Linda Redmon began her elected term on Snohomish City Council in 2018. Her Council peers elected her Council President, and she held that role until running for and winning the mayoral race in 2021. Her agenda, informed by her experience on Council, and limited by the defined bounds of city government, focuses on strengthening public infrastructure through investment in water and sewer upgrades, streets and parks, public safety, and expanding recreational and event opportunities for all of her constituents while supporting business’s success.
An events calendar now includes Snohomish Pride Parade begun in 2023, and Holi Festival of Colors begun in 2024. Snohomish Pride has proved to be great economic boon to downtown. Snohomish historically has hosted big events, like Kla Ha Ya Days. Starting in 2008, Big Foot Soccer has been an annual event whose steady growth has been consistent, bringing thousands of visitors to town over multiple weekends. All of these events are volunteer driven and require city safety and services support and coordination. Additional smaller events, too numerous to list, are supported seamlessly by city staff. All of these events contribute to the economic health of our downtown.
Parks have been a focus. Averill Field has received a remarkable redo in partnership with the county, the Kiwanis, and the equipment provider. It is now a show piece, a resource for children and parents, adjacent to the Centennial Trail, the Boys and Girls Club, the Teen Center, and the Skate Park. Homestead Park, Snohomish’s newest park, is in early
implementation planning, which included community engagement and input, design, plans, and identification of funding.
From Averill Field, one block to the northwest is the recently acquired Snohomish City Campus parcel: future home to our city Fire Services and expanded City Hall. The core design phase is complete, permits and approvals are in place. Progress will proceed cautiously due to unpredictability of federal funding and a nervous bond market. However, now the project remains on track.
The movement of Snohomish’s government core out of the downtown area to the larger facilities will accomplish a range of goals.
It will free up two properties on Union for commercial business investment.
The city equipment yard will vacate the First Street property, making room for a new park. Flood and earthquake endangered, the equipment yard cannot be developed.
City services, at the new campus in the Pilchuck district, will be more centrally available, and more accessible.
Having redevelopment seeded by the city campus in the Pilchuck district will, it is thought, provide an incentive to developers to invest in both commercial and residential development. For the Pilchuck district, design guidelines are in place, and the district has existing underutilized parcels of land to accommodate growth.
First Street master plan is a once in two lifetimes opportunity to bring critical infrastructure into the 21st century. Snohomish is about 125 years old. Some of the sewer and water lines on First street have not had an upgrade since 1920. This project must be done. Opening the streets, provides a rare opportunity to rectify and improve infrastructure at ground level as well. ADA compliance is required. Widening sidewalks has been proposed, which would improve safety, increase foot traffic and increase commercial opportunities for street side businesses. Mayor Redmon has formed a citizen task force to provide input for final recommendations. Trial configurations of First Street will be part of the evaluation process.
Over the past 4 years, numerous street, water, sewer, storm and curb projects have been completed: most notably on Avenue D, between 2nd and 1st; Cedar, between 1st and 4th; but also in residential neighborhoods throughout the city.
Snohomish City zoning changes were made to allow more Accessory Dwelling Units within urban neighborhoods, and for more types of dwelling units. Setbacks were reduced, increasing lot coverage. These zoning changes were in accord with changes made at the county level and encourage infill, to help Snohomish meet its increased population housing commitment.
Public Safety, and the Snohomish Police Department received a 15% budget increase for the two years 2025-26 over the prior biennium 2023-24. This reflects Mayor Redmon’s commitment to public safety.
As noted at the outset, this is not a complete list, but should provide an idea of the extent of the accomplishments achieved under Mayor Redmon’s administration.
The mayor’s success has been supported by her process. She has formed partnerships within the community: with her constituents and an array of community organizations; with the county, the state, with local agencies and governments. She communicates frequently and comprehensively, using multiple media, and she ensures constituent input and participation. Mayor Redmon’s process is transparent, inclusive, well reasoned and fiscally sound.
The past four years of her administration have been a stunning success. She has earned her second term, and our gratitude.
