Upbeat mayor on State of the City: ‘We ain’t Deadmonds anymore!’

Striking an upbeat note, Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling expanded on how Edmonds has become a vibrant, vital community.
Striking an upbeat note, Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling expanded on how Edmonds has become a vibrant, vital community.

It was standing room only at the Edmonds Theater Thursday morning as the city’s residents, business owners, employees and elected officials listened to Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling strike an overwhelmingly positive note in his 2016 State of the City address. Kicking off his remarks by declaring “We ain’t Deadmonds anymore!” Earling went on to enumerate a laundry list of civic indicators pointing to a positive trend regarding how we’re doing and where we’re going.

Recalling when he first arrived here in the 1970s and heard the town’s “Deadmonds” nickname, Earling said he “looked around and couldn’t help but agree. There wasn’t much happening for any age group. If kids and adults wanted to go out and enjoy themselves, they went to Seattle.” He drew laughter from the crowd when he observed how the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce at the time suspended meetings during the summer months, claiming it was “too hot.”

The graphic says it all: We're Deadmonds no longer.
The graphic says it all: We’re Deadmonds no longer.

But not anymore.

Noting that downtown has become a “vibrant and alive place” with restaurants, the Edmonds Center for the Arts, the Edmonds Theater and increasingly scarce parking, Earling painted a picture of Edmonds as both a daytime and nighttime destination. And instead of Edmonds residents leaving to have fun in Seattle, urban folks are now coming here to get away from the frantic pace of larger metro areas and “savor the small-town experience” of Edmonds, the mayor said.

“It’s vital that we recognize this as one of our most valuable assets, and one we need to protect and maintain,” he said. “And the City Council and I all pledge to keep and maintain that small town getaway feel we all enjoy.”

Citing the good financial news, Earling showed a series of charts and graphs illustrating the city's improved financial health
Citing the good financial news, Earling showed a series of charts and graphs illustrating the city’s improved financial health

Moving on to the numbers, Earling called 2015 a “fabulous revenue year.” Sales tax alone is up more than $990,000 over 2014, “and 2014 was a great year too,” he said. Other positive signs: Real estate tax revenue is up $570,000, and real estate excise taxes rose by $880,000.

“But our expenses are up too,” he added. “Quality staff brings great benefits to all, and we’ve been fortunate to hire 19 great new employees, and restore some of the drastic staff cuts forced on us during the 2010-2011 recession.”

But while the immediate picture is good, there are disturbing clouds on the economic horizon. Noting his recent meeting with Washington State Office of Financial Management officials in Olympia, Earling cautioned that although the state’s tax base and income is strong, it fell short of projections. Add to this uncertainty about the economic impact of the McCleary decision, and 2017 could present some serious economic challenges statewide

For Edmonds, still facing the uncertainty of the cost of fire protection while Fire District 1 and the union continue to negotiate a labor contract (see details here), Earling looks ahead to the 2017 budget with a certain degree of concern. “I’ve moved from guardedly optimistic to cautious,” he said.

Pointing out housing starts as a prime example of Edmonds' economic vitality, Earling cited how we've gone from 23 housing starts in 2012 to 40 last year to a projected 50-60 for 2016.
Pointing out housing starts as a prime example of Edmonds’ economic vitality, Earling cited how we’ve gone from 23 housing starts in 2012 to 40 last year to a projected 50-60 for 2016.

Turning to more positive notes, Earling cited the expansions to the Swedish/Edmonds campus, the opening of WinCo Foods “where the parking lot is always full,” construction of the new downtown mixed commercial-residential building on 2nd Avenue behind the Post Office, and an “explosion” of new single-family construction (23 housing starts in 2012, 40 in 2015, and a projected 50-60 this year).

“Our development services staff have been very busy,” he added.

Other vibrant local indicators include moving ahead with the Highway 99 sub-area plan, which is working on a “spectacular vision” for Highway 99 characterized by a “well-themed, cohesive vision” tying together the car dealerships, the International District, Swedish/Edmonds campus and other businesses.

