City of Edmonds Council Position #3, 4-year term

Edmonds City Council incumbent Adrienne Fraley-Monillas recently sent a statement to introduce herself to voters. Her opponent in the Nov. 7 election, Alvin Rutledge, did not respond to requests for a statement.

Fraley-Monillas and Rutledge are running for one of three city council positions on Edmonds ballots.

Here is Fraley-Monillas’ statement:

Adrienne Fraley-Monillas

Raised in Richmond Beach, I have served for 7 years as City Councilmember.  I continue to ensure our police department is fully funded, I introduced a social worker assisting in finding services for the homeless and mentally ill in our communities.

I also advocate for our environment: Daylighting Willow Creek and preservation of the marsh. Global ice melt continues to be a problem for us all; I am your member on Constantine’s Coal and Oil Trains work group protecting our citizens and Salish Sea from the devastation of  spills in Edmonds.

Paramount is protection of our downtown/waterfront from over development. I will not settle for Edmonds to look like Kirkland or Ballard.

Alvin A. Rutledge –No statement submitted

Port of Edmonds Commissioner District #1, 4-year term

Port of Edmonds challenger Angela Harris has sent a statement to introduce herself to voters. Incumbent Commissioner Fred Gouge has not responded to requests for a statement.

Port of Edmonds commissioners are elected by voters in areas of the city of Edmonds west of 92^nd Avenue West, along with the town of Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas.

Gouge and Harris are running to represent Commissioner District 1 covering north and east portions of the port district. Candidates must live in the district they wish to represent, but voters from throughout the Port’s voting area vote for all commissioners.

Here is Harris’ statement:

Angela Harris

My name is Angela Harris and I’m running for Edmonds Port Commissioner in District 1. I am a mother, volunteer, and business leader. I have lived in Washington state for most of my life. I’ve spent the last 12 years as a Business Program Manager at Microsoft.

Over the last 20 years I have built a track record of responsible budget management and civic leadership. I believe the Port of Edmonds can be a leader in financial and environmental stewardship. Protecting and improving the Edmonds Marsh and the Port’s shoreline are crucial, and I pledge to carefully manage these valuable community assets.

Please visit https://angelainedmonds.com/ for more information.

Fred Gouge —No statement

Fire District candidates clash over ability to represent district

Snohomish County Fire District 1 incumbent Commissioner David Chan and challenger Mike Ellis have clashed over who can best represent district voters.

Chan said Monday that he questions whether Ellis would be swayed by local firefighters’ support.

The union that represents the firefighters endorsed either Ellis or any other of Chan’s four challenges in the August primary after Chan had been caught making racist remarks to another commissioner at a board meeting last spring. Chan won 43 percent of the primary vote to 17 percent for Ellis, with 40 percent divided among the other three candidates.

“I trust voters will vote based on the candidate’s experience and qualification,” Chan said Monday. “I hope the voters will not follow blindly to vote for Mr. Ellis. I understand Mr. Ellis, along with three other candidates, vow to be the voice of the union. As a commissioner, you have to be a voice for all 60,000 voters and not just for the firefighters. I think the voters have already voiced that in the primary.”

Ellis said, “Mr. Chan is discounting my experience as a first responder and my dedication to the citizens of South Snohomish County. I have never once stated I would solely be the voice of the union. Instead I have vowed to instead take into account the union’s opinion while weighing the more important responsibility to this community that I call home.”

Fire District 1 includes unincorporated areas between Everett and the Snohomish-King county line, including the Esperance, Perrinville and Meadowdale areas.

The district has now combined with the Lynnwood Fire Department to form the South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue Regional Fire Authority. The winner of this election will join the regional fire authority board as will the district’s other four commissioners and two members of the Lynnwood City Council.

The cities of Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace and Brier have been getting service by contract with the district; those contracts will continue with the RFA. The contract cities don’t vote in fire district elections.

–By Evan Smith

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.