TULALIP — Marysville City Council incumbents Jeff Seibert and Donna Wright faced off against their respective opponents, Patrick Larson Jr. and Quinn King, Oct. 9 at the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce candidates forum.

The differences between the incumbents and their challengers were sharply defined when Larson declared that the central Marysville annexation has proceeded with inadequate information provided to the affected residents. He further disputed that police response times to the area would decrease under Marysville coverage. Seibert asserted that police response times would go down, because “Marysville does a better job,” and noted that various advertisements and City Council meetings have been devoted to the annexation starting two years ago.

Seibert stated that he does not favor an emissions tax, counter to Larson’s claims. Seibert then pointed to a number of City Council-approved improvements, such as the waterfront park and the downtown master plan, as examples of how he’s already helped Marysville maintain its small-town feel, which Larson had stated was important.

When Larson asked Seibert to consider how residents of the annexation area would be affected by being forced to connect to city utilities, Seibert stated that none of them would be required to do so. Seibert then asked Larson to explain the purpose of the city’s transportation improvement program, which Larson stated he was not privy to.

During his exchanges with Wright, King frequently characterized the current City Council as supporters of “big box” stores such as Walmart, and advocated supporting smaller businesses instead. Wright countered that an increased tax base, as through annexation, would favor smaller businesses by lowering their taxes.

When King urged lowering taxes further, until the economy recovers, Wright identified taxes as a necessary means of funding government services. Wright advocated prioritizing the budget, to “do more with less,” which King countered by asserting that executive staff is receiving raises while other city employees are getting laid off.

When Wright asked King what commitments he’d made in order to serve on the City Council, King explained that he was not inclined to ask for time off work, but he had asked his family about running and received their support.