from Sultan committed suicide while incarcerated there. Do you have any thoughts on what can be done to prevent further deaths from occurring?
Lovick: It was my honor to serve as your Snohomish County Sheriff for almost six years. During my time as sheriff I saw clearly that jail is not the place for those in our community who are suffering from mental illness.
I want to be clear that there is no acceptable death in jail. We must do everything in our power to make sure that the inmates we are responsible for are safe and treated humanely. I will continue to work directly with our sheriff to make sure that they are properly supported and equipped to make our inmates safe.
To begin to address the mental health crisis that our jail is experiencing the county is in the process of acquiring funding to restore the Carnegie building which is adjacent to the jail to house those suffering from mental illness. We must take this burden out of the hands of our jail and address this issue with the resources and support this population needs.
Eslick: Our jail is desperate for quality oversight. While the jail is under the direct supervision of the county sheriff, the county executive is in charge of the budget. With this responsibility, I will make sure that we provide the resources needed to prevent more deaths.
How can Snohomish County facilitate better care for the mentally ill? East County struggles with balance when caring for its homeless population, some of whom are mentally ill. Fairfax will be opening a facility in Monroe for older patients in 2015, but will that be enough?
Lovick: As I stated above mental illness is a real concern in our communities. The County is already working to support this community by addressing the issue more appropriately. The jail is not the best place for these individuals nor is it the most appropriate path for their condition.
I am pleased to say that people throughout this county are already coming together to help address the problem. From hospitals to government we are partnering to address this crisis. Our local hospitals are recognizing the situation and offering up more capacity to handle our growing need. Fairfax opened a 30 bed unit at Providence Pacific Campus and we anticipate a 75 bed unit will be opening at the end of 2015 at Smokey Point.
We are committed to tackling this issue for the mentally ill population in Snohomish County and remain committed to future partnerships and capacity.
Eslick: What we need in Snohomish County is a better relationship with private organizations to provide the assistance that the mentally ill in our communities need. As I have done as mayor of Sultan, I will bring all relevant parties to the table to work together to find a solution. This will be an ongoing process to make sure that the mentally ill in our communities are taken care of, which will in turn make our communities safer.
Can you talk about the Snohomish County Park's proposed shooting range which is being planned for Sultan? How can the Snohomish County Executive's office expedite the process and promote the need for a public/private partnership to help this range become a reality? And how do you plan on addressing the concerns of the neighbors, some of whom are opposed to the range?
Lovick: When I was a candidate for Sheriff in 2007 I met several times with the groups involved on both sides of this issue. I clearly understand the arguments on both sides of this issue and value those positions. Ultimately I decided this was a good project to support.
The shooting range in Sultan has been planned for over 40 years. Citizens for Responsible and Ethical Shooting has done an excellent job working with the county and state to acquire the 149 acres of land for the range. Snohomish County has been involved with planning, designing and engineering. We have made more progress in the last handful of years than we have in the past 35 years.
For those who oppose this project I would recommend and encourage you to be engaged in the public hearing and mitigation process. I think it is important that your concerns are heard and addressed as this project moves forward. I would also encourage those who support this project to welcome those who oppose and find ways to alleviate their concerns.
Eslick: For the past seven years I have hosted the Sky Valley Recreation committee in Sultan. The committee's purpose is to keep the parks and recreation forests open. One topic has been the Shooting Range. The community has been very instrumental in partnering with the County to move this project forward. I will continue to support and promote this project when I am county executive.
I believe that government needs to "get out of the wayGÇ¥ of private business and partner when it is feasible. This is one of those projects. The county is paying for the planning (with a community advisory group) and engineering at this time. The plans are for a "for profitGÇ¥ business to lease and operate the shooting range.
The concerned neighbors have been at all the public meetings. I believe with proper planning the noise and danger aspects are being addressed. There will be noise testing within the next couple of months. The plans show the shooting range will be located at the northeast corner of the property allowing for the noise echo directed away from the neighbors.
What are your top three priorities for the Snohomish County Executive's office? Please elaborate.
Lovick: I have served this nation and our community for over 44 years GÇô in the United States Coast Guard, local government, as a career Washington State Patrol Trooper and as your Snohomish County Sheriff. I have dedicated my life to making our country and neighborhoods safe.
As a 37 year resident of Snohomish County I understand the challenges we face. As your Executive I have focused my efforts on building a bright future for this county; investing in safe schools for our children, a reliable transportation infrastructure that will support growth and creating the best economic environment to help produce jobs.
Eslick: First and foremost, fiscal responsibility. We need to spend the taxpayers' money wisely. This means not giving 10% pay raises to county managers while cutting department budgets by 6%. This also includes a responsible courthouse plan in the midst of paying for Oso costs and jail death lawsuits.
A second priority is economic development. As I stated before, we need a diverse economy and that means making Snohomish County attractive for new businesses to locate and to hire our neighbors. I have the necessary business experience to create an environment that will foster small business growth.
My final priority is public safety. Our criminal justice system in Snohomish County is broken. Our jail is too full and our prosecutors are not able to go after the offenders that are making our streets unsafe.
For more information on Carolyn Eslick, visit her website at: http://eslick4exec.com/. To learn more about Executive John Lovick, please visit: http://www.electjohnlovick.com/default.html.
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