Editing Mountlake Terrace, Washington (section)

==Government and politics==
[[File:Redstone Corporate Center - Mountlake Terrace interim city hall.jpg|thumb|right|The interim [[city hall]] of Mountlake Terrace at an [[office park]] near [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]]]]

Mountlake Terrace is a noncharter incorporated [[City government in Washington (state)|code city]] with a [[Council–manager government|council–manager]] form of government.<ref name="Audit">{{cite web |date=April 4, 2019 |title=Accountability Audit Report: City of Mountlake Terrace |page=6 |url=https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?arn=1023492&isFinding=false&sp=false |publisher=[[Washington State Auditor]] |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> The [[city council]] meets twice a month and has seven part-time members who are elected [[at-large]] in staggered four-year terms.<ref>{{cite web |title=City Council |url=https://www.cityofmlt.com/587/City-Council |publisher=City of Mountlake Terrace |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> The [[city manager]] is appointed by the city council to act as chief administrator of the city government and appoints the executives of city departments and programs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Evan |date=January 28, 2016 |title=Mountlake Terrace using firm to find new city manager – this time for free |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mountlake-terrace-using-firm-to-find-new-city-manager-this-time-for-free/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> The city council also selects one of its members to serve as [[mayor]], a largely ceremonial role that includes presiding over council meetings, for a two-year term.<ref name="Audit"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Evan |date=February 16, 2016 |title=Johnson, Boyer, Smith, Krienke head city councils in south county |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/johnson-boyer-smith-krienke-head-city-councils-in-south-county/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref>

Jeff Niten has served as the city manager of Mountlake Terrace since his appointment in April 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=March 17, 2023 |title=New Mountlake Terrace city manager set for $200K salary |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-mountlake-terrace-city-manager-set-for-200k-salary/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 3, 2024}}</ref> Councilmember and [[realtor]] Kyoko Matsumoto Wright was appointed as mayor in December 2018 to finish the term of the late Jerry Smith.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Matsumoto Wright to serve as Mountlake Terrace mayor |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/matsumoto-wright-to-serve-as-mountlake-terrace-mayor/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> The city council also appoints citizens to serve on seven [[advisory board]]s: the Arts Advisory Commission, Civil Service Commission, Community Policing Advisory Board, Neighborhood Parks Improvement Subcommittee, Planning Commission, Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission, and Salary Commission.<ref>{{cite web |title=Boards & Commissions |url=https://www.cityofmlt.com/450/Boards-Commissions |publisher=City of Mountlake Terrace |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref>

The city government had an annual operating budget of $29&nbsp;million in 2017 that is largely funded by [[property tax|property]], [[sales tax|sales]], and [[utility tax|utility]] taxes.<ref name="Budget"/><ref name="Audit"/> It employs approximately 192 people who are organized into several departments that are overseen by the city manager and city council.<ref name="Budget"/> Mountlake Terrace provides its own municipal services, including [[animal control service|animal control]], building inspection, [[zoning]], public works, parks and recreation, [[tap water]], [[sewage treatment]], and a [[police department]].<ref name="Audit"/> The city government is based out of a [[city hall]] that opened in 2021 as part of a new [[civic center|civic campus]] in downtown, adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park.<ref name="CivicCampus"/> An interim city hall at an office park near Interstate 5 opened in 2008 after the previous city hall suffered a sudden roof collapse.<ref name="Facilities"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Mina |date=September 20, 2008 |title=Mountlake Terrace's interim City Hall holds open house |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mountlake-terraces-interim-city-hall-holds-open-house/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=September 19, 2021}}</ref>

Other municipal services are provided from regional entities, including [[firefighting]] and [[emergency medical services]] from [[South County Fire]], which inherited a contract signed by Mountlake Terrace with Fire District 1 in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |last=Halpert |first=Oscar |date=April 5, 2010 |title=Fire District 1's plans bumping up against growing cities |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/fire-district-1s-plans-bumping-up-against-growing-cities/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bryan |first=Zachariah |date=May 27, 2019 |title=After 40 years in fire service, South County chief retires |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/after-40-years-in-fire-service-south-county-chief-retires/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 2, 2022}}</ref> The city's inmates are sent to [[jail]]s operated by Snohomish County or the City of Lynnwood, which also has a [[municipal court]] for Mountlake Terrace's police cases.<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Rikki |date=September 6, 2014 |title=Increase in jail booking, housing fees will cost cities more |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/increase-in-jail-booking-housing-fees-will-cost-cities-more/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> The countywide [[Sno-Isle Libraries]] system oversees Mountlake Terrace's [[library]], while the [[Edmonds School District]] operates public schools in the city.<ref name="Budget"/>{{rp|16}}

At the federal level, Mountlake Terrace is part of the [[Washington's 1st congressional district|1st congressional district]], represented by Democrat [[Suzan DelBene]]. The district encompasses parts of Snohomish and King counties between Arlington and [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]] that generally lie east of Interstate 5.<ref>{{cite map |author=Census Bureau Geography Division |year=2023 |title=118th Congress of the United States: Washington – Congressional District 1 |scale=1:118,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST53/CD118_WA01.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cornfield |first=Jerry |date=October 24, 2022 |title=Incumbents DelBene, Larsen say country is heading in right direction |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/incumbents-delbene-larsen-say-country-is-heading-in-right-direction/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The city had previously been part of the [[Washington's 2nd congressional district|2nd congressional district]] until 2022.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 10, 2021 |title=State redistricting maps will shuffle Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace |url=https://myedmondsnews.com/2021/12/state-redistricting-maps-will-shuffle-edmonds-and-mountlake-terrace/ |work=My Edmonds News |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> At the state level, Mountlake Terrace is part of the [[Washington's 32nd legislative district|32nd legislative district]], which also includes Lynnwood, [[Shoreline, Washington|Shoreline]], [[Woodway, Washington|Woodway]], and portions of Edmonds and Seattle.<ref>{{cite map |author=Washington State Redistricting Commission |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Legislative District 32 |page=33 |work=District Maps Booklet 2022 |url=https://leg.wa.gov/LIC/Documents/Maps/Redistricting%20Map%20Booklet_2022.pdf |publisher=Washington State Legislative Information Center |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The city is also part of the [[Snohomish County Council]]'s 4th district, which also includes Brier, northern Bothell, and Mill Creek.<ref>{{cite map |date=May 12, 2022 |title=Snohomish County: County Council Districts |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/99589/County-Council-Districts-PDF |publisher=Snohomish County Elections |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref>