Editing Mukilteo, Washington (section)

==Government and politics==
[[File:Mukilteo, WA city hall.jpg|thumb|left|Mukilteo's [[city hall]], opened in 2008|alt=A brown building with two stories, a large glass atrium, and a flagpole.]]

The City of Mukilteo operates as a non-charter [[City government in Washington (state)|code city]] with a [[mayor–council government]], consisting of a mayor and a seven-member city council who are elected to four-year terms.<ref name="Council">{{cite web |title=City Council |url=https://mukilteowa.gov/city-council/ |publisher=City of Mukilteo |access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> Elections for the [[at-large]] positions are held in odd-numbered years and conducted in a [[Non-partisan democracy|nonpartisan]] manner, with city council seats staggered for a maximum of four seats per election.<ref name="Council"/> Former two-term mayor Joe Marine was re-elected to a third term as mayor in 2021, defeating former city councilwoman and two-term mayor Jennifer Gregerson, who defeated him in 2013; Marine had served as mayor since 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Andrea |title=Mukilteo City Council seeks applicants to fill open seat |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mukilteo-city-council-seeks-applicants-to-fill-open-seat/ |access-date=January 3, 2022 |work=The Everett Herald |date=December 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Andrea |title=Mukilteo's mayor and ex-mayor battle for a third term |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mukilteos-mayor-and-ex-mayor-battle-for-a-third-term/ |access-date=January 3, 2022 |work=The Everett Herald |date=October 26, 2021}}</ref> Management of the city government was also delegated to a full-time [[city administrator]] until the position was eliminated in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Rikki |date=July 6, 2014 |title=Mukilteo drops city administrator position |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mukilteo-drops-city-administrator-position/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> A proposal to create the position of [[city manager]] and change to a [[Council–manager government|council–manager]] form of government was rejected by voters in the November 2019 elections.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Andrea |date=May 21, 2019 |title=Mayor or manager? Mukilteo voters will decide in November |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mayor-or-manager-mukilteo-voters-will-decide-in-november/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=May 21, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=November 6, 2019 |title=Edmonds, Lake Stevens and Sultan usher in changes at the top |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/edmonds-lake-stevens-and-sultan-usher-in-changes-at-the-top/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref>

The city government has 113 full-time employees and operated in 2016 on a budget of $32 million that is predominantly funded by [[sales tax]]es.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 16, 2017 |title=Accountability Audit Report: City of Mukilteo |url=http://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?isFinding=false&arn=1020203 |publisher=[[Washington State Auditor]] |access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Budget">{{cite web |date=January 11, 2016 |title=2016 City of Mukilteo Annual Budget |page=9 |url=https://mukilteowa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016-FINAL-Budget-Book-Web.pdf |publisher=City of Mukilteo |access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, the combined sales tax rate in Mukilteo is 10.6&nbsp;percent, tied for the highest in Washington.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baumbach |first=Jenelle |date=December 27, 2023 |title=3 Snohomish County cities have highest sales tax rate in state |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/3-snohomish-county-cities-have-highest-sales-tax-rate-in-state/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Mukilteo maintains its own [[police department|police]] and [[fire department|fire]] services, as well as departments for recreation, [[urban planning|planning]], and [[public works]].<ref name="Budget"/><ref>{{cite web |title=City Departments |url=https://mukilteowa.gov/departments/ |publisher=City of Mukilteo |access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> Other services, including utilities, garbage collection, public transportation, and the [[public library|library]], are contracted to regional agencies and organizations.<ref name="Directory"/> Mukilteo's [[city hall]] is located in Harbour Pointe and was constructed in 2008, costing $8.5 million and integrating recycled materials and other environmentally friendly features.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=December 21, 2008 |title=Mukilteo makes its big move; New City Hall to open on Tuesday |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The city hall was formerly housed at the Rosehill Community Center in Old Town and was temporarily moved to a leased Harbour Pointe warehouse in 1992 to accommodate more employees.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=September 28, 1992 |title=Ugly is beautiful, Mukilteo discovers |page=E1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=March 22, 2005 |title=Mukilteo City Hall site selected |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mukilteo-city-hall-site-selected/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> After initially approving a site near the Rosehill Center in Old Town, the city government chose the Harbour Pointe site in 2006 as a compromise between disagreeing factions of the city council.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=October 4, 2006 |title=Mukilteo picks city hall site |work=The Everett Herald}}</ref>

At the federal level, Mukilteo has been part of the [[Washington's 2nd congressional district|2nd congressional district]] since 2012 and is represented by Democrat [[Rick Larsen]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Evan |date=February 23, 2012 |title=Larsen: South Snohomish County will be important part of 2nd District |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/uncategorized/larsen-south-snohomish-county-will-be-important-part-of-2nd-district/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref><ref name="CD02Map">{{cite map |author=Census Bureau Geography Division |year=2023 |title=118th Congress of the United States: Washington – Congressional District 2 |scale=1:295,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST53/CD118_WA02.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The district includes most of western Snohomish County along with [[Island County, Washington|Island]], [[Skagit County, Washington|Skagit]], and [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom]] counties.<ref name="CD02Map"/><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> Prior to post-census redistricting in 2012, Mukilteo was part of the [[Washington's 1st congressional district|1st congressional district]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Cornfield |first=Jerry |date=December 28, 2011 |title=Redistricting sets up political battleground in Snohomish County |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/redistricting-sets-up-political-battleground-in-snohomish-county/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> At the state level, the city and [[Edmonds, Washington|Edmonds]] comprise the [[Washington's 21st legislative district|21st legislative district]], which also includes unincorporated areas north of Lynnwood.<ref>{{cite map |author=Washington State Redistricting Commission |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Legislative District 21 |page=22 |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><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Evan |date=February 18, 2016 |title=Legislators from 21st District plan Saturday town-hall events |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/legislators-from-21st-district-plan-saturday-town-hall-events/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> Mukilteo is wholly part of the [[Snohomish County Council]]'s 2nd district, which also covers Everett and the [[Tulalip Indian Reservation]].<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>