City of Everett

Paul Roberts was first elected to the council in 2006 and is now running for his fifth term in office. Because the new District 1 will contain so many of the city's water resources, we believe it's important to elect a candidate from this district who will focus on the environment and conservation.

Roberts has had a long career in public service. He currently serves as chair of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board and vice chair on the board of Sound Transit. He also works with the Association of Washington Cities on climate change and sustainability. It won't surprise voters that one of Roberts' goals if re-elected will be reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions and supporting green economic development. He also wants see more moderate- and low-income housing to alleviate the crisis in both homelessness and the overall lack of affordable options. Roberts joined fellow Everett City Council member Liz Vogeli as the two council members who were in favor of supportive housing for students experiencing homelessness and their families, though he later supported the no-sit, no-lie policy that criminalized homelessness in a 10-block area in north Everett.

A note for Everett voters: this is the first election using the new redistricted map adopted last year. District 1 includes northwest Everett, all of the Delta and Riverside neighborhoods, the northeast half of Bayside, and a small area of the westernmost part of Port Gardner. It also includes the port, Navy base, Snohomish River, and Port Gardner Bay.

Greg Lineberry is an Army veteran and a captain in the Everett Police Department. He is a longtime member of the Everett Rotary Club and serves on the board for Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County. He is running to increase affordable housing and help small businesses recover from the pandemic. Like Rhyne, Lineberry also believes that the time is now to adapt the methods of law enforcement to improve safety for officers and for the community. Some of the changes he's supported in this regard include eliminating the "hog-tie" restraint, increasing police academy training hours, and limiting police vehicle pursuits. If elected, he will retire from the police department before joining the council.

Lineberry's willingness to reform public safety has earned him a solid roster of community support, including from local Democratic groups, four Everett council members, and several state House representatives and senators.

Retired firefighter Don Schwab is running for Everett City Council in District 3. He worked as a firefighter for more than three decades and has served on various boards in the community and at the state level, including as a board member of the Snohomish County Red Cross and on Washington's Council of Fire Fighters. He currently works for Snohomish County Treasurer Brian Sullivan and as an associate faculty member at Everett Community College.

Schwab states that the police and fire departments should be fully staffed and funded. He notes that Everett has one of the highest rates of COVID infections in the state, and supports expanding paid sick leave and family leave. He also supports fast-tracking the light rail system to stimulate economic development downtown and along Evergreen Way, promoting housing density, and improving citywide energy efficiency among other considerations.

Schwab is running against Lacey Sauvageau, a 911 dispatcher for Snohomish County. She previously ran as a Democrat against now Rep. Emily Wicks in the 38th Legislative District. Her campaign website is not accessible as of mid-October and detailed policy proposals are not available. Sauvageau's official voters' guide statement outlines her priorities as securing affordable housing, empowering the police, eliminating "wasteful spending," and supporting mental health for people experiencing homelessness.

Given that the city cut nearly every department aside from law enforcement in the last few months, we would like to see Schwab's policies on law enforcement evolve into a model that prioritizes investing more into human services. Nevertheless, Schwab is the best candidate in this race.

A note for Everett voters: this is the first election using the new redistricted map adopted last year. District 3 includes all of Boulevard Bluffs, Harborview Seahurst Glenhaven, View Ridge-Madison, Evergreen, and the southernmost tip of South Forest Park.

Incumbent Liz Vogeli has been a dedicated and passionate advocate for the residents of Everett since her election to the council in 2018. She is one of the most progressive members of the council, and sometimes the sole vote on important proposals. She was the lone no-vote for the "no-sit, no-lie" ordinance that passed this February, which criminalizes sitting or laying on the sidewalk in a roughly 10-block area, a policy which national legal advocacy organizations called "cruel and unusual punishment" for those who will be fined or jailed because they can't afford shelter. She has also voted to provide supportive housing for homeless students.

If re-elected, Vogeli aims to incentivize more affordable and climate-friendly housing, support much-needed access to the library, advocate for de-escalation and mental health experts to work alongside law enforcement, and push for more sustainable transit. She enjoys strong support from a wide breadth of progressive advocacy organizations, including health care workers, environmental organizations, and labor unions.

Challenging Vogeli is Tommie Rubatino, a teacher and pastor. His top campaign priorities are addressing homelessness, neighborhood safety, and supporting businesses. However, as of mid-October he does not have detailed policy proposals available on his website, and there is nothing that particularly points to a progressive agenda. His endorsements by Republican elected officials imply that Rubatino would lead from a more conservative angle if elected.

Vogeli has served the people of Everett well with her progressive vision for the city. We strongly recommend a vote to re-elect Liz Vogeli for Everett City Council in District 4.

A note for Everett voters: this is the first election using the new redistricted map adopted last year. District 4 includes the neighborhoods of Westmont and Holly.

Demi Chatters is an education advocate who has spent over a decade working to bring inclusive and quality education to public school students. She is deeply embedded in the community as a member of the Snohomish Human Rights Commission and Evergreen Middle School Equity Team. She also serves on the board for Seattle Suns, a youth sports organization that focuses on youth experiencing poverty, and is a committee member for LGBTQ organization NOLOSE.

If elected, Chatters wants to advocate for an equitable and sustainable recovery from COVID that benefits everyone in the city. To that end, she will prioritize infrastructure investments, work on sustainable business development, and champion workers' rights through fair collective bargaining. She notes that the increasing struggle of residents to secure housing should be met with additional services in the form of mental health care, encouraging more housing options, and moving the unsheltered towards more housing options. Specifically for District 5, Chatters wants to see the completion of the Silver Lake trail, reinforced road stability, and opportunities for parks within neighborhoods.

Chatters is running against Ben Zarlingo, a communications technology consultant and a leadership member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Association. He intends to address the city's enormous $16.5 million deficit with a somewhat inconsistent strategy of avoiding cuts to services and revenue increases through taxes while leaning more on welcoming new businesses. Zarlingo's other priorities include pairing housing and mental health treatment for people experiencing homelessness and supporting family services like the Baker Heights project.

Demi Chatters has the support of several local progressive officials and is committed to building an Everett that supports working families. She is by far the best choice in this race.

A note for Everett voters: this is the first election using the new redistricted map adopted last year. District 5 includes parts of the neighborhoods of Twin Creeks, Westmont, Cascade View, and Pinehurst Beverly Park, as well as all of Silver Creek.