Mayor Stephanson Delivers 13th State of Everett Address

Mayor Stephanson delivered his annual State of Everett address this morning at an event sponsored by Economic Alliance Snohomish County. Stephanson is now the longest serving Mayor in the history of Everett. A major area of the mayor’s address covered Everett’s financial condition. Here are a few excerpts…

“The economy, and its effect on our ability to deliver projects and services, is always at the core of what we do as a municipal government.”

“As we’ve recovered from the downturn, we’ve all been forced to acclimate to a new normal. The state and federal investments that used to provide critical funding for transportation projects, human services and more are no longer a certainty, and we have been reminded quite clearly that local governments are at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to revenues.”

“Throughout my career, my focus has been on the large businesses that form the foundation of Everett’s economy. Securing and retaining those major employers is critical in signaling our economic health as a community, and attracts the subcontractors, suppliers and service industries that help to diversify our economy.”

In addition to the economy, Mayor Stephanson pledged to continue the Community Streets initiative…

“One of the overarching goals that will guide much of our work in 2016 is the continuation of our Community Streets Initiative efforts. In 2015 we made major strides in our work to create a safer, more vibrant community for all of our residents, including those living on the streets.”

“By the end of this month we will have lined up permanent supportive housing for five of our chronically homeless citizens, with another 15 targeted for housing by the end of June. This is the first step in our effort to expand the Housing First model in Everett and the entire county.”

“In addition to our housing projects, we have established a streets outreach unit with dedicated police officers, two embedded social workers, and a new prosecutor. We are also expanding our successful alternative sentencing and diversion programs by starting a work crew that will operate out of the first floor of this arena, cleaning up the very areas that have been affected by our street populations.”

You can click here to see the entire State of Everett address.