Lynnwood could have a farmers market by spring 2026

The Lynnwood City Council at its Nov. 4 meeting reviewed a proposal to create a Lynnwood farmers market at the City Center Link light rail station, discussed potential changes to its prosecutorial contract and explored revenue sources to patch an $8 million budget shortfall for 2026. 

Farmers market

In a potentially transformative move for Lynnwood’s expanding downtown, Council President Nick Coelho and Lynnwood Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Frank Percival presented a proposal to establish an ongoing farmers market at the Lynnwood City Center light rail station.

In an agreement spearheaded by Sound Transit representatives, city officials and local farmers market managers, Sound Transit committed to hosting the market at the station free of charge in exchange for sponsorship recognition. Sound Transit also offered discounted advertising on trains and at stations to promote the market. 

To move forward, Sound Transit requests a refundable $5,000 security deposit. If approved, the launch is targeted for April 2026, ahead of the FIFA World Cup games in Washington next summer, Percival said. The proposed market would run for up to 10 months a year on either Saturday or Sunday. 

Percival described the City Center station as an “ideal location” due to its convenience and access via light rail, Community Transit and weekend parking at the transit center. He expressed confidence that the market could quickly become the busiest and most successful farmers market in Snohomish County, generating “additional significant and ongoing tax revenue for Lynnwood.” 

The plan calls for hiring an experienced producer/manager to secure vendors, negotiate leases, create the budget and handle market management tasks – including liability insurance – to minimize the impact on City of Lynnwood oversight staff. These managers usually operate through a self-sustaining budget, accumulating necessary funds from vendor rent, Percival said. 

While support from the Council was almost unanimous, Mayor Christine Frizzell and Councilmember David Parshall voiced concern about the logistics. Frizzell said that while she’d love to see a farmer’s market in Lynnwood, she urged the council to move forward cautiously, given the city’s budget deficit and reduced staffing. 

Proposed prosecuting attorney contract changes

The city’s prosecuting attorneys – James Zachor, Yelena Stock and Chad Krepps – presented a request for an increase of over $11,000 in its monthly contract with the City to fund an additional attorney. The prosecutors said recent changes at the local, state and federal levels have led to increased workloads for the firm.   

Attorneys said recent changes have increased the work burden for the prosecutors, including:

• The implementation of police body-worn cameras in 2022, increasing review time.
• New charging and disposition adjustments announced by the Snohomish County Prosecutor in January 2024, pushing more severe cases into municipal court.
• The opening of Lynnwood’s second full-time courtroom in June 2025.
• New State Supreme Court case load standards for public defenders beginning in January 2026, which will require more time for negotiations and trial preparation.

Adding another attorney would mean the City’s monthly payment to the firm would rise from $56,040 to $67,468. According to City documents, the firm worked under a state grant during the first half of 2025, giving the City a $10,000 discount for six months. As a result, the City saved an estimated $60,000 from its proposed 2025 budget for prosecutorial services.

Councilmembers debated whether to approve the funding for the additional legal staff based on  thestatus quo or push for a policy shift toward a therapeutic “community court” model in the new courtroom.

Budget and revenue generation options 

Finance Director Michelle Meyer presented the City’s mid-biennial budget review and followed up on options to close an anticipated $8 million shortfall in the 2026 general fund budget.

The primary revenue options proposed to generate the needed funding include:

• Property tax levy: Utilizing $3.85 million in banked capacity, raising the maximum lawful levy to an estimated $11.05 million for 2026. This increase would cost the average homeowner an estimated additional $17 per month.
• Utility taxes: Increasing the tax rate on water, sewer, surface water and solid waste from the current 6% to 10%, generating an estimated $1.9 million annually. Lynnwood’s current 6% rate has been unchanged since 2014.

Councilmembers voiced serious concern over the potential impact of these increases on residents. Councilmember George Hurst noted that utility rates are already set to climb annually. He argued that the City should prioritize efficiency studies and structural budget issues before relying on tax hikes. 

Council President Nick Coelho said that even if all available revenue options were maxed out, the city would still fall short of the $8 million goal. He stated a need to “grow out” of the deficit by focusing on long-term solutions to increase sales tax. He said the City could do this by investing in long- and medium-term projects that would generate more tax revenue, including the farmers market and future development projects like The District. He also proposed a public safety sales tax, which he said could generate $2.5 million. 

“Other than those options, I don’t see what else there is to do other than gut public safety,” he said Monday. “I feel like we’re just in a really bad position. …I’m at a loss.” 

Opioid settlement spending proposal 

During new business, Councilmember Hurst proposed immediately allocating $150,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund to Washington Kids in Transition, an organization dedicated to assisting homeless youth. He said the Council should prioritize addressing the immediate need for food insecurity aid among Lynnwood residents, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding federal SNAP benefits. Councilmember Derica Escamilla also requested that the Council prioritize discussion on rent stabilization, citing letters from the community urging City leadership to act on the issue.

The meeting agenda and recording can be found on the City’s website. 

— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.