Councilman Nehring's June Newsletter

Dear North County Neighbors,

May was an exciting and busy month for us at the Snohomish County Council. In this month’s newsletter I will talk about Memorial Day Celebrations in North County, the Seattle “head tax” and what we are doing to foster a welcoming business climate here in Snohomish County, my KVI interview with Kirby Wilbur, my tour of the Advanced Manufacturing Training and Education Center (AMTEC), and the Snohomish County Tourism Summit.

On Memorial Day, I took the opportunity to join many of you at the Arlington Parade and Marysville Memorial Day Celebration. I feel that it is so important to take the time to recognize those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the freedoms we enjoy today. We are blessed to live in a country of freedom and prosperity and this would not be the case without the tremendous sacrifices that have been made throughout our nation’s history. While we set aside one day per year to specifically recognize those who died while serving, it is important to remember and be grateful for our freedoms and those who defend them each and every day.

As you may know, the Seattle City Council recently passed a controversial “head tax” on large businesses located in Seattle. This tax is in addition to the already high property, sales, and sugar taxes these businesses face. It also ignited a conversation in surrounding communities, including Snohomish County, about what our business climate looks like. In light of this, I am happy to take a moment to recognize our no-head tax, business-friendly situation. A prime example of this is the Arlington-Marysville Manufacturing Industrial Center, which I have highlighted before. The MIC is a large area in Arlington and Marysville which is already host to more than 2,500 jobs and is slated to bring in more than 25,000 jobs in the coming decades. The MIC includes a property tax credit for businesses who create at least 25 jobs paying at least $18/hr. Family-wage jobs are crucial to our economy in North Snohomish County and the MIC is just one example of how we are attracting businesses while other jurisdictions continue to add burdens for new and existing job creators.

Earlier this week, I joined my fellow County Councilmember Sam Low in the 570 KVI studio in Seattle with radio talk show host Kirby Wilbur. Kirby invited us for an in-studio interview to talk about the good work we are doing in Snohomish County. I was happy to share an update on the Manufacturing Industrial Center, our approach to tackling the opioid epidemic, new commercial air service at Paine Field, and our no-new-taxes budget which was passed last year. It was a great time sharing updates and I am grateful to Kirby for giving us the opportunity and to Councilmember Low for joining me.

I had the opportunity to tour the Advanced Manufacturing Training and Education Center (AMTEC) in Everett. AMTEC is a series of programs within Everett Community College to prepare workers for today’s high demand on advance manufacturing careers. The facility on the EvCC Campus provides not only class space but also multiple shop areas for hands-on learning and production. The program works closely with area employers to give students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to prepare for the workforce. The programs offered include precision machining, mechatronics, manufacturing pre-employment, engineering technology, composites technology, and welding and fabrication. AMTEC is truly an asset for Snohomish County, our students, and our employers and I am grateful for the opportunity to have toured it to learn more.

Executive Dave Somers held a 2-day Tourism Summit in mid-May to highlight the kickoff of Tourism 2.0, our new approach to promoting tourism in Snohomish County. I attended this summit to see the roll out of the new strategy Snohomish County is using to engage tourism partners from around the county. I support Executive Somers’ efforts to promote tourism, particularly here in North County. These efforts include sporting, hiking and canoeing, dining and more. North County is rich with tourism opportunities in each of our cities, including Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Marysville and Stanwood. The tourism industry is a significant part of our economy in District 1 and I am proud of our work to support it.

I send out newsletters on a monthly basis to keep you informed about what I am working on and how I am representing the residents of North Snohomish County on the County Council. Please feel free to reach out to me at 425-388-3494 or Nate.Nehring@snoco.org.

Sincerely,

Nate Nehring
Councilman, District 1

Snohomish County Council 3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609 Everett, Washington 98201   8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building  Phone: 425-388-3494 E-Mail: Nate.Nehring@snoco.org   Russell Wiita, Legislative Aide