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Stating he didn’t feel comfortable trying to navigate his city job while also running for mayor, City of Edmonds Senior Planner Brad Shipley on Monday submitted his resignation effective May 16.
“Recent events have made it apparent that my decision to run for an elected position and the scope of my work are perceived to be incompatible,” Shipley said in his resignation letter. “While I stand by my assertion that my intent has always been to put the community first, these revelations make it difficult for me to navigate the duties of my job.”
Shipley, who has worked for the City of Edmonds since 2014, also said in his letter he is “proud of the work I was able to accomplish over my nine-year career with the city and appreciate the opportunity the City of Edmonds has offered me.”
This is Shipley’s second run for mayor. He also ran in 2019, facing off in the primary against then-Edmonds City Councilmembers Mike Nelson, Neil Tibbott and Kristiana Johnson. Shipley and Johnson lost in the primary to Nelson and Tibbott. Nelson then beat Tibbott in the November general election.
So far Shipley is one of four candidates running for mayor this year. In addition to Nelson, who is seeking reelection for a second term, the others vying for the mayor’s job are current Edmonds City Councilmember Diane Buckshis and retired business owner Mike Rosen.
In an interview Tuesday night, Shipley said that “being able to untether myself as a city employee will make it easier for me (as a candidate) to have conversations with the citizens of the city.”
Shipley said that he plans to start his own consulting company with a focus on housing policy, an issue he has worked on while at the City of Edmonds.
— By Teresa Wippel
I’ve only worked with Brad a handful of times, but it didn’t take that long to appreciate that he has a deep understanding of what makes good City planning. This, coupled with his passion for our City (as evidenced by his precious and current mayoral runs) will make him sorely missed (even if only for a short while). I wish him good luck on everything he does.
Good luck Brad. Always appreciated your help and assistance on the various city code nuances. Edmonds is so fortunate to have so many people who live and work for the city it serves. You will be missed.
In my 6 1/2 years on the Planning Board, Brad was a wonderful resource for any questions that I had around planning and zoning projects. I’m sad to read that internal pressures led to his stepping away from his role, something that wasn’t the case when he ran last time. Not quite sure what changed this time around, but Brad will be an asset in any future role he takes on.
How could internal pressures be any sort of a surprise when a candidate is running against his current bosses, Mayor Nelson and Director McLaughlin, neither one of which has exactly been a shrinking violet in terms of wanting to run the show with alternative use of streets and denser development downtown squarely in their crosshairs for all of us to just accept . I don’t blame Brad for wanting to get away from that approach, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want a professional Housing Consultant for a mayor either, especially with the new state laws essentially outlawing single family zoning expect for already really rich people in places like Woodway and Inis Arden.
There is one candidate in our current Mayor race that has the right experience on Council, the right knowledge of budgeting and municipal budgeting in particular, and the right knowledge and interests in keeping and enhancing the natural (most importantly) and the cultural (a little less important) assets that we now have in place for future generations of citizens to enjoy, as well as our visitors. My first choice for Mayor is Diane Buckshnis.
While I was on the Housing Commission, Brad was my go-to guy. He was always professional, knowledgeable, and quick to respond to my numerous requests for information. Brad, best of luck to you going forward.
I first met Brad when he was a student at the UofW and was a lead player in the study work done for 5 Corners and Westgate. Those studies were a result of the Strategic Action Plan. You can see those studies on the City site listed under the Economic Development Commission. Interesting and still useful today. I was impressed with Brad then and share the views of others who have commented. His work has helped Edmonds in so many ways.
Thanks Brad and good luck.