Just-appointed Lynnwood councilmember steps down prior to swearing in

by Ashley Nash Posted: February 24, 2025 465
Rebecca Thornton during her interview with the Lynnwood City Council on Feb. 18.

Updated Feb. 25 with a comment from Lynnwood City Council President Nick Coelho.

Rebecca Thornton – selected Thursday to fill the vacant seat on the Lynnwood City Council – withdrew  from consideration for the no. 5 position, leaving the council once again to choose a new candidate. 

Thornton removed herself from the position for personal reasons, City Administrator Julie Moore told Lynnwood Today in an email. No further information was given on her resignation. 

At Monday’s city council meeting, Mayor Christine Frizell said Thornton called city staff at 5 p.m., announcing her decision to withdraw from consideration for the position, one hour before she was scheduled to take the oath of office. 

Frizzell said the city would choose from the candidates interviewed on Feb. 18 to fill the position. Remaining candidates include Robert Leutwyler, Forrest Baum, Chelsea Wright, Jessica Roberts, Nazanin Lashgari and Marie MacCoy. 

The council is set to take another vote on the matter at its March 10 meeting, Moore wrote.

Stating that the council was “uniformly excited to have a passionate and qualified resident like Rebecca Thornton join us,” Council President Nick Coelho said in a statement emailed to Lynnwood Today her withdrawal “is an unfortunate reminder of the tough commitment that public service carries with it.”
“I myself can attest to the personal and professional sacrifices in time that my colleagues and I make on a routine basis just to attempt to do justice to this ‘part-time’ position,” Coelho said. “To say that juggling this commitment with raising a family or advancing a professional career (let alone both!) is a challenge, is such an understatement that it’s borderline insulting.”
Coelho said he is hopeful that Thornton will continued to be involved in with the city, perhaps serving on a board or commission. “It goes without saying that our community would be better off for her involvement,” he said.

The council meeting ended early when the council chambers lost Wi-Fi during the windstorm. Monday night’s agenda items will be added to the next council business meeting in two weeks.

— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.

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