We emailed some questions separately to Mount Vernon Mayor Jill Boudreau and Bob Fiedler who is running against her on this current Ballot. They were asked the same questions, but they were not aware of the other persons answers. This was a unique interview to give the voter’s of Mount Vernon some information to bring on voting day.
1. What do you love about Mount Vernon?
Bob Fiedler- I am a lifelong Mount Vernon resident. 38 years ago, my wife Cheri and I decided to raise our family here. We love this city for many reasons, but mainly, it’s the community, the people, and its home.
Our Skagit Valley is a very special place unlike many others around the northwest. Hard working families who hold on to our agricultural roots all the while understanding our communities will grow. When we have conversation with our friends who live outside the city limits they consider themselves just as much a part of Mount Vernon as we do. Mount Vernon has what many cities want. A very cool setting along the Skagit River and more arts and entertainment facilities than many cities twice our size. That makes us a very special community, and a great place to live.
Jill Boudreau- People & location! Mount Vernon is a small enough city where you run into people you know frequently and are able to contribute to the betterment of all. We have such amazing opportunities as a community to enhance our lives with recreation, arts, learning, and friendships. I love the location for the seasons, natural beauty, proximity to Seattle and Vancouver BC, and the Skagit River.
2. What is your vision for the future of Mount Vernon?
Jill Boudreau- My leadership represents a clear vision and practical plans of how to achieve: resident involvement, economic stability, art and cultural activities, low crime rate, healthy recreation, a modern library and community center, and always, responsible use of tax dollars. These listed subjects are drawn from my 3.5 years in office and the interaction with the community.
Of course, all this vision must be supported by revenue – so many of the vision items are linked to the economic strengths Mount Vernon has already. Capitalizing on our fiber optic network has drawn technology companies here, and we have goals for more. Tech offers living wage jobs and a culture of employees that values contribution to the community wellbeing. Our agriculture focus brings ‘foodies’ to Mount Vernon and the Skagit Valley as tourists, and our share of the $1 billion tax revenue from tourism in Washington AND will ultimately give us an amazing restaurant scene and food industry with entrepreneurs. Our partners in the Innovation Partnership Zone are WSU (grain research), Skagit Valley College (offering brewing, distilling, food educational tracks), Port of Skagit (has welcomed new malting industry and 2 new breweries), EDASC and the City (who continue to market the exciting industry and focus on tourism events in the City and new restaurants/breweries)
In 2016, we will be focusing on a comprehensive approach to ‘healthy neighborhoods’ to increase a feeling of ownership, reducing crime and urban decay. This includes an additional free neighborhood clean-up day through our solid waste division, increased promotion of block watch programs, additional traffic emphasis with radar trailers, addressing street homeless resources, and innovative partnerships with non-profits to create affordable housing.
Bob Fiedler- My vision for Mount Vernon is pretty simple, but will take some work. We are a diverse community with a profound appreciation for the arts, a city who remembers it past and embraces its future. A community not afraid to challenge the norm and be at the forefront of change.
Mount Vernon is a community where you want to work, live and play.
We have the live and play part down pretty good here, however we are very shy on the jobs front. I believe we must proactively recruit and retain business in our city so the next generations can actually work in Mount Vernon if they choose. Our community owns an extensive “fiber optic network”, but we must market it to the “outside” if we are going to be competitive in the quest for business recruitment. I am not fond of waiting to see who is coming to our community, I believe we must go find them. Our largest employers are government and health care. We need more diversity in employment opportunities.
3. Why did you choose to run for the office of Mayor of the city of Mount Vernon?
Bob Fiedler- If I thought this community was getting the quality leadership they deserve for the future, then I would not have run for office. I believe we can do better. We are at a critical juncture in Mount Vernon. We need to turn this city around. Our city has a very bright future if we are proactive in solving our neighborhood issues, focus on a solid business development plan and promote the arts and agriculture communities our city is known for. I have been in business for over 30 years and run a fairly large organization which does business in 6 northwest counties. There are plenty of opportunities to attract business to our city. The mayor must take an active role in that regard. Our city must make a commitment to make sure we have safe neighborhoods. Our outstanding police department deserves the resources they need to proactively reduce crime in our city. It can be done.
Jill Boudreau- I originally ran in 2011 because I felt the elected representatives did not seem to understand my generation’s perspectives in City government, and nearly no balance or diversity in viewpoints! I am running for reelection to continue demonstrating that City Hall is in touch with the public and provides excellent services the community values, maintain the balance in our community voice, and to keep our economic momentum moving forward.
4. How do you feel substance misuse impacts Mount Vernon? What, if anything, would you like to see happen in regards to substance use in Skagit County or Mount Vernon?
