[Letter by Katherine Ross – City of Snoqualmie Mayor. Views expressed are those of the author, not the Living Snoqualmie website. You may submit letters of support for your candidate to info@livingsnoqualmie.com.]
When I became Mayor in 2022, Snoqualmie faced major challenges: pandemic recovery, nearly 30% of city positions were vacant including 7 out of 9 leadership positions were open, systems were outdated, and competing cities were hiring away our skilled employees. As mayor, I made it a priority to rebuild a strong, stable workforce. We implemented competitive compensation, created entry-level opportunities, modernized operations, and performance accountability. Today, staffing vacancies are around 5%, overtime costs are down 30%, and staff surveys show 85% of employees feel positive about coming to work and 90% are satisfied with their work-life balance. Snoqualmie now has one of the strongest, most stable city teams in years, and our residents are seeing the results in the quality of service they receive. I am very proud of our employees who provide outstanding services to our residents.
Public safety remains my top priority. Some have suggested Snoqualmie doesn’t have a Fire Chief, that’s not accurate. We have a strong Fire Chief and a dedicated fire leadership team. This year, we added 3 new firefighters and expanded EMS volunteers, which means quicker response times and reduced strain on our team. Our Fire Department remains accredited and among the strongest in the region.
On policing, the council and I worked hard to ensure Snoqualmie residents no longer subsidize North Bend’s services, over $1 million annually. The new agreement is fair, protects our taxpayers and allows our police to focus fully on Snoqualmie. My administration and I worked directly with North Bend’s mayor and administration, and we continue to have a productive working relationship.
Personnel changes, including police leadership, were difficult but necessary. Every decision was made carefully, in consultation with City Council, and always to strengthen accountability. The result is our police force is respected across the region, with crime down 10% over the last year.
Under my leadership, both police and fire services will remain in Snoqualmie, ensuring fast response times and accountability to our residents. My opponent has indicated support for outsourcing Snoqualmie’s police and fire services to third parties.
Strong Snoqualmie Valley and regional partnerships have also paid off. I’ve made sure that Snoqualmie has a seat at the table and we’ve secured millions in outside funding for roads, public safety, and community amenities. That’s money we didn’t have to raise locally. Leadership requires showing up, building trust, and doing the work.
Snoqualmie is stronger today than it was four years ago: safer streets, new parks like the splash pad, the community center pool project moving forward, and a fiscally sound city government.
I’m running for re-election to keep that progress going for our families and our future. To learn more about my campaign and the differences between my opponent and me, visit https://mayorrossforsnoqualmie.com/.
Thank you,
Mayor Katherine Ross
Comments
I am confused about the status of the Community Expansion project and the pool in particular, You seem to be saying the pool is still happening as planned in your Op Ed yet your opponent is pursuing a pool with North Bend in his statements. The information is conflicting and the timelines are confusing. The latest update on the pool project you link to is from July 2024, which is over a year old. Is the YMCA pool still happening or because we did not get the county grant is the pool project dead? Your latest messaging seems to indicate the pool is a go but reality indicates otherwise. The voters deserve to know the current status of this Community Expansion project before this election.