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The Sound Transit Board of Directors is making critical decisions right now through its Enterprise Initiative – a system-wide plan to move forward with delivering the voter-approved ST3 package despite a projected $34.5 billion budget shortfall due to inflation of costs and property values.
This process will directly impact projects in our region, including the Everett Link Extension (EVLE). The EVLE project will continue light rail from the Lynnwood Transit Center to Everett, with stops near Alderwood Mall, Ash Way, Mariner, Paine Field’s Commercial Terminal, the Southwest Everett Industrial Center, and Everett Transit Station. Community input is essential to ensure Snohomish County priorities are represented in the final plan. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Submit a written comment to emailtheboard@soundtransit.org asking for no delays to the Everett Link light rail project.
- Attend an upcoming Sound Transit Board meeting, held on the fourth Thursday of each month, 1:30 to 4 p.m. You can join online or in person and provide a public comment.
A proposal to establish a new Transportation Benefit District (TBD) will go before the County Council for a public hearing this week. If passed, this would establish a $20-per-vehicle license fee in unincorporated Snohomish County. That money would go into the Road Fund to maintain 1,600 miles of county road network.
We know how important it is to look internally at options to reduce spending before seeking more revenue. Our Public Works department has cut $100 million in project spending plus $10 million in annual operating expenses. Further cuts will create serious problems for maintaining our transportation infrastructure. Without the TBD, the county would need to cancel or postpone projects, reduce maintenance, and return grant funds for which we could no longer provide local match. Our Public Works team has made smart investments with local dollars – for every $1 in local revenue, our county leverages $3 in other funding, including state and federal grants.
I appreciate the steps already taken by Public Works to be fiscally responsible with a Road Fund that is under intense pressure, and I am supportive of the TBD proposal. Most of our local cities already have one in place, and this would be specifically for vehicles registered in unincorporated county, where the roads connect us all from one city to the next and out into our beautiful rural areas. It is vital that we keep our county safe and moving.
Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Snohomish County Health Officer Dr. James Lewis to the Washington State Board of Health, effective Thursday, May 7. Dr. Lewis will serve until July 1, 2029. He will fill a seat representing local health officers and was nominated for the position by the state’s current health officers.
Dr. Lewis has shown his commitment time and again to strengthening the health of our community, and I know he will continue that in his role on the State Board of Health. Public health is at work behind the scenes every day to help protect the people and places we love. We are fortunate to have dedicated professionals like Dr. Lewis to guide that important work.
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The deadline to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) financial assistance is June 10. FEMA assistance is not income dependent and may be available to people who did not qualify for state assistance. You can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, call 1-800-621-3362, or use the FEMA app. In-person help is available:
In Arlington at the Stilly Valley Center, 18308 Smokey Point Blvd
- Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 13.
- Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 15.
- Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 16.
In Snohomish at the Snohomish Library, 311 Maple Ave.
- Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 20 and June 3.
- Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 22 and June 5.
- Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 23 and June 6.
In Sultan at Volunteers of America, 617 1st St.
- Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 27.
- Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 29.
- Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 30.
Advocating for critical training resources
Meanwhile, the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has been advocating for preserving critical training, tools and resources at the national level. DEM Director Lucia Schmit joined a National Association of Counties delegation that met at U.S. Senate offices in Washington, D.C., last month. Snohomish County’s input also was highlighted in the May 7 final report of The President’s Council to Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The department urged FEMA’s continued role in coordinated training on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) so that partner agencies throughout the country can work effectively together.
This June, Everett’s waterfront will come alive as an official SeattleFWC26 Fan Zone. The City of Everett, Port of Everett and Snohomish County Sports Commission are partnering to host four free Waterfront Watch Party events featuring live match viewing, local food, entertainment and family-friendly activities. The events are expected to draw visitors from across the region and showcase Snohomish County as a welcoming destination to live, work and explore. More information: visiteverett.com/fwc26
You can also join The Great Soccer Ball Hunt. Artists have turned five large buoys into pieces of giant soccer ball art that will be scattered in parks around the county later this month. You can find all five after they are installed:
- "Sno-Globe" by Leah Everett outside the Carnegie Building at the Snohomish County campus in Everett
- "Splash" by Jean Bradbury at Meadowdale Beach Park in Edmonds
- "The Search for Sasquatch" by Ari Glass at Willis Tucker Park in Snohomish
- "Ribbon of Unity" by Lori Angdahl at Strawberry Fields Athletic Complex in Marysville
- "El Regeso a Casa" by Marisol Ortega at Evergreen State Fair Park in Monroe.
I want to thank the artists, the Snohomish County Arts Commission, Snohomish County Parks & Recreation, and Snohomish County Public Works for their collaboration in creating and installing this once-in-a-lifetime art opportunity.
Government Technology recently named Snohomish County Chief Information Officer Viggo Forde as one of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers! for 2026. This program has spent 25 years celebrating the people behind public-sector innovation. Snohomish County’s Department of Information Technology is fortunate to have Viggo’s leadership.
"For 25 years, the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers awards have recognized leaders who use technology to improve how government and education work in real, everyday ways," said Noelle Knell, Executive Editor of Government Technology. "This year’s honorees span the full breadth of the public sector, from large states to small jurisdictions and classrooms, but what stands out is their focus on improving people’s experiences. Whether modernizing systems or introducing new capabilities, their work is ultimately about making services more accessible, responsive, and effective."
Read more about Viggo and this recognition in the Top 25 feature article.
At the 2026 NACCHO Preparedness Summit in Baltimore, Gabby Hadly and Elizabeth Cox with the Snohomish County Health Department's Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response team presented a toolkit that they spent five years developing, testing in real activations, and refining. It’s a resource designed to reduce duplication of effort across jurisdictions and give local health departments a strong, adaptable foundation for responding to any emergency.
Their hard work was well-received and appreciated for filling a shared gap in the national preparedness landscape. The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security's SHIELD program now has plans to adopt the toolkit and distribute it nationally, making it available to any local health jurisdiction or state health department that wants it.
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