Aaron Hoffman is running for Mayor of Snohomish against incumbent Linda Redmon. Let’s evaluate his candidacy.
Aaron Hoffman makes the following statements on his website.
Hoffman is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Shelford businesses.
Aaron Hoffman began working for the Shelford businesses directly after graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Economics. He started as the company controller, and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2019. This is a phenomenal work history until you know the Shelford businesses are owned by his wife’s parents. Shelford Boat, established 1995, is owned by his in-laws and their children, including Alyssa, Aaron Hoffman’s wife. The Shelford group is apparently the only business he has professionally worked for since graduation.
Hoffman says he is a business owner, specifically, he is co-owner of Sprig, a cosmetics store on First Street.
Looking at the business license filing, Alyssa Hoffman is listed as the sole owner.
Hoffman says he is a community leader.
Aaron Hoffman moved to Snohomish in 2020. We were unable to find a record of community involvement or volunteerism in Snohomish. He does say he volunteered as a PE coach at his children’s school in the 2023-24 school year; later he says he and his wife homeschool their children.
Hoffman says he does not have political experience.
No argument here. But we need to expand a bit.
There are several ways to gain political experience that would benefit a mayoral candidate, prior to filing to run. Volunteer for one of the city’s task forces. Volunteer for one of the city’s citizen commissions. Both these opportunities present the volunteer with the context of a civic issue, the differing approaches to solving or mitigating it, and the neighborly connections you need politically. Running for city council is the best way to get to know city staff, and the legal and regulatory environment in which they work. Finally volunteering for one of the many civic organizations: the Snohomish Food Bank, Kiwanis, Historic Downtown Snohomish. There are plenty of ways. Hoffman has chosen none of them.
Further, all of our city’s elected positions are considered non-partisan. Candidates don’t declare a political affiliation because city government is very limited in scope. Specifically, City of Snohomish government fulfills the following needs for its residents:
* Public Services: roads, utilities, sanitation, social, cultural, and recreational services. For Snohomish, a city with aging infrastructure, it means planning for repairs and changes, while maintaining business and recreational operations.
* Public safety and law enforcement.
* Legislation and policy making supports these assignments. Legislation and policy are the responsibility of Council. The Mayor implements their decisions, through city staff, who embody the expertise and provide continuity to government.
The list above are the remit and responsibilities of our city government.
In the John Kartak administration, the city lost decades of expertise, as department heads and others took jobs elsewhere. Mayor Redmon’s first priority was to refill critical losses, and remove a City Administrator who was obstructing. She was ready to manage because of her experience as council member prior, and her work connections to county functions and their leadership.
When Aaron Hoffman says he would cut the social services being provided by Snohomish, the question is: which services are those? Generally, we do not directly provide social services. Pondering this we thought of two areas he might try to cut. The city owns the property from which the Snohomish Food Bank operates. He could propose selling the property, leaving the food bank without a home. John Kartak certainly wanted to eliminate our current food bank, and turn its function over to one of his favored religious providers. The building was to become one of several suggested, but never realized, homes for Bill Betten. Ah, memories.
Hoffman may also propose eliminating the service provided by the city to reduce utility bill payments for residents who qualify as low income senior citizens. This program is focused on helping residents remain in their homes. The county reduces property taxes for seniors in similar low income qualifying circumstances. In the council race, one of the challengers is currently taking advantage of the county property tax reduction program.
Of course, I may be wrong. Hoffman was not specific about what he would cut, or which of his voters would be affected. Would Council approve these initiatives? Depends on who is on Council.
Aaron Hoffman has also asked the electorate’s patience while he masters the learning curve for the mayor’s position. Two years is what he figures he will need.
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Aaron Hoffman’s Attacks on the New City Services Campus
Aaron Hoffman has two videos in opposition to the new Snohomish City Campus out right now: the first video attacks the new city campus as too expensive. The second video offers a new real estate parcel Hoffman has found, which would be a much better fit for the new Snohomish City Campus.