In welcome news for many, Earling announced that a new public restroom would be built downtown before the end of the year, taking pressure off local businesses and offering a more welcoming environment to visitors.
In welcome news for many, Earling announced that a new public restroom would be built downtown before the end of the year.

Closer to downtown, Earling promised the long-awaited public restroom facility before the end of the year. “As Edmonds attracts more visitors, this is absolutely critical to make our town welcoming and to take the pressure off our local businesses to meet this need,” he said.

The mayor heaped particular praise on the recent purchase of Civic Field. “How many cities have 8 acres of open space in the heart of downtown?” he asked the crowd. “This is an amazing opportunity for us, and we’re going to spend considerable time in 2016 looking at how we can best utilize this for our community.”

Earling also touched on transportation, citing the work being done to complete the new 228th Street east-west corridor, improvements to relieve chronic congestion at the 212th Southwest/76th Street interchange, and the critical role these will play in providing easy access to present and future mass transit hubs including the upcoming light rail service.

Parks Manager Rich Lindsay is recognized for 43 years of service to the city.
Parks Manager Rich Lindsay is recognized for 43 years of service to the city.

Before wrapping up his remarks, Earling took a moment to recognize a lifetime of service by Rich Lindsay, a city employee for more than 43 years. Earling described Lindsay, who is now the city’s parks manager, as a “warm, friendly, engaging guy who has devoted his entire working life to making Edmonds a better place for all of us.”

Looking forward to the next 25-30 years, Earling cited some sobering demographic statistics that give a disturbing window on the challenges we face in the coming decades. With Washington State population projected to expand from 7 million now to more than 9 million by 2040, the Puget Sound area expected to grow from 3.8 million to more than 5 million by 2035; Snohomish County to expand from 750,000 to more than 900,000; and Edmonds — the third largest city in the county — to grow from 40,000 to 45,500, there will be severe strains on services, facilities and housing.

“Edmonds is already pretty much built out,” Earling said, “so while managing this growth will put strain in a host of areas, for us providing housing will be a particular challenge We need creative solutions, we need to be thinking now, and we need to be looking outside the bowl and start working to bring neighborhoods like Highway 99, Westgate, Firdale Village and Perrinville into the mainstream of Edmonds’ future.”

In conclusion, Earling identified three critical top priorities that residents and elected officials alike will need to think about now as they prepare to meet future challenges:

  • how to provide ample, affordable housing to accommodate projected population growth;
  • how to effectively address the complex problems of homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse;
  • and as a coastal community, how to immediately prepare for rising sea levels being driven by global climate change.

In a veiled reference to those who deny climate change as an article of political faith, Earling quipped, “I’m a moderate Republican, and there are probably about four of us left in the state. And that’s all I’m going to say about politics. But I am going to say that climate change and rising sea levels is a real threat to coastal communities like Edmonds, and is an issue we must take on.”

Summing up, Earling revisited his main themes of the morning. He cited Edmonds sense of community as “our core strength,” stressed the importance of ensuring that the community’s livability continues as a legacy to future generations, and exhorted folks to “get off our rear ends,” visit local parks and engage in healthy activities like walking and biking. He went on to challenge those in the audience to “think differently” about transportation and how residents will get around as population expands, to value the city’s parks as the “heart of our community,” and to protect and preserve the area’s wildlife and waterfront as a legacy to future generations.

“All these pieces allow us to remain the community that others want to emulate,” he said. “We sure ain’t Deadmonds anymore. We are a prize that we need to treasure and enhance. That’s my goal, and I encourage you to join with me and make it your goal too.”

My Edmonds News videotaped the State of the City address and it will be available for viewing soon both here and on the City of Edmonds website.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel

  1. Thank you for the summary. i was not able to attend, but a neighbor told me how impressed she was with Dave Earling and what he had to say.

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