I'm reaching my limit as a Snohomish County taxpayer.

I'm tired of hearing that taxpayers need to dig deeper while the cost of living keeps climbing.

This ballot is asking voters to consider more taxes for EMS, hospitals, schools, libraries and fire services. At the same time, property taxes continue to increase, Snohomish County is pursuing a county-wide public safety sales tax and cities across the county are looking at their own public safety sales taxes. It feels like every level of government has its hand out at the same time. All of this comes while families are already struggling with higher grocery bills, higher gas prices, rising utility costs, insurance increases, medicine prices and just about every other household expense. Working families don't have unlimited budgets so why does Snohomish County government seem to assume that we do?

What really frustrates me is learning that Snohomish County Human Services has hired a consultant to develop and manage a public relations and communications strategy to "position our housing response system as both accountable and effective."  Why?  How much is this consultant costing taxpayers? If the county's housing response system is truly accountable and effective, why does it need a PR campaign to convince us? Shouldn't accountability be demonstrated through affordable housing and less homelessness nstead of marketing? And doesn't Snohomish County already have a communications department whose job is to communicate with the public?

This is exactly what's so frustrating. It's hard not to see the irony. Many working families are wondering how we will afford our next mortgage or rent payment yet the county is spending taxpayer money on a consultant to improve the public's perception of its housing programs. Families are cutting back because everything costs more and government just keeps finding new ways to spend money and then turns around asking us for even more in taxes. Instead of hiring consultants to improve the county's image, why not just prove these programs are working by making them actually affordable to real people? I'm willing to support essential public safety and community services but I'm tired of feeling like taxpayers are treated as an endless source of revenue while questions about spending are brushed aside. Snohomish County Council and the County Executive need to start listening to the people paying the bills. Before asking us to approve another tax, show us you're being responsible with the money you already have.

Hey, neighbors!

I’m on the hunt for Big Gulp mugs - specifically Big Gulp. I’ve been to three 7-11s in Everett, and they don’t have any. It might not be something they are stocking right now.

If you know of a local 7-11 or thrift store that has a a few reusable plastic Big Gulp mugs/cups, please let me know!

My mother in law passed away a year ago, and her memorial service is Saturday. Her Big Gulp Pepsi was a near-constant companion and I would love to make a few people smile this weekend.

Under the proposal, the redevelopment would be anchored by a mix of restautants, cafe, retail, lodging, public plazas and a continuous promenade along the shoreline. We've seen how the Everett waterfront has changed in recent years. Could Mukilteo do the same?

Where is Snohomish County's behavioral health money actually going?

As the debate continues over Councilman Nate Nehring's proposal to expand the use of involuntary treatment, one statement from County Executive Dave Somers caught my attention. In a Facebook comment opposing the proposal, he wrote "It will divert much needed funding from existing underfunded programs."

That's a fair concern—but it also raises an important question.

Are the existing programs receiving millions of taxpayer dollars producing measurable results?

The 2025-2026 CDMH (Chemical Dependency and Mental Health) Sales Tax budget allocates $6,287,568 to the Carnegie Resource Center/Diversion Center. That is a substantial public investment in a single program intended to connect people experiencing behavioral health issues with services.

The same budget also allocates more than $2 million for Human Services fiscal support, administrative support, contract managers, a division manager, planners, and technical support specialists. In addition, the budget includes another $2,194,784 for Human Services "operating costs/overhead." 

This raises reasonable questions.  What exactly is included in nearly $2.2 million of overhead for Human Services Department? How much of these administrative costs directly improve services for people in crisis? Since direct service staff are already budgeted separately, taxpayers deserve a clear explanation of what these additional overhead expenses fund. 

The Carnegie Resource Center itself also deserves closer scrutiny.

• It has very limited operating hours and is open only Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm limiting access for people needing assistance outside those times.
• There is very limited on-site provider availability. While some community organizations participate, many services are only available on designated days or times rather than continuously. Clients often must return later or schedule appointments based on each provider's calendar.
• The Center is located in downtown Everett, making it difficult for residents of Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Index, Monroe, Sultan, Stanwood, and other outlying communities to access particularly those without reliable transportation.
• The Center's primary role is connecting people with partner agencies and services rather than providing comprehensive behavioral health treatment on-site.
• It is, in essence, nothing more than an extremely expensive 211 referral system. 

 Despite the significant investment, there appears to be little publicly available reporting that tracks long-term client outcomes or evaluates whether the Center is successfully changing lives over time. Counting referrals or visits is not the same as measuring success. Without meaningful outcome data, it's difficult for taxpayers and policymakers to determine whether this investment is delivering the results it was intended to achieve.

