Dave Somers: County Council #5, Snohomish County

Dave Somers was first elected to the Snohomish County Council in 1997 following a long career as a fisheries ecologist, working to stem the decline of the Puget Sound and our region’s once abundant salmon runs. He was re-elected to the Council in 2005 and became the first County Council member from Council District 5 to be re-elected to a second term since the 1987 county charter.During his service on the County Council, Dave has served the people of the county and region in many capacities:

Chairman—Snohomish County Council 2001 and 2008

Chairman—Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (2001)

Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board and Growth Management Policy Board

Chairman—Council’s Land-Use and Planning Committee (1998-01, 2006-2009)

Member of USEPA Local Government Advisory Committee

Founding member of Climate Communities; Community Transit Board member

Chairman—State Shorelines Guidelines Commission (1998)

Co-Chair—Snohomish Watershed Forum

Tri-County ESA Executive Committee

State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC)

Government Council on Natural Resources

National Association of Counties Sustainability Leadership Team, Environment/Energy/Land-use Steering Committee, vice chair of Water

Quality Committee and member of Smart Growth Committee

Washington Shorelines Hearings Board (1998-01)

Obama Caucus Chairman, 2008 39th Legislative District caucus

Councilman Somers received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries Science in 1976 and a Master of Science degree in Forest Ecology in 1996 from the University of Washington.Dave Somers is driven by his desire to protect the quality of life in Snohomish County, the Puget Sound region, and Washington State. He believes that our quality of life is dependent on a healthy natural environment, a vibrant economy, transportation systems that work, safe communities, and protecting the interests of our citizens and taxpayers.Dave also sees his role as providing a voice for the interests of the average citizen within county government.

Economy

Our priority for 2009 and beyond should be to assure the stability of our economy by providing a favorable business climate for our existing businesses, and to attract new sustainable economic development of aeropace, science, agriculture, and natural resource businesses that will put Snohomish County in a world leadership position for the new economy. He would also like to promote renovation and upgrade of the Evergreen State fairgrounds We can protect our county’s economic climate by:

• Working hard to improve our region’s transportation systems including highways, transit systems, regional connections, and local road system.
• Maintaining our quality of life; including natural environment, business climate, education system, and safe communities.
•  Establishing a four-year University in Snohomish County.
• Continuing to make County government more efficient and responsive.

Transportation

Dave will work to improve transit service within Snohomish County and the region by obtaining funding for key road projects including Highway 2 improvements, a new Highway 2 trestle, completing Highway 522 to Monroe, and the completion of the widening of Highway 9 from Woodinville north to the Granite Falls highway. He also wants to create connections that work between our transit and road systems, and to establish commuter rail from south Snohomish to Bellevue.

Environment

Dave wants to continue his work to restore Puget Sound and our region’s salmon runs. He hopes to establish a Snohomish County Human Rights Commission. He also will focus on preventing sprawl, increasing protection of farmlands and forestlands. 

Public Safety

This candidate will continue to work on making our County’s Public Safety system more effective and efficient, He supports funding for alternative programs such as drug court. He also believes we can reduce public safety costs by treating mental health and drug related root causes of much of our crime.

Dave Somers’ Accomplishments include:

• Obtaining $1.5 million in county funding for safety improvements on Highway 2, saving lives in eastern Snohomish County.
• No increases in general property tax.
• Increased funding for roads and transit.
• Streamlining the implementation of new capitol improvements throughout the County.
• Securing funds for improvements and upgrades to the Evergreen Fairgrounds.
• Improvements in urban development practices and design standards.
• Common-sense improvements for protecting our streams and watersheds.
• New County Parks including Cavellero Hill, Monroe, Index, Snohomish, Paradise Lake.
• Reduction of rural sprawl through new limitations on rural cluster developments.
• Preservation of hundreds of acres of farmlands and open space through the Purchase of Development Rights Program and the Conservation Futures fund.
• Jobs and renewable energy sources with the Snohomish County Biodiesel program.
• Shepherding County government through the global financial crisis without raising general property taxes.