Mukilteo Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

One of the most divisive and stressful election seasons in our lifetime has just closed. Whether your favorite candidate won or lost this week, we are all left scratching our heads and wondering: “Now what?”

Well, here in Mukilteo, we are setting a better example. Last month, I wrote to share the details of the preliminary budget I presented to our City Council.

I am so pleased to share just one month later, that we have passed a budget – and in record time! I am so grateful to our councilmembers for their partnership in considering and adopting a budget with the most open and transparent process in city history.

There is much to be proud of in our 2017 budget. We invest in prevention and support for the Mukilteo Strong Alliance, we improve the community-school partnership through a dedicated school resource officer, and we will create more recreational opportunities for teens.

I dedicated my budget to making our community stronger, and I am glad to see those priorities reflected in our final budget.

Importantly, the council also shared my commitment to remembering the young lives we have lost to violence, suicide and substance abuse – including Anna Bui, Jordan Ebner and Jake Long.

I look forward to working with the council and our whole community to develop a new Peace Park. I am hopeful that we can come together and give everyone a way to participate.

I am also grateful to our councilmembers for rolling up their sleeves and working together to find a way to continue to keep our property taxes low.

When I ran for mayor, I promised to take a break from the tax increases and, for a third year in a row, we were able to accomplish that together.

In my original budget, it looked like we needed new revenue, but I was glad to partner with the council find a way to live within our means.

A balanced budget, healthy reserves and a commitment to keeping property taxes low –those are solid accomplishments that should make our community proud.

With all of the political gridlock and partisanship we’ve seen in the news lately, I am hopeful that our budget process can serve as a sign that government can work.

Make no mistake – we had disagreements and it took hours of discussion and debate to reach a compromise – but that is why you elect us to serve. You deserve leaders who will set their disagreements aside for the common good.

So, when I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, I will be giving thanks for family, the opportunity to serve our community, and the fact that I won’t have more budget meetings in December!

We are Mukilteo Strong, and we are setting a better example.

Mayor Jennifer Gregerson’s column appears in the Mukilteo Beacon on the second Wednesday of the month. The opinions expressed are her own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Mukilteo City Council.