WHO IS MARK RANEY?
What does he stand for,
and what does it mean for the residents of Sultan?
Friendship
Loyalty
Love
by which he governs himself, and others:"Leaving a better place behind...."
"Raney latest target in Sultan recall wars"
by Sally Pool Gillie, Monitor Staff
Another elected official in Sultan is facing a recall petition. Mark Raney, appointed to the Sultan City Council in January of last year, is the subject of the latest recall filed with the Snohomish County Auditor's Office on Feb. 9. The petition was submitted by Sultan resident Brady Boucher. It charges Raney with violating his oath of office by discussing private city business outside council chambers, encouraging insubordination among city staff, giving directives to subordinates of the city manager, and influencing city employees to delay the permitting process to achieve a particular result. The petition does not give specific information about the type of permits or result that Raney was trying to achieve. The petition also alleges that Raney acted in conflict of interest by participating in discussions and decisions made regarding Sultan's former city administrator, Bill Trippett. Raney said he categorically denies all of the charges in the petition. "I won't honor them further by commenting on them." Raney is the third city official to be served with a recall petition in recent weeks. Sultan Mayor C. H. Rowe and council member Jimmy Porter have been charged with acting illegally and unethically. That petition has been approved by a county superior court judge, and if petitioners can get enough voter signatures, both Rowe and Porter will have to run for office again in November. Rowe said he was reluctant to say much about the petition against Raney. "I was a little surprised to say the least," he said. "I hate to see the city get another black eye, whether these accusations are true or not."