The first video starts with Hoffman criticizing the Mayor for overseeing project scope revisions which reduced the project cost from $80M to $42M. Think about that for a minute.
Mayor Redmon promised transparency, and responsiveness. She continues to deliver.
Hoffman proceeds with complaints of costs that are not reflected in the $42M estimate: site acquisition and prep, legal fees, bond fees, and third party contractors. Site acquisition is now a fact, site prep is in progress. These costs are not part of a future municipal bond requirement. As for the rest of Hoffman’s list; I’m sure these costs will be made public when figures are available.
Hoffman’s complaints continue: a general municipal bond will be required to finance the construction of the new city campus; this will be enormously expensive. In fact, municipal bonds were required to finance the Snohomish’s first Fire Department and City Hall, Police Department and jail in the early part of the last century; buildings which are now in commercial use. Municipal bonds are how cities undertake large projects. Where individual homebuyers take out mortgages to buy homes, city governments issue bonds.
Hoffman is correct, the interest payments on bonds are sizable, just as they are on mortgages. If you have financed the purchase of a home, you are aware. Bonds however, by the way the interest is calculated, pay less in interest over the term of the bond than mortgages collect over the term of a loan at the same interest rate and term. Even more important: municipal bonds are offered to all investors; the interest being paid to those investors, rather than to a bank. You or I could invest in the Snohomish municipal bonds issued for the future growth of our city.
Now, under the current federal administration, the bond market is in turmoil. While the project remains on schedule there is a risk for delay. Delay in a project can be costly. Hoffman seizes on this fact; by the end of the video, he has worked the project cost back up to $80M.
In his second video on the new City Campus, Hoffman changes course. He has found a much better, larger, in-city industrial area property, where all of the city services can be co-located. This property, for only $5M, has been on the market for more than a year, and the city apparently missed it. Never mind the work well underway for the new City Fire Station and associated services. Never mind the sunk cost in the real estate, and real estate improvements, the site planning and architectural design, the open hearings and citizen comments. This new industrial location, the location of which Hoffman does not share in his video, will be so much better. Will this mean a project delay? Of course, perhaps years.
So what would the city do with the parcel in the Pilchuck district? Presumably, absorb the loss and put it up for sale. Perhaps the Pursuit NW Church would be interested? Oh, I am sure they would be. Perhaps the Pursuit NW’s same low bid amount, which failed to interest the Steuber family, would suffice to get the city out of this pickle?
Aaron Hoffman is saying, not just to Mayor Redmon and her entire planning staff, but to Council and the residents of Snohomish, they have made a colossal blunder. They are so lucky he is here to save them.
Final advice to folks watching Hoffman’s videos: listen carefully to what Aaron Hoffman is saying. It is inconsistency, illogic, and poor financial advice smoothly presented, bent by an agenda not totally transparent. All those public meetings on the Snohomish City Campus project? That’s when we should have heard from him. Apparently, Aaron Hoffman did not bother to attend.
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Aaron Hoffman’s Misunderstanding of Civic Activism and Civic Leadership
Aaron Hoffman recently posted a campaign video on his understanding of the difference between leadership and activism.
A simple summary: Hoffman asserts he is a leader, a non-partisan leader, who will be entirely focused on Snohomish. Not divisive, not “we” versus “them.” So kicking off his campaign off with a Republicans-only fundraiser was probably not the non-partisan, first impression he should have given us. And the (not at all) subtle bro-identity-signaling hat-back Hoffman wears in his videos sends a message to everyone, not just assurance to his targeted voters. It is no wonder he wants voters to avert their eyes from the rapid evisceration of our federal government by the current administration.
I want to give Aaron Hoffman an assist here:
Activists engage in direct action to bring about a goal of change. The focus can be political, social, economic, environmental, educational, there are more, but generally for a focused cause. The efforts can be by individuals, or groups of individuals, or organizations. The means can be grassroots, civil disobedience, artistic, or (ahem) digital. The American Revolution was an activist initiated event; the Civil Rights Movement, the Suffragette, LGBTQ, Feminist, Anti-Apartheid movements, all activist powered. Closer to home, the Snohomish Historic Districts, both residential and business, and the restoration of the Carnegie were lead by local activists.
