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Robert Leutwyler on Monday night officially became Lynnwood’s newest city councilmember, putting an end to a marathon – and controversial – effort to fill the Position 5 seat vacated by former Councilmember Julieta Altamirano-Crosby in January.
Leutwyler was sworn in via Zoom, due to travel scheduled before his appointment, city spokesperson Nathan MacDonald told Lynnwood Today in an email Monday.
“It is a deep honor and privilege to join the Lynnwood City Council and continue serving this
community, “ Leutwyler said in a press release from the city. “As a councilmember, I will strive every day to earn and build trust as an advocate for all residents. I also want to recognize and thank everyone who stepped forward and applied for this position — it takes courage and commitment to step up and participate in public service.”
The council voted March 19 to appoint Leutwyler to the seat. He’s set to serve on the council until the November general election, where under state law he must run for reelection if he wants to retain the seat. The same goes for Councilmember Derica Escamilla, who was appointed to the Position 1 seat after former Councilmember Shirley Sutton resigned in May 2024.
Leutwyler was the third candidate appointed to the position, with the first two dropping out shortly before taking an oath of office. Most notably was Jessica Roberts, whom the council appointed March 10.
The morning after Roberts’ appointment, the Lynnwood Times posted an article exposing Roberts’ sexually explicit and graphic social media activity. This included an OnlyFans account – a website where creators can lock content behind a paywall, commonly used to monetize pornographic material. Roberts resigned amid widespread backlash to her digital footprint and the council’s failure to catch it beforehand. The racy headlines not only caught the attention of Lynnwood residents, but were also covered by local and national media outlets, such as Vice.
Prior to Roberts’ appointment, the council Feb. 20 had appointed Rebecca Thornton. She stepped down without explanation only an hour before she was scheduled to take an oath of office.
This was Leutwyler’s second bid for Altaminrano-Crosby’s seat. He unsuccessfully ran against her in 2023, with Altamirano-Crosby taking 65% of the vote. The Army veteran currently works for Amazon as an international retirement savings plan manager, where he oversees employees across Canada and Latin America. He also earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington.
Born and raised in Texas, Leutwyler moved to Washington while serving in the U.S. Army at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in 2010. He’s lived in the state ever since and moved to Lynnwood after buying his first home in 2018. He previously served on the city’s planning commission, but that seat is vacant following his appointment to the council, McDonald said.
In other business, the council approved an updated contract with the Verdant Health Commission to continue funding a social worker who works in tandem with law enforcement through the Snohomish County Outreach Team (SCOUT).
According to the county’s website, county law enforcement teams up with social workers who “assist frequent jail utilizers, unsheltered populations, and those struggling with mental and behavioral health to find services they need and lessen the likelihood of re-offending, law enforcement contact, or incarceration.”
The total cost of the contract for 2025 was $219,830.50, but Verdant covered $177,000 of that through a grant awarded to the city of Lynnwood last year, according to city documents. The remaining balance was $84,661 – split between Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace – as the two cities share a full-time social worker. Lynnwood’s half of the remaining balance was $42,330.50 and on Monday the council approved the use of the city’s opioid fund to cover that cost.
A full recording of the meeting can be found on the city’s website.
– By Ashley Nash. Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.
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