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In 2016, one
hundred and forty-three police officers in the United States made the ultimate
sacrifice and were killed in the line of duty. Every day, the men and women of
our Sheriff’s office and local police departments work to keep us safe and our
communities secure. In May, we honored our Snohomish County Sheriff’s
Office Deputies and Corrections Officers for their selfless work for all of our
residents by passing a joint resolution with the County Council.
We have
prioritized public safety in Snohomish County because we know a safe and secure
community is where people want to live, work, and play. We have also
prioritized it because it is the right thing to do with limited resources. We will
continue to partner with local law enforcement to provide the best possible
service to our residents.
Snohomish
County is very fortunate to have such dedicated men and women working to keep
our communities safe.
Snohomish
County is Regional Leader
Snohomish
County is making it into the headlines for our extraordinary growth—we are the
second fastest growing county in the country—and
our traffic. Obviously, growth and congestion are related and something that we
must address.
In the
last few months, I have taken over as the Chair of Sound Transit and the
President of the Puget Sound Regional Council. By taking on these regional
roles, I will be well positioned to help Snohomish County’s voice be heard in
our debates about how to plan for growth, how to address congestion, and what
we can do to ensure we are not paving over our bit of paradise. With an
expected 200,000 more residents coming to Snohomish County in the next 20
years, we must both plan for the inevitable future growth, but also provide the
services to keep our county livable and a wonderful place to visit.
In
addition, I will be working hard to ensure Sound Transit in particular is undertaking
the necessary reforms to execute their mission with the least resources
possible. I know that the taxes and fees
approved by the voters for ST3 are a burden for many, and that each and every
dollar is hard earned by a resident of the Sound Transit District. In addition, with current funding uncertainties
in Washington, D.C., it is more vital than ever that Sound Transit carefully
use every tax dollar wisely, and that we deliver the regional transit system
expected by our citizens.
As
Executive, I will continue to fight for Snohomish County in regional
venues, I will remain focused on my priorities: fiscal discipline, county
reform, economic development, and smart environmental stewardship.
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