Activist organizations aren’t always virtuous and don’t always win. But stamping them out can be hard: take Christian Nationalism, espousing white male supremacy and Christian dominance in every aspect of public life. Christian Nationalism is the ultimate “them” that the “we” will and must fight, locally, regionally and nationwide, because we’re not all male, not all white, and not all “Christian.” All of the national and international activist movements mentioned above have been in opposition to an aspect of the Christian Nationalism we are still fighting.
I suspect that Aaron Hoffman does not realize the leadership required for the Mayor position is very specific to City Hall. Mayors work for their constituents, and the elected representatives of constituents, Council. We, the constituents, are really tough bosses. He should ask his mentor, John Kartak.
A final thought: the mayor needs to be able to accurately identify their constituents. Here’s a clue: constituents are the voters in city elections. They decide the direction of the city. More on this fact soon.
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Aaron Hoffman’s Misunderstanding of Civic Activism and Civic Leadership
Aaron Hoffman recently posted a campaign video on his understanding of the difference between leadership and activism.
A simple summary: Hoffman asserts he is a leader, a non-partisan leader, who will be entirely focused on Snohomish. Not divisive, not “we” versus “them.” So kicking off his campaign off with a Republicans-only fundraiser was probably not the non-partisan, first impression he should have given us. And the (not at all) subtle bro-identity-signaling hat-back Hoffman wears in his videos sends a message to everyone, not just assurance to his targeted voters. It is no wonder he wants voters to avert their eyes from the rapid evisceration of our federal government by the current administration.
I want to give Aaron Hoffman an assist here:
Activists engage in direct action to bring about a goal of change. The focus can be political, social, economic, environmental, educational, there are more, but generally for a focused cause. The efforts can be by individuals, or groups of individuals, or organizations. The means can be grassroots, civil disobedience, artistic, or (ahem) digital. The American Revolution was an activist initiated event; the Civil Rights Movement, the Suffragette, LGBTQ, Feminist, Anti-Apartheid movements, all activist powered. Closer to home, the Snohomish Historic Districts, both residential and business, and the restoration of the Carnegie were lead by local activists.
Activist organizations aren’t always virtuous and don’t always win. But stamping them out can be hard: take Christian Nationalism, espousing white male supremacy and Christian dominance in every aspect of public life. Christian Nationalism is the ultimate “them” that the “we” will and must fight, locally, regionally and nationwide, because we’re not all male, not all white, and not all “Christian.” All of the national and international activist movements mentioned above have been in opposition to an aspect of the Christian Nationalism we are still fighting.
I suspect that Aaron Hoffman does not realize the leadership required for the Mayor position is very specific to City Hall. Mayors work for their constituents, and the elected representatives of constituents, Council. We, the constituents, are really tough bosses. He should ask his mentor, John Kartak.
A final thought: the mayor needs to be able to accurately identify their constituents. Here’s a clue: constituents are the voters in city elections. They decide the direction of the city. More on this fact soon.
Elections count!
Our city elections are non-partisan, or at least we could pretend they were prior to 2017, because we knew the people running as neighbors. Hoffman’s campaign kickoff, held at the Carnegie, a Snohomish landmark saved by Snohomish citizen activism, was a Republican only, registration checked at the door, closed event. He raised a lot of money. Since Hoffman has declared partisanship, let me remind everyone that the Republican Party is now actively dismantling our federal government. It is anti LGBTQ, anti-gay marriage, and anti diversity, equity, or inclusion which includes women of all races.
Republicans are pro-nepotism and inherited generational wealth, while claiming their hard work underpins all of their achievements. While they profess faith and Christian values, they seem to have forgotten what those values are or how they are put to work in the world. Claiming your Christian faith as a qualification for elected office has become valueless to most constituents. That’s saying something in a small town of 11,000 with more than twenty local churches.