Watson plans to bring integrity to SnoCo Council

Ellen Hiatt Watson Ellen Hiatt Watson hopes to improve Snohomish County residents' quality of life.

Watson, 43, of Lake Howard, has thrown her hat into the ring for county council member district 1, along with Republican incumbent John Koster and Krista Larsen, of Arlington, who has declared a Democratic preference. Watson is the Snohomish County Democrats' official nominee.

As the founder of nonprofit grassroots organization 7-Lakes, Watson said she has demonstrated her devotion to her community.

Quality of life includes having a stable economy, protecting the environment and knowing that citizens' voices have weight in the government, Watson said.

The largest challenge the county faces is the economy, she said. The job base needs to be restored. Many, including her husband, a plumber, are unemployed.

The county's small businesses need to be nurtured, Watson said. Diversity in an economy is important for stability.

"We definitely cannot rely on single-source economies like construction or like airplanes," she said. Instead, the county needs to capitalize on the agricultural, natural and transportation resources it has, Watson said. The county should focus on bringing tourists to the area to enjoy those resources.

In addition, small farms need to be supported, and farmers need new opportunities to get their products to market, she said.

The Port of Everett is growing, and local airports have the chance to grow, she said.

Growth needs to be managed better and with integrity, Watson said.

"We absolutely have to be smarter about this," she said. "If we don't, we will have pavement, and you do not get your resources back after you've paved it over."

Cities have room to grow, Watson said. As sprawl continues, tax dollars go toward maintaining the spreading network of roads.

Private property rights exist, and need to exist, she said.

"I believe that we have an obligation to ourselves and to our children to manage and administer those property rights," she said. Although some progress has occurred in preserving farmland, more needs to be done, Watson said.

"Things like annexation of farmland for car lots has got to stop," she said. "There is a lot more that can be done. It's really time that we stop studying, we stop the talking and we stop the rhetoric and get the job done."

Affordable housing is an increasing problem, Watson said. It impacts low- and middle-income families.

More permanent affordable housing needs to be found, she said. That could be attained by working with land trusts or the development community.

The root causes of homelessness need to be treated, Watson said. In her mind, that includes fully-funding the drug court and working with the county government on both causes and solutions.

During the past several years, Watson said her experiences have shown her that county government isn't hearing citizens' voices. For example, countless citizens asked that the county remove the fully-contained community option in rural areas at numerous public hearings.

"It fell on deaf ears, as far as we could see," she said.

Watson was a member of the stakeholder committee the county council formed to examine the fully-contained community code.

Too much weight is given to those with power and money, Watson said.

"I would like to see that the citizens actually believe that what they want and think matters," she said.

The county needs to comply with county codes and state laws, she said.

"If you don't believe that your government is working for you, your quality of life is challenged," Watson said. "So how would I do that? By being the person you can count on to listen, to take all of that into consideration and to balance those interests."

Among Watson's endorsements include county executive Aaron Reardon, county council members Dave Gossett, Dave Somers, Mike Cooper and Brian Sullivan, state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen and Stanwood City Councilman Leonard Kelley.

If elected, Watson said she would bring strong communication skills to work for constituents. Those skills are ones she has developed through 20 years of journalism and marketing experience.

She also owns Hiatt Watson Writing and Design, a consulting business.

"I am the only candidate that has shown more concern for the interests of my neighbors than for the interests of moneyed interests, of special interests," Watson said. "My campaign is not funded by a developer."

Watson is a Stanwood High School graduate, and has a bachelor's degree in mass communication and political science from Central Washington University. She has lived in Snohomish County for more than 20 years.

"We need to work together as neighbors and as a government to build a better county together," she said.

Staff Reporter Kristi Pihl: 629-8066 (ext. 125) or kpihl@ scnews.com.