Wright earns SnoCo council’s vote

Former Lynnwood City Councilwoman, Stephanie Wright is the newest member of the Snohomish County Council. Stephanie Wright told the Snohomish County Council she was sort of a “geek” for following county legislation by attending meetings or viewing the process via the web.

As a Lynnwood City Councilwoman since 2007, she has been interested in county-wide decisions that affect her constituents, as well as tracking what was going on in the surrounding area.

Her attentiveness proved to be advantageous.

As of last Tuesday, Wright, 38, will sit on the Snohomish County Council as the newest District 3 representative, formerly held by Mike Cooper, who left the position in July to serve as mayor of Edmonds.

The council unanimously chose Wright, one of three candidates nominated by the Snohomish County Democratic Party because the outgoing councilman is a Democrat, after a public interview process.

Edmonds City Councilman D.J. Wilson, 35, and Lynnwood Planning Commission member Maria Ambalada, 74, also sought the appointment.

The candidates were asked a series of questions regarding their experience handling multi-million dollar budgets, their understanding of the legislation process and how they work through conflict.

The former teacher and librarian with the Northshore School District cited her role in rehashing the city of Lynnwood’s budget.

“My name is Stephanie Wright. I’m from Lynnwood, and we’ve had budget problems,” she said, stirring laughter from council members.

Wright said she was on the forefront of the city’s budget solution, making adjustments based on realities of the numbers.

“It’s about balance,” she said. “Not just one solution.”

Wright said her approach to legislation matches the collaborative nature of the county’s process and is looking forward to developing relationships with other elected officials and county staff.

Stemming from her background in education and research, she said she will do her “homework” to delve into issues brought before the council.

Responding to the question regarding how she handles conflict, Wright said she is careful not to personalize the situation and attempts to “get to the root of the problem” rather than searching for blame.

Wright was also questioned about personal credit card debt made public after her nomination.

“Just like many governments, businesses and other people,” she responded, “my life has seen some changes over the past couple of years.”

Wright said financial decisions were made in difficult circumstances and plans to fully repay the debt.

“We own it,” she said. “It’s ours.”

Wright grew up in Marysville and currently lives in Lynnwood. She has earned degrees in teaching and library science from Washington State University, Seattle Pacific University and the University of Washington.

As District 3 councilwoman, she will represent the area surrounding and including Lynnwood, Edmonds and Woodway.

Immediately following the council’s vote, Wright handed in her letter of resignation to the Lynnwood City Council before being sworn into office.

“This is an exciting opportunity to serve the county I’ve lived in my entire life,” she said.