MARYSVILLE — Jon Nehring just recently started his third term on the Marysville City Council, but he’s already getting ready for his new job in August.
Nehring believes that his more than eight years on the Council, including four years as the city’s mayor pro-tem, have given him a good grounding for when he replaces Dennis Kendall as mayor on Aug. 2. Moreover, many of his priorities as mayor will be building on what Nehring sees as the progress made during Kendall’s tenure.
“Continuing the successful partnerships that he helped develop will be a top priority, from the Tulalip Tribes and neighboring cities to other regional bodies,” Nehring said. “It’s also key to our environment that we continue to work to increase the strength of our businesses, and to make this an attractive place to do business. We need both retail and manufacturing bases that can provide local jobs capable of supporting families.”
Nehring also pledged to uphold support for the Marysville Police Department and Fire District, whose performances he lauded, by working to ensure they have access to the resources they’ll need to serve the community, especially in light of the recent annexation that expanded their service areas.
“It’ll be a challenge in this economy, but we need to improve our traffic flow and maintain our existing streets,” Nehring said. “We can seek out additional funding at the state and national levels, but we can’t let ourselves fall behind on this.”
Nehring is likewise looking to enhance the city’s parks and increase its number of walking trails, not only to foster quality of life, but also as part of Marysville’s commitment to the Healthy Communities Project.
Nehring expressed confidence in the city’s future progress toward its “overarching vision,” citing the efforts and achievements of not only his fellow Council members and the city’s department directors, but also by Kendall and former Chief Administrative Officer Mary Swenson.
“Mary left the city in tremendous shape, and Gloria Hirashima is already doing a tremendous job in her stead,” Nehring said. “Dennis Kendall did a fantastic job in his six and a half years as well. I’m benefitting from the wealth of experience accumulated by all these community-minded folks.”
Nehring’s interest in politics dates back to his participation in his high school student council, but he didn’t enter the field of local government until 2001, after attending several Council meetings and discussing his possible bid for office with his wife.
“The great strength of our Council is that it sets aside personal differences to work toward the betterment of the community,” Nehring said. “It’s an exciting and challenging time to be part of city government, and I’m grateful to have such a great team around me.”
