Join us for our first Snohomish County meetup. This is a laid-back event for small-d democracy advocates to come together and discuss cardinal voting methods and the future of voting reform in Washington state. All are welcome. We are a nonpartisan organization. No matter your party or whether you’re already a score voting supporter or…
The Lynnwood City Council will soon begin its search to replace Kimberly Cole, who was removed from her seat last week due to absenteeism. The council will start discussing the matter at the regular business meeting on Monday, Oct. 8. Although a specific timeline is unknown, Council President Loren Simmonds estimates the process will take…
The Lynnwood City Council has removed fellow Councilwoman Kimberly Cole from office due to excessive absenteeism. The vote was taken at Monday night’s council meeting. Council President Loren Simmonds made the motion, citing a state law that says a council position becomes vacant if a councilmember fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings. Cole received…
Chuck E. Cheese’s wants the city to loosen its gambling ordinance so it can hand out more prize tickets. As we first reported last year, games at the popular pizza chain only dispense four prize tickets per token at the Lynnwood location, regardless of the final score. It’s because of a city law that pertains…
Chuck E. Cheese’s wants the city to loosen its gambling ordinance so it can hand out more prize tickets. As we first reported last year, games at the popular pizza chain only dispense four prize tickets per token at the Lynnwood location, regardless of the final score. It’s because of a city law that pertains…
Here’s your chance to have your say about right light cameras. The city will be hosting a community outreach meeting about the red light and speed zone cameras. It comes after City Councilwoman Kerri Lonergan-Dreke raised concerns about the program earlier this year. “What I’m hearing from folks, both inside and outside of Lynnwood, is…
The city council will take up one of the most controversial issues in the city of Lynnwood – red light cameras. Council members will hold a roundtable discussion on the topic tonight. Councilwoman Kerri Lonergan-Dreke requested the discussion. She says red light cameras are usually the first thing people bring up when they find out…
If you keep chickens at your house, you’ll no longer run afoul of the law. This week the city council loosened the restrictions for the number of chickens you can raise in your backyard. You can now have five instead of just one. There are some other guidelines – there must be a 15-foot setback…
The city’s controversial red light cameras won’t be going away anytime soon. Last week the City Council extended the contract with Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions (ATS) through this November. Last November council members extended the expiring contract until this February so an investigation into a few police department leaders’ questionable interactions with ATS was completed….
The following letter was sent by former City Councilman Jim Smith, who works as a mortgage adviser, to the current council: Council members, Just a quick word from “the street” about Lynnwood taxation. Under the old business tax rate we paid $103 plus $10.50 per employee. We had nine employees and now 13. Our tax…
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A hand recount has confirmed the initial election results in a very tight Lynnwood City Council race — Van AuBuchon has unseated longtime Councilman Jim Smith. “Both candidates picked up votes and the difference between the candidates is 10,” Elections Manager Garth Fell told us. The difference in the first count was 12 votes. The…
Four of the seven members of the Lynnwood Arts Commission have suddenly resigned, citing a dwindling amount of funding and support for the city’s cultural arts program. To help the city fill a new $3.5 million budget shortfall, several popular programs are the chopping block – including the annual Shakespeare in the Park and Wonder…
By Teresa Wippel, My Edmonds News A day after he was sworn in as Edmonds’ new mayor, Dave Earling announced Wednesday that he has terminated the employment of ex-Mayor Mike Cooper’s executive assistant (and Lywnnood City Councilwoman), Kim Cole, who had been on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into a claim she made in…
I attended the budget meeting in Lynnwood on Monday the 28th with my little sign “CUT DEEP NOW” that I took to Olympia in the morning. I was shocked to see Mark Smith, council president, speak about not cutting to allow a margin for error in the budget at the previous meeting. So I spoke…
The ballots will be counted by hand in the incredibly tight race for Lynnwood City Council race position seven. Jim Smith, who’s served on the council since 1976, trails Van AuBuchon by just 12 votes. That’s well within the threshold to qualify for a hand recount. The timing for a recount will be established by…
Van AuBuchon has pulled ahead in his race with incumbent Jim Smith for the Lynnwood City Council… by just a hair. AuBuchon now has a four vote lead, according to the last tally released Thursday evening. On Thursday, Snohomish County Auditor Carolyn Weikel told us they had about 165 votes left to count. Adding up…
By Teresa Wippel, My Edmonds News The woman at the center of a firestorm over Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper’s firing of City of Edmonds Human Resources Director Debi Humann says she knew that going public with her allegations of a “hostile work environment” might hurt Cooper’s re-election chances, but that she could no longer tolerate…
Six more city employees have been laid off as officials grapple with a new $3.5 million budget shortfall — and the timing has frustrated some city council members. Many of them had requested that the layoffs not be instituted until after they discuss the budget amendments in November and December, but Mayor Don Gough instituted…
Lynnwood City Councilwoman Kimberly Cole has resigned from her position as executive assistant to Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper. Her attorney, James W. Spencer, released the following statement Friday morning: Kimberly Cole sought our services to address the hostile work environment created by certain employees of the City of Edmonds. Unfortunately, satisfactory resolution was not to…
More money troubles are in store for the city of Lynnwood. Officials are looking for ways to cut another $5.26 million from the current budget due to declining revenues. Fourteen city employees are being laid off and another 13 vacant positions will be eliminated. “It is unfortunate we need to make these reductions. However, these…