Jill Boudreau- Substance misuse is a significant impact to Mount Vernon and our entire country. I have heard many statistics stating that 80-90% of crime involves substance misuse/abuse. This contributes to poor public health, children are affected in families, a large amount of time substance misuse is coexisting with mental health.
Our County currently assesses a portion of sales tax to be used for this issue. That money supports any person who wants to seek treatment that cannot afford it. The funds also support drug court and mental health courts that have been proven to divert people from Jail and help them into recovery. The County was successful in re-opening a 16 bed facility recently to help with mental health.
I would like to see continued collaboration with all the cities and county to approach this issue together. I believe each city in our county should have a facility for officers to divert individuals needing treatment resources from jail. And other first responders or medical personnel to have a resource. I have always advocated for strong and robust programs at our jail to assist in recovery. It is well documented that successfully treating individuals is not only cheaper than jail, it stops continued crime.
Bob Fiedler- Substance abuse is an issue in almost every community. We have a heroin problem here and I believe we must address it head on. Substance abuse affects the health of any community. Absorbs police functions, health care facilities and family stability. It’s also a big piece of the homeless situation in every community.
There are a number paths to take regarding substance abuse. Getting to the root cause is the most important. I really like what the City of Everett is doing with their Community Streets Initiative. Obviously they are a much larger jurisdiction, but in 2014 they assembled a number of local agencies and put together a great plan to not only work on substance abuse, but homelessness and other community wide issues. It’s a great plan. I believe if there something working well in another community, let’s take a look and see it some of it can work for us. They took some pressure off their already busy police department and were able to actually add two social worker positions to their staff funded by the United Way. Bottom line, a proactive approach would be my path.
5. Tell us about an issue you feel strongly about that you would work on should you be elected/reelected in November?
Bob Fiedler- The main issue we are going to face over the long term is funding the services Mount Vernon residents expect. I feel strongly there is a tremendous need for leadership in the mayor’s office to proactively work on building our business community. Other cities in western Washington have taken this very approach and are thriving. Why is this important? Sales tax is currently only 21% of Mount Vernon’s revenue stream, smaller than most communities. Our sales tax increase for 2015 is half the county average. We have more empty buildings in our city than I have ever seen before. We must take a proactive approach. Fill those underutilized buildings and they will contribute additional property tax all the while enhancing our city. Pretty simple equation, but not easy to accomplish. I believe it can happen.
Jill Boudreau- I would continue to work with a group to address street homeless issues in our City. This group is made up of Friendship House, Community Action, Skagit County, Housing Authority, police, library, Chamber of Commerce, Peer Support Center, and the Downtown Association. We have had an initial meeting in September and will meet again before the end of October. Our discussions involve substance abuse (see question 4), mental health, financial resources and models of success. It is a VERY COMPLEX issue and daunting. We will not be successful without broad support and creative solutions. I believe it is my responsibility as Mayor to push for actions and resources to help. Other cities up and down the west coast are dealing with this issue.
6. How can the “average Mount Vernon resident” best engage her/himself in his/her community? Do you feel this is important? Why or why not?
Jill Boudreau- Engaging is vital to maximize our community potential. Government cannot make our City better alone. Volunteering in schools, non-profits, your neighborhood or church. I find the best engagement is face to face as this allows much more understanding and conversation. I beg people to come to City Council meetings…it gets very lonely with no one attending. (shameless plug: Wednesday’s at 6pm and 7pm, 1805 Continental Place) City Hall is the most connected form of government to the American people. I believe strongly in being accessible which is why I have an open time to talk with residents nearly every week. I have hosted 145 Mayors Coffees since taking office. I will always schedule time to meet with groups that have concerns. I rarely get phone calls from concerned citizens, and I always surprise people when I actually call them back when I get a message. I would encourage anyone to engage! Phone: 360-336-6211.
Bob Fiedler- I believe it’s important to become involved in your community, even if it’s just your own neighborhood. It creates a sense of community.
I first became engaged in our community by volunteering for a parks project. I was one of those parents who helped with Little League, Youth Soccer and Youth Football. I met many people who are now lifelong friends. Becoming active can be personally rewarding and fun as well. Rotary helped me become engaged in raising money for Skagit Valley College scholarships, having some fun while helping others.
Some prefer the arts, some prefer government, and some volunteer at the library. Perhaps “Adopt a park or street”. There are many opportunities. I believe we must make a better effort to let people know how to become involved if they want to.
7. What do you feel is an important issue for the city of Mount Vernon that is not receiving the public attention it deserves?
Bob Fiedler- Currently there are a number of issues I think the community needs more information on. Homelessness is probably the most current visible issue we are just scratching the surface on and there has been very little public discussion on the matter. Affordable places to live is probably the one missing link in the chain. In fact the City Council will receive its first presentation on October 14, long overdue. If we are to tackle any issue in our city I have always been of the opinion we should make an attempt to engage the community and make them aware of the issue first a foremost.
