The race for City Council Position 2 is definitely the most interesting city council race this year. Running for position 2 is the incumbent, Jerry Smith, and John Zambrano. What makes this an interesting race is that Zambrano is already on the city council in position 7.

Jerry Smith was elected to the City Council in 2001 and has served as mayor since 2005. John Zambrano was elected to the City Council in 2003. Smith has lived in Mountlake Terrace for 33 years; Zombrano: 34. Smith served in the Army, Zombrano in the Navy.

Even though Zambrano had supported Smith to be mayor, considers Smith a friend and has voted with Smith on most major decision in the past, he is disappointed with the way the Smith has led as mayor. In 2007, Smith and Zambrano were even, together, reprimanded by the City Council for sending a letter, without full council approval, to 700 residents who had signed a petition opposing possible aspects of the Town Center plan. The letter said that the petition contained misleading information about the plan.

After the elections are over and the new year comes around, the city council will vote on who will be the new mayor. Rather than wait until January and try to remove Smith as mayor by way of council vote, Zambrano decided to run for Smith’s position on the council, trying to eliminate the possibility that Smith may be voted in as mayor again.

If Smith wins, he retains his seat on the council and Zombrano retains his, at least until 2011 when his spot is up for election. Simple enough. But if Zambrano wins, he will take Smith’s position on the council effective January 1st and the council would vote for a new mayor at that point. The council would then vote on Zambrano’s replacement because he would, technically, be resigning from position 7 on the council. I’ll add even one more layer of hypothetical complexity: Smith could then, technically, try to get the council to choose him as Zambrano’s replacement.

Here’s more info from the Enterprise.

Smith’s involvement in the community includes being President of Tour de Terrace, one of the founders of the Tour and the Neutral Zone. He has served on Mountlake Terrace Youth Athletic Association (MTYAA), Senior Citizens Advisory Board, Civil Service Commission and is active with the Terrace/Brier Lions Club and the annual Christmas tree lighting.

Zambrano’s community involvement includes being a graduate of Citizens’ Police Academy, Commissioner on Mountlake Terrace Parks and Recreation Board and a member of the Mountlake Terrace Garden Club.

What do you think of this? Have you supported Zambrano or Smith in the past? Will that change this time around?