LYNNWOOD — Both candidates running for Lynnwood City Council Position 5 want to work with others and build community.
Chris Frizzell, 56 and an accountant, started attending city meetings last fall and wants to get more involved. Benjamin Goodwin, 38, works for Costco. He’s a first-term councilman seeking re-election.
A third candidate, Douglas Jones, has dropped from the race. His name still appears on the ballot because he missed a deadline to notify county elections officials.
Frizzell has lived in or near Lynnwood most of her life, graduating from Meadowdale High School. Last fall, she took Lynnwood University, the free class offered on the inner workings of city government.
“I went, wow, the city has really got a lot more going than I ever thought,” she said. “I always thought of Lynnwood as the red-light camera people and that was about it.”
Instead, she met passionate professionals, and like them, she wanted to give back to the community, she said.
She would like to get people more involved in their local government. She also wants to continue efforts to keep Lynnwood in the conversation about addressing homelessness in Snohomish County. She wants to protect parks and make sure that projected population growth is handled responsibly.
Still, she hasn’t forgotten about the cameras, which she considers “a black eye on the city.” She’d have to look at the numbers to see if keeping the cameras makes sense, she said.
Lynnwood’s long- controversial contract with Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions is up for renewal next year. From 2007 through 2013, nearly 180,000 tickets were issued from the devices, public records show. The cameras bring in about $2 million a year.
Goodwin has “never been a big fan of traffic cameras,” he said. However, he’s concerned that cutting off the revenue without a plan would lead to cuts, particularly to the police and fire departments.
The decision in 2016 “will be a big test for us,” he said.
Goodwin says he’s made strides as a councilman. In particular, he’s proud of getting recordings of City Council meetings posted online, and also of his efforts to keep a Sound Transit light rail maintenance facility out of Lynnwood. Traffic remains a concern.
“Traffic, that is a bear in and of itself, but at least getting our roads improved” is doable, he said.
Lynnwood needs more community events, such as parades and a fireworks show, he said. A farmers market held last year didn’t return, which is disappointing, he said.
He’s still thinking about the council’s recent permanent ban on marijuana businesses. He’s hesitant to change that until he can see a guaranteed benefit, such as tax revenue going to the city.
Four of Lynnwood’s seven council spots are up for election this year. Two of the races have three names on the primary ballot, including the one between Frizzell and Goodwin. In those, the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.
The other two races each have two candidates and automatically will advance to the general election. Ballots are set to be mailed out in mid-July.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
The candidates
At stake is a four-year term on the Lynnwood City Council, which pays about $1,650 per month or $19,800 per year. Douglas Jones’ name appears on the ballot, but he has dropped out of the race.
Chris Frizzell
Age: 56
Experience: Self-employed accountant.
Website: www.chrisfrizzell4lynnwood.com
Benjamin Goodwin
Age: 38
Experience: Four years on the City Council. Works for Costco in corporate training and training development.
Website: www.benjamingoodwin.org
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