Mason Thompson for Bothell City Council
Thank you for stopping by! I am running for City Council because I care about Bothell and want to see Bothell develop as a strong city well into the future. With a university, a college, a great school district, a wealth of open space, and a thriving business community, Bothell’s future is bright. Changes in our region threaten our quality of life, however, and Bothell deserves leaders who will speak to these issues with a clear voice and advocate for those of us who call Bothell home.
Bothell should be:
- A city where all families can afford to put down roots
- A city where seniors can afford to age in place
- A city that takes advantage of our open spaces to provide recreation opportunities for people in all phases of life
- A city that prioritizes protecting the environment
- A city that is willing to be bold and make decisions that lead in the region
I hope to earn your vote for City Council. Please contact me if you have any questions.
-Mason
A little bit about me
Deeply rooted in Bothell
After being born and raised in unincorporated Snohomish County just up the hill from Canyon Park, my first apartment after graduating from the University of Washington was in North Creek. The first home I bought was in Queensgate, where my wife Laisha and I are raising our four-year-old daughter Adele and two-year-old son Pierce.
Already serving Bothell
Serving as the chair of the Parks & Recreation Board is a natural fit because public open spaces and access to outdoor recreation are important to me.
Being part of the 2018 Capital Facilities Planning Committee was an honor, because deciding what capital projects we choose to fund into the future helps drive what kind of city we become, and what kind of city Bothell will be matters.
Professional background
I work as an account manager for Pushpay, a software company that provides an engagement platform for churches. Previously I have worked in retail management and medical device sales.
Education
University of Washington, Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
Endorsements
Organizations
- Snohomish County Democrats
- 1st Legislative District Democrats
- Sierra Club of Washington
Current elected Bothell officials
- Andy Rheaume, Mayor, City of Bothell
- Davina Duerr, Deputy Mayor, City of Bothell
- Liam Olson, City Council, City of Bothell
- Jeanne Zornes, City Council, City of Bothell
- Tom Agnew, City Council, City of Bothell
State officials who represent Bothell
- Derek Stanford, House Representative, 1st LD
- Guy Palumbo, Senator, 1st LD
- Shelley Kloba, House Representative, 1st LD
County officials who represent Bothell
- Terry Ryan, Chair, Snohomish County Council, District 4
- Rod Dembowski, Chair, King County Council, District 1
- Claudia Balducci, Vice Chair, King County Council, District 6
Former Bothell Council Members
- Sue Kienast
- Pat Pierce
Bothell Boards and Commissions members
- Cary Westerbeck, Chair, Landmark Preservation Board
- Aaron Moreau-Cook, Planning Commissioner
- Carston Curd, Planning Commissioner
- Bill Moritz, Landmark Preservation Board
What I stand for
Prioritize long-term health over short-term expediency
We can’t change the past or the present. We only control the future by decisions we make today, and we need to make decisions that are sustainable for Bothell over the long-term
Change is inevitable
I have known Bothell for many years and many stages of life, and I understand what it is to look back fondly and miss what Bothell has been.
The question isn’t if Bothell should change or not. Bothell has already changed, and we’re never going back to the Bothell I have loved. I’m not sure if this is good or bad, but it’s real, and we need leadership who will deal with how things are in the present in order to create the future we want. The future is what we can and should work hard on, and I’m committed to making sure the future of Bothell is one we can love as much as its past.
Incremental change is usually best
It’s hard on a community to change what seems like overnight. Change can be painful even if it is helpful and necessary, but instant, sweeping change makes all of us feel like we’ve had something taken from us. It is important that the reason for the change is communicated, the community has had the chance to participate in the process, those affected by change feel they’ve been heard, and leadership works hard to ensure they have the community’s buy-in for change they seek.
Transparency is vital
The community needs to know what decisions leadership is considering, what they’re trying to accomplish, and that leadership is working with the best interest of the community in mind. A job on city council comes with a responsibility to operate in public view wherever possible and be responsible to the community you serve.
Some things I care about
Here are some things that are important to me.
A complete neighborhood is one in which all of the basic amenities needed for daily life are within a comfortable walk. People who live in a complete neighborhood can simply walk to the grocery store, the bank, the doctor, the park, or out for dinner. This used to be more common, and it’s become less and less common as time goes on. When we finish downtown and master-plan Canyon Park as complete neighborhoods, we can help some of the most pressing issues Bothell faces. I have more to say, and you can read another explanation here.
Being outside is good for our health as well as good for our children. After spending years working in the outdoor industry as well as serving as the chair of the Parks & Recreation board, I have seen the importance of our public open spaces.
Bothell needs a dog park. A pet is an important part of many families, and owning enough land to take your dog out to play shouldn’t be a qualification to have a dog. A city of over 46,000 people should have one already. I will be working on this all year as the Parks & Recreation Board chair and will continue to on City Council.
Bothell needs mountain bike trails. Mountain biking has grown exponentially in recent years, it is now a high school sport, and there is huge unmet demand for trails from mountain bikers within the city. People from Bothell have to drive to neighboring cities in order to ride with their families and friends, many of them driving as far as Issaquah and North Bend. The Wayne property has a strict conservation easement that restricts what we can do with it to a few activities, one of which is mountain biking. A part of what we do with our newest park should be mountain bike trails.
Get Involved
I am running for City Council because I care about Bothell’s future. If you’d like to get involved with the campaign or learn more, please contact me at mason@electmason.com or the contact form below. We need people to host events, put up yard signs, manage signs, help doorbell, and donate. Your help would be greatly appreciated.