ARLINGTON – Two business owners with deep roots in the community are facing off for the Position 2 seat on the Arlington City Council.

Incumbent Jesica Stickles, owner of Stickles Press and President/CEO of the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce, said the city has racked up many achievements during her first four-year term. She wants to retain her seat to help keep the town moving forward.

“I’m very proud of how far the city has come in the last four years,” she said.

Bolstering public safety, securing funding for 172nd Street widening, completion of three dozen road maintenance projects, opening of the Arlington Community Resource Center, horizontal mixed-use regulations, Arlington Awaits marketing campaign and other initiatives are positioning the city for a brighter future, she said.

Her challenger, Craig Christianson, a retired Seattle firefighter and owner of Arlington Distributing Co. who ran for mayor in 2015, said the time is right for him to take a more active role in his hometown’s decision-making process.

“As a lifetime resident, I want to be involved in the direction that our city is headed,” he said.

The two actually agree on many key issues, but in the business realm, Christianson said he believes that Stickles’ post as head of the chamber creates a conflict of interest with her council position.

He doesn’t have divided loyalties, he said. “My business is here. My life is here. I’m not promoting Marysville-Tulalip. I’m promoting Arlington.”

Stickles sees no conflict, saying her chamber job is focused on business retention and keeping businesses thriving and healthy in Marysville and Tulalip, while in Arlington “I focus on policy, governance and new development, so there are slightly different roles there.”

Beyond that, she added, she serves on several regional and local boards addressing issues that are better resolved through valuable partnerships between Arlington, neighboring jurisdictions and other organizations.

In ongoing talks to form a Regional Fire Authority combining the cities of Arlington, Marysville and Fire District 12, Christianson supports the stance that Arlington firefighters take when a final decision is made.

Stickles serves on the RFA review committee and wants to continue working on the proposal that would combine forces and resources in a cost-effective manner that could benefit service-area residents.

They were asked at a candidates forum hosted by the Arlington-Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce Tuesday that if they could make one change on council what would it be.

“If one initiative, a crime-free Smokey Point,” Christianson said. “Whatever it takes to do that.”

Stickles said: “It would be that state and federal funding would come a lot faster, the 172nd Street project would start the design phase tomorrow, and it shouldn’t come as any surprise that I would want to further staff the police department.”

Stickles serves as council liaison to the city’s public safety and community and economic development committees; lodging tax advisory committee; Puget Sound Regional Council economic development board; regional fire authority review committee, county human rights commission and other boards.

Christianson is a former planning commissioner, active member of the Downtown Arlington Business Association, and sponsor and contributor to the Todd Evans Scholarship Fund, Arlington Boys and Girls Club auction, as well as the Arlington Kiwanis Club auction.

Name: Jesica Stickles

Experience: One term elected to Arlington City Council. Public Safety Liaison; Community & Economic Development Liaison; Economic Development Board – Puget Sound Regional Council; Lodging Tax Advisory Committee; Emergency Medical Services Sustainability Committee; Regional Fire Authority Review Committee; Mixed-Use Development Sub-committee. Owner of a small printing business in Arlington for 12 years. President of the Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce for two years. Shoreline Community College. Economic Alliance Small Business Board; Snohomish County Human Rights Commission; Stanwood-Camano YMCA Board – Arlington Liaison; Leadership Snohomish County; Emerging Leaders Panel Judge.

Why vote for me rather than opponent? It has been my privilege to serve the people of Arlington for four years. My goal has been to secure the future of our city as a special place to work, play, raise a family or enjoy retirement in safety and comfort, which depends on making smart and fiscally responsible decisions. I am a collaborative servant leader who loves my community and listens to citizens. The health and welfare of the citizens is my top priority. I support our Fire and Police departments and will continue to prioritize staffing them to address growing needs, which resulted in my endorsement by the Arlington Police Officers Association.

I am constantly working on the issues of the opioid epidemic and will not stop until we have found multiple viable solutions. Growth is prevalent and unavoidable. We must prepare for it with high standards on developers and traffic improvement requirements. Traffic congestion and road repairs need to be addressed first. And I will continue to work on attracting good-paying manufacturing jobs here.

Name: Craig Christianson

Experience: As a lifetime resident of Arlington, a small-business owner since 1978 and a former candidate for mayor, I feel I’m well connected with our citizens and their concerns. I am a former member of the Arlington Planning Commission, a 21-year member of the then Arlington Volunteer Fire Department, the first full-time paid firefighter for Arlington, and 25 years with the Seattle Fire Department, retiring in 2015. Public safety is a top priority for me. I am an active member of the Downtown Arlington Business Association and sponsor many of their events.

What issues to you differ on? I am an active member of the Arlington-Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce. My opponent is listed as president and CEO of the Marysville-Tulalip chamber, her business is in Marysville, and she is on the Arlington Tourism Board. This is a huge conflict of interest. I have no conflict of interest. My opponent sits on the Arlington Public Safety Committee and the fire and police departments are both under-funded and under- staffed. With rising population comes a rising crime rate and more responses for police and fire. These two outstanding departments need and deserve our support and must be fully funded. Firefighters are supporting the upcoming Regional Fire Authority, and I support their decision. If my opponent is really concerned about Arlington, why is her business in Marysville? As a member of the Lodging Tax Committee, she voted to not fund DABA events, but was overridden by other council members. Why vote for me rather than opponent? I support everything Arlington – not Marysville. I am an active member and supporter of DABA. I am a sponsor and contributor to the Todd Evans Scholarship Fund. I donate yearly to the Arlington Boys and Girls Club auction, as well as the Arlington Kiwanis auction, and many other, in my opinion, worthy causes and individuals. And I have no conflicts of interest.