Living Through the Great Recession

In 2007, the voters of Sultan elected me mayor, and I took office in January 2008 as the Great Recession was unfolding. This was my second time running for mayor; my first attempt a few years earlier had been unsuccessful.

Before becoming mayor, I spent 20 years owning and operating the Dutch Cup Restaurant, from 1981 to 2001. During those years, my involvement in local government began with an appointment to the Sultan City Council in 1996, followed by election in 1998 and another four years of service.

After selling the restaurant, an opportunity came along to work with the Snohomish County Economic Development Council as a business consultant, serving rural communities including Darrington, Granite Falls, and Arlington. That work led to another opportunity with the Northwest Agriculture Business Center, representing Snohomish County.

One of my assignments was bringing the Pumpkin Hurl from Burlington to Snohomish County. Around 2009, that work also included helping organize the Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins alongside local farmers, including Stockers. The position was funded through a grant.

Another opportunity came through the Northwest Women's Business Center, where I met its director, Tiffany McVeety. We continued working as business consultants, providing technical support until that grant ended. In 2010, we formed the nonprofit Grow Washington.

When I took office as mayor in 2008, Sultan was facing challenges that touched many parts of daily life. There was a homeless encampment across the Skykomish River, about one block from downtown Sultan, and residents were concerned about safety. Some parents didn't feel safe walking their children to school.

Meanwhile, teens were also creating problems for residents and businesses by gathering in storefront entrances and sitting on the steps of stores, City Hall, and the library. At times, they even formed lines that blocked the streets.

The recession added financial strain. Jobs were hard to find, families were struggling, and the city faced the task of balancing its budget with fewer employees and fewer services.

Addressing public safety and the homeless encampment was one of our first priorities. The city's police department had consistently exceeded its budget by thousands of dollars, and its 12 officers had not been able to deter the problems involving teens. We held two public meetings to hear from citizens and began negotiating with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.

The tipping point came when the Sheriff's Office decided to move its east county office from Monroe to Sultan. That meant many deputies would be checking in and out of Sultan before traveling to their assignments. We negotiated a new contract with the Sheriff's Office and disbanded the city's police department. Under the new arrangement, we went from 12 city police officers to five officers, plus a detective on duty and a chief.

During this time, I also formed a leadership committee, which identified connecting people in the encampment with services as a priority. Our leadership meetings had already been taking place for a year when Jeff Brand arrived as our second county police chief. After a couple of months of discussing the encampment, he suggested visiting it with one of his officers.

Chief Jeff Brand and an officer went to the encampment and gave the people living there three choices: go to the Family Support Center on First Street for services, move out of the area, or go to jail. By the next day, only one person remained on the property. One person went to jail.

Snohomish County later purchased the encampment property, which is now an undeveloped park.

We also formed a volunteer citizens group, and I appointed city employee Donna Murphy to serve as volunteer coordinator. Under her coordination, volunteers met weekly to clean the parks and Main Street, giving residents a way to help care for their city. Donna held that position for nine years, retiring when I left office as mayor.

We introduced Block Watch, a program offered by the Sheriff's Office, so neighbors could serve as the eyes and ears of their neighborhoods. At one point, more than 500 volunteers—including parents, students, teachers, and church groups—were involved in our little city of Sultan. Their participation was documented through a volunteer list.

From that volunteer effort, the city formed the Community Alliance committee. Its purpose was to bring people back to Main Street through welcoming, family-friendly events that built community pride and encouraged a safe, clean, and healthy Sultan.

When I became mayor in 2008, I had no idea what challenges lay ahead or how much we would accomplish together. Getting through the Great Recession wasn't easy, but I was grateful for the opportunity to lead Sultan through those difficult years and work alongside so many people who stepped up to help.

Looking back, I'm proud of what we accomplished together, and it means so much to see that same community spirit alive in Sultan today, with new people continuing to step forward and make a difference.