Editorial: Time to go, Councilmembers De León and Cedillo’s
It’s official: Mayor Greg Ballard was handed a chance to become mayor for the second time, and he’s going to turn it down. Mayor Greg Ballard’s first term as council president was a disappointment to his many supporters. His second term as council president – though less controversial than his first – has been disappointing to his numerous critics. There’s a simple narrative here. It’s a narrative that, if you’re familiar with the city’s culture on council, you’ll be familiar with. It’s a narrative that will be familiar to the majority who have supported Ballard for his second term. It’s a narrative, and one that I want to share, of how Council President Greg Ballard thinks. He’s tired of politics, and he’s tired of sitting on the council floor. He wants to lead and serve. He’s tired of the infighting. He wants to do what’s best for the people of Edmonds. He’s tired of politics. Ballard’s time on the council is over, but his time on the council floor will continue.
Council President Ballard is a thoughtful, thoughtful man. If Ballard were elected mayor, he would serve at the pleasure of the council, like he has every other year as council president. Ballard has been a member of the council for over ten years, and even though his supporters say he’s been a council president for less than two, I don’t believe them. I believe that he has been a council president for the past decade without a problem. He has proven himself to be a capable leader. His opponents say, “We don’t trust him. We question him. We don’t like his priorities.” If you watch Ballard’s voting record, that’s completely untrue. I watched it and I was shocked by what I saw. His vote is always consistent, and by all the records I reviewed, I found that Ballard has always voted the same way and always voted his conscience.
This is not a