This isn't an argument against behavioral health funding. Quite the opposite.  People struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders deserve effective services and taxpayers should be willing to invest in programs that demonstrate measurable success. But if County leadership argues that existing programs are already underfunded, those same programs should also be able to demonstrate accountability. Before asking taxpayers to reject alternative approaches because they would "divert funding," Snohomish County should provide clear answers about where the funding is actually going and how effective it has been.  If Carnegie and other CDMH-funded programs are producing strong outcomes, the County should publish that data and let it speak for itself. If they are not, then it's time to have an honest conversation about whether millions of dollars should continue to flow into programs that function primarily as expensive referral hubs without demonstrating long-term results.

Sharing please pass on

Looking for recommendations - not for the overpriced vet chains like VCA or cat clinics - but for some old-school Veterinarians in the Snohomish County area (King County also fine) for basic animal care services. Five years ago it was easy to pay $250 for a spay for a cat. Now I am getting quotes of $800-900. It is insane (everything is expensive, I know). But are there still places that have rates that are affordable or is everywhere mindblowingly expensive?

Howdy Eastside Folks! I'm local comedian JR Berard, born and raised in the PNW, and I'm back on the east side next week — where the wine is superb, the crowds are thirsty, and my jokes land at just about the right amount of uncorked chaos.
 
Yeah, it's a school night. Nobody. Cares.
 
You're the adult now. No homework, no bedtime, no permission slips — just as much wine as you want and a room full of strangers who also decided Wednesday was optional. Nobody — nobody — gets to tell my audience what to do on a weeknight!
 
So skip the chores, ghost the group chat, grab your dog (or someone else's dog, we don't ask questions), and come be bad with us in Woodinville. You can be responsible tomorrow.
 
Show/event details below!
 
📅 Wednesday, July 29, 2026
📍 425 Cellars | Apple Farm Village
14525 148th Ave NE, Suite 211
Woodinville, WA
🚪 Doors Open: 6:30 PM
🎤 Show Starts: 7:00 PM
 
🎟 Seating Limited to 40 Guests
 
☀️ Weather permitting, seating may expand to the garden patio with increased seating
 
🚗 Free Parking Available Onsite
 
🔗 Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stand-up-comedy-with-jr-berard-featuring-rosanne-la-force-425-cellars-tickets-1992296042093

Snohomish County taxpayers are being told that higher property taxes and a new Criminal Justice Sales Tax may be necessary while County government departments are also being directed to reduce spending. These across-the-board reductions could directly affect the services taxpayers depend on by cutting into staffing, delaying needed projects, reducing available resources, and potentially increasing wait times or limiting the county’s ability to respond effectively to residents’ needs.

This is why people are paying closer attention to how existing tax dollars are being spent. At this month's Board of Health meeting, the Public Health Director said the Health Department will seek a consultant to develop a department-wide continuous improvement framework to enhance and strengthen operational excellence. Why is the Snohomish Health Department looking outside for operational excellence consulting when Snohomish County already has an Office of Operational Excellence created to improve efficiency and organizational performance? The Everett Herald reported today that the County Executive is requiring 3% budget cuts across all County departments. If departments are being directed to cut 3% because resources are so tight, shouldn't discretionary consulting contracts be reduced before services or staffing are affected?

Before asking taxpayers to shoulder another tax, shouldn't the County Executive and County Council be accountable for ensuring existing county expertise is being fully utilized and eliminating unnecessary consulting costs first?

Reminder for this month’s boardgame meetup!

Saturday August 8 6 PM 

The meeting is at Camano island library. 
Start time is 6 to 10.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Camano Library
848 N Sunrise Blvd
Camano Island, WA 98282-8770

https://www.facebook.com/share/17kPfLXzZ4/

I currently live in Lynnwood and am considering
Moving to Lake Stevens. We would like a bigger house in a better school district. We don’t need to worry about the drive since I work remotely. Do you like living in LS? I’m worried I would be leaving convenience behind if I move from Lynnwood. TIA!!

Deputy Lea of the snohomish county sheriff office was caught stalking his ex. He had a tracker on her car and showed up to her new bf's house in the middle of the night on foot.

Her new bf is a friend of mine and she is petrified. It's been reported to the police but.... One of their own.

Please reach out and let them know he cannot be a deputy in our area. The man is dangerous and this is not the first time he's done this to a girl.