City Council votes unanimously to support Proposition 1 measure for new Civic Center

By Doug Petrowski

The Mountlake Terrace City Council heard from a number of residents, including one current and one past state representative, at its April 16 council meeting before voting unanimously to support Proposition No 1, the $25 million capital bonds measure for the construction of a new Civic Center. The measure will appear on the Aug. 7 primary ballot.

With its affirmative vote, individual council members can now speak for the entire board in favor of the bond measure.

During the public hearing, current 1st Legislative District Rep. Luis Moscoso spoke in favor of the bond issue, encouraging others to support it too. “I’d be glad to pay whatever it takes in my taxes because it is important that we have pride in our city and our facilities,” he said.

Former 1st District Rep. Al O’Brien led off the public hearing by stressing the importance of a new senior center for Mountlake Terrace, a facility that would be included in the construction of the Civic Center. O’Brien even offered assistance in the campaign for the measure saying, “I will do some doorbelling for this if you want me to.”

Councilmember Seaun Richards read a written statement from former current Snohomish Council Councilmember Dave Gossett that stated, “The new Civic Center proposal meets our needs, includes amenities while reducing our costs by over 30 percent. It’s a great step forward for Mountlake Terrace.” Richards also presented a written statement in favor of the measure from former Terrace Mayor Pat Cordova.

Not all the testimony at Monday’s public hearing was in favor of the bond issue. A couple of individuals spoke against the proposal, with former council candidate Ann Nygaard saying the measure was too expensive. “You are asking for the moon while citizens are counting their pennies,” she said.

Proposition No. 1 would raise $25 million for the construction of a new city hall, new community/senior center, new police station, and improvements to the library, all at a civic campus at the southwest corner of 58 Avenue West and 232nd Street Southwest. The 30-year bonds would be paid for with an increase in property taxes beginning in 2015 and will need a 60 percent voter approval to pass.

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