How Lynnwood Mayor Hurst plans to make his campaign promises a reality

During his campaign, Lynnwood mayoral candidate George Hurst promised to address the City’s budget deficit, bolster public safety, improve City Hall culture and make Lynnwood a more affordable and enjoyable place to live. Nearly a month into his new job as mayor, he sat down with My Lynnwood News to outline how he plans to deliver.

Budget

Lynnwood was initially projected to end the 2025-26 biennium with a $10 million surplus. By mid-2025, updated forecasts showed a $20 million revenue gap, driven largely by underperforming sales taxes and red-light camera revenue, delayed construction projects, inflation and rising operating costs, staff said.

Hurst previously said the deficit was largely self-inflicted, pointing to overly optimistic forecasts and communication failures within City Hall.

Under state law, Lynnwood must close the remaining $3.8 million deficit for 2026 by Dec. 31. Hurst set a goal for himself and City staff to address the 2026 deficit by April 1, before the City Council begins planning for the 2027-28 biennial budget.

Hurst is optimistic in the City’s ability to tackle the budget, noting that department directors are “chomping at the bit” to get this thing solved. Hurst is now having weekly meetings with department directors, presenting timelines and plans within their departments to move the needle.

With three new councilmembers taking office this year, most of the Council has less than three years of experience. To address the learning curve, Hurst said he plans to bring department directors before the Council this spring to explain their operations, recent cuts and future needs.

“I’m hoping that we’re being more transparent, honest with our council as far as what’s going on in the City and that we are trying to control spending,” he said.

Hurst was outspoken during his campaign about problems with the City’s 2025-26 budget forecasting.

“When it comes to our deficit, I don’t think it was created because the economic atmosphere is poor,” he said. “It was just some bad forecasting, and that we can fix.”

He said future forecasts will be “much more conservative,” citing a $5 million shortfall in red-light camera revenue in 2025. He said relying heavily on camera revenue is risky, as compliance increases over time when people become aware of the cameras and adjust their driving.

Hurst said the City should also look outside City Hall for solutions. Although councilmembers have previously proposed an external financial audit or efficiency study, none moved forward.

“I regret that nothing was ever done as far as an efficiency study,” he said.

Before staff builds a new budget, Hurst said City operations should be closely examined to determine whether staffing levels are appropriate or processes need to change. He said he has “seriously considered” bringing in a consultant, noting that qualified experts familiar with Lynnwood and Snohomish County cities are available.

“We’re in such strange times that it’s worth spending money to get some ideas from a consultant,” he said.

Once internal processes are reviewed, the City can move forward with forecasting and long-term planning.

“The reality is, we have more revenue coming in than we did last year,” Hurst said. “Now we need to be able to take that revenue and use it wisely.”

Staff compensation is the City’s largest expense. Hurst said money-saving options include pausing hiring, expanding job-sharing and reducing the city’s vehicle fleet by encouraging departments to share vehicles and delay maintenance where feasible.

He also wants to prioritize internal infrastructure maintenance when possible, rather than relying on contractors. The city’s recent purchase of a paver has been a “huge cost saver” for the public works department, he said, and he wants to expand that approach citywide.

While forecasting errors contributed to the deficit, Hurst acknowledged broader financial pressures across the region, including new state regulations and economic uncertainty. He criticized the state for imposing mandates without additional funding but praised staff for identifying revenue options such as the public safety sales tax and opioid settlement funds.

“We’re all struggling,” Hurst said. “We need better ideas from the state if they want us to do things like including medical staff in our jails.”

Lynnwood recently established a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to support redevelopment projects. Hurst said he wants to expand the use of TIF and similar tools.

Economy and housing

To improve affordability, Hurst said income and housing are his top priorities as Lynnwood experiences rapid growth following the arrival of Link light rail in August 2024. He stressed the importance of providing a framework for sustainable, ethical and affordable growth. “We want things in place that make sure Lynnwood people can be working there and earning their wages,” Hurst said.

Since the City Council adopted Comprehensive Plan updates in 2024 and changes to development code in 2025, Hurst said applications for accessory dwelling units have increased under more flexible state laws. He also cited growing interest in workforce housing, with developers pursuing multifamily tax exemptions to build units for middle- and low-income earners.

While delayed development projects contributed to last year’s deficit, Hurst said activity has since stabilized. He expressed optimism about future construction, noting developers appear more confident amid a steadier financial market.

“I think finally people may have gotten used to the ups and downs of the federal government, tariffs, it’s almost become a sudden norm,” Hurst said. “I think developers are not as cautious… I think the financial market has stabilized so that developers feel pretty confident.”

Hurst said Lynnwood’s reputation among developers has improved, with many citing efficient permitting, code enforcement and construction support.

