Ryan for county council

Blessed are the policy wonks, for theirs is the kingdom of public service.

Snohomish County Councilmember Dave Gossett is the consummate wonk who mastered the mechanics of county government to make this region a better place. A former mayor of Mountlake Terrace and a recovering bureaucrat (he was a legislative analyst for the council for 11 years), Gossett is completing his third and final term on the council.

His example underscores the need for wise souls to gravitate to public life, that to serve is to internalize the minutia of transportation, public works and land-use planning leavened with humanity. It’s meaningful, unsexy, essential work.

Gossett’s legacy is both intangible — his regional credibility as a member of the Puget Sound Regional Council; and unheralded — bringing the prescription-discount drug card to Snohomish County. Like Bob Drewel, Gossett’s footprints will grow more visible long after he passes the baton.

Terry Ryan, who served for 17 years on the Mill Creek City Council and eight years as mayor, has the integrity, experience and work ethic to emulate the Gossett model (Granted, the wonk bar has been set very high.) Ryan deserves the support of voters.

The fourth council district is a nest of suburban towns feathering out from cul-de-sacs to there-there communities: parts of Bothell, Brier, Lynnwood, Mill Creek and Mountlake Terrace. This is a district where questions of land use and public safety crystallize.

Transfer of development rights? Densification is more than a buzz word for south county citizens who like the idea of smart growth but aren’t keen about development in exchange for farmland and open space.

Ryan is circumspect in his approach to Executive John Lovick’s operating budget, a 5.4 percent increase over last year’s. He’s also weighing the wisdom of four new county positions, including an ombudsman and sustainability officer.

Ryan was a budget hawk on the Mill Creek council, a virtue that will translate well to county government (Ryan’s opponent, Robert Reedy, is an inactive campaigner.)

There’s much to get done, from shoring up a dysfunctional jail to finding a sustainable plan for a new county courthouse. Ryan is up to the challenge.

A Kidder Matthews VP, Ryan is a youth sports coach with a capacity to attract businesses to his town — from Lowes hardware to the UW bookstore (!) He said he was inspired to run by the example of his late father, who rose from the bottom rung of King County government to number two in the executive’s office. That required grit, spirit and judgment. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.