More about the mayoral candidates

You asked for it, and we have it — the applications for Edmonds mayor, that is. You can access all of the applications in PDF format here. But we’ve also provided a summary of each candidate based on what they submitted.

Remember, though, that the best way to familiarize yourself with the candidates is to come to next Tuesday’s City Council interviews, which start at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 250 5th Ave. N. Or you can watch a videotape of the proceedings, which are rebroadcast at 7 a.m. , noon and 7 p.m. daily on Comcast Channel 21 or Verizon Channel 39.

And now, here are the candidates, and the time they will appear on the interview schedule Tuesday night:

6 p.m. Richard Marin: 32-year Edmonds resident. Commanding officer U.S. Navy Reserve. Edmonds City Councilmember 2001-08, City Council President 2005, Community Transit Board of Directors 2004-08 and Board Chairman 2007-08, Sound Transit Board of Directors 2005-08, Snohomish Health District Board of Directors 2001-08, City of Edmonds Transportation Committee 2009-10. Currently on board of directors for Sno-Isle Library Foundation and South County Senior Center.

Why he wants to be mayor: “The City of Edmonds needs the steady hand of a proven leader and I believe that I have the experience.”

6:30 p.m. Todd M. Clayton Jr.: Six-year Edmonds resident. Former vice president and president of Friends of the Edmonds Library. Member of the Edmonds Masonic Lodge.

Why he wants to be mayor: “I love living in Edmonds so I believe as a member of the community I should try to do more for the City.”

7 p.m. Ron Wambolt: Seven-year Edmonds resident. Edmonds City Councilmember 2006-09. Currently a member of Highway 99 Task Force, Citizens Technical Advisory Committee, Edmonds Parking Committee.

Why he wants to be mayor: “All candidates will have a learning period but my background should allow me to perform the Mayor’s duties competently in the shortest amount of time.”

7:30 p.m. Mike Cooper: 36-year Edmonds resident. Current Snohomish County Councilmember. Washington State House of Representatives 1997-2005. Edmonds Planning and Park Board 1989-1994. Snohomish County Charter Review Commission Chair 2007. Governor’s Oil Spill Advisory Council Chair 2005-09.

Why he wants to be mayor: “Our city needs a mayor that is an experienced leader. As a career firefighter I learned to carefully evaluate a situation, take control and make the needed decisions to ‘put the fire out.'”

8 p.m. Michael Pederson: 28-year Edmonds resident. Member of Mukilteo Planning Board and Edmonds Architectural Design Board.

Why he wants to be mayor: “Serve my community and give back.”

8:30 p.m. Dick Van Hollebeke: 33-year Edmonds resident. Edmonds City Councilmember 1996-99. Current Edmonds Community College Trustee. Co-chair Save Yost Pool. Member Citizens Levy Proposal Committee.

Why he wants to be mayor: “In these difficult economic times, I want to help ensure that Edmonds doesn’t lose its spirit and vision. I think we need to avoid a defensive mode and and focus instead on finding ways to overcome economic obstacles.”

9 p.m. Roger P. Hertrich: 40-year Edmonds resident. Edmonds City Council 1988-1991. Current Edmonds Senior Center board member. Historical Preservation Board member.

Why he wants to be mayor: “Edmonds city needs a strong leader who can guide the management through tough times. I will make sound decisions based on my experience and up-to-date knowledge of the issues facing Edmonds today.”

9:30 p.m. Frank Yamamoto: Five-year Edmonds resident. Current chair, Economic Development Commission. Edmonds Chamber of Commerce Board member. President, Downtown Merchants Association.

Why he wants to be mayor: “The opportunity to be an integral part of the community by serving in a capacity that directly has an impact on the outcome is important to me. To be involved in the city’s growth and plans for the future and to be able to contribute to that end is in part a reason for applying for the position.”

  1. Thank you for posting this information. I will definitely attend the interviews and let my council members know what I think.

  2. This should be a fascinating process. While I may not agree with the politics of all of the applicants, I commend them all for applying and throwing themselves into the fray. Our council has it’s work cut out for it.

  3. With one exception, a very credible list of outstanding citizen candidates!

    Two applications stand out. I predict our new Mayor will be either Mr. Cooper or Mr. Van Hollebeke.