Jill Boudreau- Funding of our infrastructure is a challenge since the Great Recession. Our City has relied on grant funding & real estate excise tax to maintain our city streets. Currently, the deferred maintenance has slipped to $15 million dollars up from $10 million in 2012. We are not keeping up with basic maintenance or staffing. The City Council has chosen to not raise property taxes in a decade, which has put the City at a significant disadvantage to fund necessary infrastructure needs such as parks, street tree, library, road, and fire infrastructure basic maintenance. We maintain 274 lanes miles of street, 31 traffic signals, 12 bridges, 5000 signs, 2500 pavement markings & 150 miles of sidewalks. Our community has expressed interest in a larger library which has not been upgraded in 33 years. Since taking office, we have started to save for general facility repairs such as roofs, HVAC systems & large items, however after years of underfunding our City faces a significant backlog of expenses.
Our staffing of police, fire, and parks has not changed in years, even with a growing population.
By pushing our budget, resources and staff to the limits, we are essentially. Reducing our competitiveness to attract investment. During my first term we have identified significant needs, achieved creative fixes, & fostered partnerships to realize gains, however, the need for increased revenue is imperative to maintain traditional services at the current level and be responsible to the citizens
People get really vicious when increased property taxes are discussed – so we have to address this with 3 different approaches: economic growth, legislative relief, community voice (Is our community willing to pay more? If not, then we need dialogue and support of decisions to cut services.) If City Council raised property taxes by 1% (lawful each year) this would mean about a $5.00 increase per year (yes, $5.00 per YEAR) to a person owning a home worth $200,000. The discussion of property taxes needs to be put into context. There is NO easy
8. What would you like voters to know about you and/or your campaign?
Jill Boudreau- As Mayor my sole mission is the well-being of this community. I expect a lot from myself and my employees. I don’t play politics – and am pretty much as straight forward as it comes. . I have proudly challenged the status quo, and balanced the needs of the wide range of those I represent.
I bring creativity, determination, and a proven ability to facilitate complex problems to successfully accomplish my duties of a full time administrator –actively engaged in 10 Departments with services as varied as library, police, finance, and development.
My website has lots of information and several videos that really help you get to see what I’m all about. www.jillformayor.com.
Lastly, please remember that candidates are real people. Being willing to put yourself out there for public service is not easy. Personal attacks from people that we’ve never met are hurtful and are unfair. Not to mention keep great people from getting involved! If you have a question for me, I will not dodge it, I will answer it. Just reach out! Contact: jillformayor@gmail.com.
Bob Fiedler- I am a lifelong Mount Vernon resident and really passionate about this community. I have been on the City Council for over 20 years and enjoy serving the residents of Ward 3. My real daytime job is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Crown Distributing LLC. Our company services and area of just over 1 million population. A very diverse marketplace which exposes me to many different communities. I enjoy business and have been in it for over 30 years.
My campaign revolves around the need for leadership and turning this city around. I have heard the same from many residents of our city while out door belling neighborhoods. Many friends, neighbors, former city council members, and the entire city council are supporting me in this campaign because they know I can provide the professional leadership our city needs for the future.
Showing my integrity, I will not accept any PAC funds for this campaign. Just donations from those same friends, family and neighbors.
I believe in a culture of Customer Service and teamwork.
I believe in standing behind your employees – not in front of them.
Mount Vernon has an image problem. I hear it often. Many outside Mount Vernon believe we are not business friendly and it’s easier to do business elsewhere, I intend to change that. Developing a comprehensive 5 year strategic plan for our city would be a priority for me. Including the community, business leaders and property owners in the conversation is paramount.
Public Safety has always been top of mind. I will continue to be proactive in making sure our Police Department has the resources necessary to keep our community safe. We lost our fire insurance rating this year and as a result many of you are or will be paying increased fire insurance premiums, a challenge we must face. We are now the same insurance rating class as Burlington and Sedro Woolley, but only our city has a full time fire department.
Mount Vernon has an outstanding park system that is very heavily used. I grew up using Hillcrest Park and believe we should continue to preserve areas for expansion of our parks system for future generations.
Your city has a culture of applying for grant funds to build public improvements, always has and always will. Getting these funds requires teamwork and many contacts with the agencies and government officials. I will be more proactive in working with other municipalities, Skagit County Government and non-profits such as the YMCA. Meaningful partnerships to extend your tax dollars is just common sense. But, it will take a person who can work well with others. I am that person.
I am the best candidate to prepare Mount Vernon for the future. I am in a unique position as I would be able to manage the city understanding the city councils perspective and the information they require. To see what we have never seen before – We must do what we have never done before.
To find out all about my campaign visit: http://bobformvmayor.com
