As the federal government shutdown continues, there is understandable concern about what this means for Snohomish County, our residents, and region. In a time of uncertainty for many, I am committed to maintaining county services and being as creative as possible.
For Snohomish County government, the services we deliver to the public are not significantly disrupted by the federal shutdown at this time. Much of what we are responsible for as the county relies on local funding, such as property and sales taxes or service fees. Your county employees remain hard at work serving you.
You can still come in or apply online for county-issued permits and licenses. County parks are open and remain busy on weekends. The November general election is near, and county staff are preparing everything to ensure the vote is free, fair, and secure. (By the way, the public can observe all elections at the Elections Center.) Public health inspections of local food businesses continue. Paine Field Airport continues to fly people and planes to a variety of destinations. Our solid waste drop boxes, recycling and transfer stations, and hazardous household waste disposal locations are operating. Sheriff’s deputies are on patrol and responding to emergencies. Attorneys, judges, and other justice system staff continue to process cases to keep our system functioning. And those are just a few examples of county work.
We take this shutdown seriously, since it has the potential to have negative impacts on tens of thousands of our residents. My team is working closely with departments that receive substantial federal funding to understand what impacts they anticipate over time. With federal back-end systems down, there is potential for slowdowns in some workflows, and we have already cancelled at least one locally facilitated training because of the shutdown. There are more steps we’d need to take if this shutdown is prolonged. If those steps become necessary, department and office directors would reach out to impacted employees. While Snohomish County does not have the resources to replace lost funding for federal programs, we would try to minimize impacts when possible.
One of our most immediate concerns is around other resources that are not administered by county government. Any upcoming gaps in federal supports, like the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, would have harmful consequences for local families and could put increased strain on food banks. We are staying in touch with community organizations and offering our support to bring partners together to help identify solutions.
We will continue to be creative and resilient in the midst of federal uncertainty. Serving our residents will remain our top priority.
The Snohomish County Department of Conservation and Natural Resources held two open houses last week to present information and talk with the public about the future Food & Farming Center planned at McCollum Park. About 70 people attended the open houses.
The Snohomish County Food & Farming Center is designed to support local farmers and strengthen the regional food system. The facility will feature equipment and infrastructure for processing, aggregation, distribution and value-added production of fresh local produce and other farm products. There will be a commercial kitchen and a year-round indoor farmers market, creating opportunities for farmers, food entrepreneurs, and the broader community.
The Snohomish County Auditor’s Office has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming election. Ballots for the November 4 General Election will be mailed this week to approximately 530,000 registered voters. Watch for your ballot in the mail at the end of this week or early next. More than 8,500 ballots were mailed in September to military and overseas voters. Local voters’ pamphlets were mailed last week, and the Secretary of State’s Office also mailed a separate pamphlet (green-covered) with information on statewide ballot measures and the Court of Appeals judge race.
The 2025 General Election also includes County Charter Review Commission positions for a commission that, every 10 years, is elected to review the Snohomish County Charter. The charter outlines how the county is organized and operates. Voters will elect three members from each council district for a total of 15 commissioners to serve a one-year term beginning in 2026.
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October 16: Ballots mailed to voters.
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October 27: Deadline to register to vote or update existing voter registration online or by mail. In-person voter services are available through Election Day.
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November 4: Election Day. Ballots must be in a ballot drop box or postmarked no later than 8 p.m. Please consider mailing your ballot early. If you are voting close to or on Election Day, you can use a drop box or go to your local post office for a hand-stamped postmark.
 Image from cover of Snohomish County local voters’ pamphlet.
The return of the rain means it’s time to prepare for potential flooding. Here are some tips:
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Protect your property and prevent flooded streets by keeping storm drains near your home free of leaves and debris. To report a drainage problem, submit a drainage investigation request or call the Surface Water Management office at 425-388-3464.
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If you live or travel through a floodplain, review the Snohomish County Flood Safety Guide for up-to-date information, emergency contacts and tips on how residents can reduce their flood risks, prepare for flooding, and stay safe during and after a flood event.
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River-gauge notifications are now available. Anyone can sign up for text or email notifications when any of the 16 river gauges in the county reach flood phases 2 through 4. Individuals can select specific river gauges and flood phases they wish to monitor and will be notified when the river exceeds the flood phase(s), and when it recedes below the flood phase(s) they signed up for. To sign up, go to https://snohomish.onerain.com click “Subscribe to Flood Notifications,” select which river basin you are interested in, then select the gauge and phase.
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Sign up for SnoCoAlerts, the county’s early warning and notification system. You can choose what activities you want to be alerted about. Your ZIP Code and address are used to tailor alerts for where you live.
 Flooding along the Stillaguamish River
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