  4. Having reviewed the applications, I would suggest a few criteria for evaluating those applications.
    Firstly, this is a full time position with a salary of over $100,000 a year. Any applicant who hand wrote the application should be dismissed from consideration. It is difficult to imagine that if one applies for a position with the responsibilities that our Mayor will have, a handwritten application would be rejected by most firms. The citizens are, through the vote of the council, hiring a Mayor. A professional application package is not too much to ask, and it shows that the applicant is serious about this position.
    Secondly, any applicant who does not plan to stand for election in 2011 should be dismissed from consideration. If an applicant is appointed, and does not plan to run for election, then that applicant has no accountablility nor direct responsibility to the citizens of Edmonds. Any applicant who will not run for Mayor, but will take the job on an interim basis, is a political lame duck who will have ultimately little to no accountablitity to the voters of Edmonds.
    The appointment of a Mayor is an important one, and the Council should use very stringent criteria in selecting that appointee. The appointee must have the experience, judgement and proven ability to lead the City.

  5. I have read through all the applications for Mayor and came to some of the same conclusions as Diane T. I was very surprised as to how many applications were hand done. This isn’t High School it is a very important position. I was most impressed by Mr. Van Hollebeke’s application. He even had several recommendations from other people in the community. Almost as many as applications for the position.

    He may have stated that he does not currently plan to run for Mayor when it comes up for a vote but he has certainly put in much more effort into his application for the temporary position. He presented himself very professionally. He would have my vote.

  6. I agree with Diane T. in regards to submitting a professional application for such an important position. However, I don’t believe a handwritten application should be grounds for dismissal of the candidate.

    Each day I read numerous documents that are both type and hand written and the content never ceases to amaze me. Type written documents look neat and more professional but they can easily hide an applicant’s basic use of the English language through the use of grammar and spell check. A handwritten document presents the applicant in raw form if you will. It’s easier to see mistakes and gives the reader more insight into the applicant; especially their able to communicate in handwritten form.

    I won’t give a candidate more or less consideration because of their choice of medium in completing the application; though I do find value in reading and evaluating candidate’s handwriting skills. The application process is important but not nearly as important as finding the best candidate to represent ALL of the citizens of Edmonds.

  7. As you can see above, I made an error in writing and proofreading my message. I used the word able where I wanted to use the word ability. Should my message be disregarded? No, I think not. There are too many ways for these mistakes to occur in todays vast array of communications.

    I urge the Council to consider all the candidates and to choose the candidate who will best represent all of the citizens of Edmonds.

  8. The form for submission, as posted on the website, is not formatted for a typed response, it is formatted for a handwritten response. The applicant is invited to supply additional typed materials, such as a resume and/or cover letter, but the form is intended to cut to the chase, and to deliberately only provide a certain area in which each candidate must fit their responses.
    If a candidate re-types the entire form, they can make as much room as they like for a response. This could make for a great political humor quip… but I’ll leave the completion of that thought to the reader.
    My opinion: both handwritten and typed submissions are acceptable, it’s the content that counts.

  9. The form the applicants choose to use is part of the content of the package. This is an executive position, and as such deserves the respect of the applicants. As an executive position it deserves to be treated as one. This is a professional, high profile position. The applicant will be managing our City, and should be able to put together a thoughtful, professional application package. This is not an election where the campaign process determines the best person for the office, this is an application with an interview.

  10. Funny – I share the same criteria as Diane T when I’m hiring. And, yes, Eric, if you make a typo in an application I will absolutely disregard your application. Applications should represent your BEST effort, and if you can’t get it right when you’re trying to make a powerful first impression, I have little faith you’ll get it right later.
    I echo Diane’s sentiment – this is an executive position with considerable responsibility. I want to see extensive personnel, fiscal, and policy management on the resumes.

  11. Todd is right about the format for the applications. It is an official document that has to be notarized after it is filled out. I suppose we could get out the old typewriter and type in our responses in the space provided. I know we all want to be independent but does following instructions count for anything?
    As for executive positions, who puts together most resumes? I think they are done by professional writers. I would rather hear from the heart of the person.
    You have to remember this is still a political office and not a private executive position. Who will resound with the voters on election day?

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