We requested comments from each of the Lynnwood City Council members regarding the personnel investigation of Mayor Don Gough. So far Councilman Jim Smith is the only one to respond:
Between Gough’s hostile actions towards employees, and his gross mismanagement of city funds, I am very disturbed about all of this. Any department head that did what Gough did to his employees would have been immediately terminated. Any city manager that mismanaged our funds the way Gough did would have been fired millions of dollars ago.
I have stayed out of this as much as I could. There has been a groundswell of citizens, employees and council members that are very angry and feel betrayed by Gough. The honorable thing for Gough to do is resign…and go back to being an attorney.
Jim Smith has served on the Lynnwood City Council since 1988, the longest of any current council member. He ran against Mayor Gough in the last two elections.
Smith has been advocating for a city manager-led form of government.
So far Gough has not responded to our request for comment.
George Janecke when on the City Council brought up hiring a City Manager and was nearly run out of the Council Chambers. The Council won't do it so the citizens need to take it out of their hands and take action.
As senior councilman you “stayed out of this as much as ” you could? Shame on you!!! You knew something was wrong yet you did nothing to right it, what does that say about your morals and ethics, SIR?! As far as Gough going back to being an attorney—-well that would justify the publics negative opinion of attorneys, I can hear the jokes now.
If I remember correctly Jim Smith said a lot about this in the last election. I quess not enough people listened!
More things change, more they stay the same.
That's the problem nobody votes in this town and nobody wants to listen. They just expect everyone to do it for them. Then complain about it later. If we don't get Gough out of there and start running this city like a business ( like it use to be ran) and not just acting like we have this endless bank account, there won't be a city to enjoy. Hickel needs to go as well. All he is is a puppet for Gough. Lets start listening to people that have something to say like Jim Smith who with all of his experiance can get the job done!