“Six years ago people didn’t want to build in Lynnwood, and now they’ve changed that,” he said.

Major projects slated to begin this year include new Edmonds School District middle schools, the Lynnwood Public Facilities redevelopment and Northline Village.

“There’s exciting ideas and things happening,” Hurst said. “I think last year was a slow year, it didn’t live up to everything in the economic forecast, but things are turning around.”

At the same time, taxes and fees have risen sharply, particularly utility taxes, which have increased by more than 20% annually since 2023 to fund a new wastewater treatment plant.

Hurst said he wants to remain mindful of wages and working conditions. He expressed interest in revisiting former Councilmember Josh Binda’s unsuccessful proposal to raise Lynnwood’s minimum wage from $16 to $20 an hour, but said he would first convene a task force to study impacts on businesses and the broader economy.

With Lynnwood’s economy heavily concentrated in retail and service jobs, Hurst said he wants to diversify employment opportunities through project labor agreements and partnerships with local unions.

Public safety and human services

Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon told the City Council last month that staffing levels are approaching critical lows. The department has about 65 officers, short of the roughly 80 needed to meet service demands. Officers are overworked, leading to high overtime and occasional reductions in service.

Hurst said police and jail staffing pose some of the City’s biggest budget challenges. State law requires medical staff in the jail, and additional correctional officers are needed. Lynnwood’s Community Justice Center was built with the expectation of housing inmates from other jurisdictions, generating revenue, but staffing shortages limited that potential in 2025.

“We have made a commitment to other cities that they will be able to use our jail facility,” Hurst said. “Our challenge is to make sure we have the correctional officer staffing to make sure we can handle those cities’ requirements.”

To help address public safety costs, the Council approved a 0.1% public safety tax  in January, raising Lynnwood’s rate to 10.7%. The tax is expected to generate about $3 million annually for police and social services.

Hurst also pointed to the City’s $1 million opioid settlement fund, saying the council will continue discussions this year on how best to use the money. He favors partnerships with nearby cities to pool resources and expand services, similar to what happened at the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center.

“Let’s face it, the drug addiction problem is not just in Lynnwood,” Hurst said. “It doesn’t have borders.”

Several local organizations could benefit from the funds, including the Lynnwood Hygiene Center, which was saved from closure earlier this year after philanthropist Rick Steves purchased the facility.

While Hurst said he’s glad the center remains open, he acknowledged neighborhood concerns about safety, open drug use and retail theft.

“It’d be great if we closed down the hygiene center and didn’t need it, but we do,” he said. “So now the goal is to figure out how to reduce the use of that facility.”

He said he has a meeting planned with the Jean Kim Foundation, the nonprofit operating the hygiene center, and police, residents and business owners in the area. He plans to use that time to see what the needs are and what tools the City has to address them.

He also highlighted the upcoming opening of Lynnwood’s Crisis Care Center and said the city must strengthen partnerships with housing providers to ensure people leaving a crisis have stable options.

“Say someone comes out of a crisis, where are they going to go?” he said. “I don’t want them back on the street. I want a place for them to go.”

City Hall culture

During his campaign, Hurst criticized what he described as poor communication and a stifling culture at City Hall under the previous administration.

Two employees in key City offices left Lynnwood in January after Hurst took office: Former City Clerk Luke Lonie and City Assistant Administrator Julie Moore, who had been with the city for almost 18 years. In recent years Lynnwood has been in local and national headlines over chaos in City government, financial difficulties and significant layoffs, potentially presenting a challenging hiring situation.

Despite recent turmoil and layoffs, Hurst said Lynnwood remains an attractive place to work. The City will be at the end of the light rail line for almost another decade. The growth that brings will provide great opportunities for professional advancement, he said.

With higher revenues projected this year, Hurst said he hopes to avoid further staffing cuts.

“We’re optimistic we can solve our deficit without having a heavy impact on the rest of the employees,” he said.

He said City Hall culture is already improving through regular one-on-one meetings and cross-department collaboration.

“We’re not going to have silos,” Hurst said. “We’re going to sit together at a table and work it out.”

Looking ahead

Hurst said this year he will focus on community engagement, prioritizing door-to-door outreach over mailers or traditional town halls.

Within a year, he said residents will see tangible results, including increased police staffing, faster response times and more community events.

He also wants to activate neighborhood parks and make city spending more visible, helping residents see where their tax dollars go, rather than just footing the increased bill.

Hurst said he hopes to build community around events such as the World Cup, the farmers market planned at the Lynnwood Transit Station and revived traditions like firehouse pancake breakfasts.

“People are busy and they want to just run their lives and know they have a government that is actually spending things wisely,” Hurst said. “People just want to know that their community is safe, but also that there’s fun events – and that’s what we’re going to emphasize.

— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.