Voters in Snoqualmie, Washington, are facing a heated mayoral race marked by pointed accusations, shifting policy positions, and a renewed debate over core community values. As the November 4, 2025, election approaches, incumbent Mayor Katherine Ross and challenger Jim Mayhew present voters with starkly different visions for the city’s future—each claiming to champion the interests and safety of local residents.
Mayor Katherine Ross, in a recent letter to the community published by Living Snoqualmie, underscored her commitment to local control and transparent leadership. She argued that consistency is not just a political virtue but a necessity for effective governance, especially when it comes to essential services like public safety. "You deserve leaders who stand by their principles, not those who change their message depending on the audience or the moment," Ross declared, drawing a sharp contrast with her opponent’s record.
At the heart of the campaign is the question of whether Snoqualmie should maintain its own police and fire departments or consider outsourcing these services to external agencies. According to Living Snoqualmie, this debate has become a flashpoint, with both candidates’ positions evolving over time. On July 17, 2025, during a Chamber Forum, Jim Mayhew stated, “Let’s not do our own everything,” and “let’s not do our own police force,” signaling support for outsourcing both police and fire services. The reaction from the community was swift and critical, prompting Mayhew to reverse his stance by September 18, 2025, claiming he now supported keeping both departments local. However, in an October 18, 2025, interview with Living Snoqualmie, Mayhew once again suggested that “alternatives deserve open discussion,” reopening the door to possible outsourcing.
This pattern, Ross contends, reflects a troubling inconsistency. "From proposing to eliminate Snoqualmie’s police and fire departments, to reversing himself, to leaving the door open again to outsourcing," she wrote, "my opponent’s shifting positions show a pattern of political convenience over principle. That’s not what our city needs."
Mayhew’s record on the North Bend police contract has also come under scrutiny. When Ross took office, she says Snoqualmie was locked into a police services contract that subsidized the neighboring city of North Bend nearly $1 million per year. She claims credit for renegotiating the agreement—ending the subsidy, setting a fair rate, and protecting Snoqualmie taxpayers. In contrast, Mayhew, as Finance & Administration Chair in 2019, urged approval of the original contract, which ultimately cost taxpayers close to $6 million in subsidies over six years. Now, Ross points out, Mayhew criticizes the very leadership that corrected what he once supported.
The debate extends to the future of the city’s recreational infrastructure as well. The Community Center Expansion and Pool project, a signature initiative for Ross, is described as "fully designed and shovel-ready, funded through one-time revenues and grants without raising taxes." The YMCA is slated to operate the facility, which Ross says will keep it affordable and sustainable for local families. Mayhew’s stance on the pool project, however, has shifted over the years. In 2019, he voted to adopt Resolution 1520, formally rejecting joining the Si View regional pool proposal in favor of a Snoqualmie-based pool. He supported the Community Center and Pool in the 2022 Capital Improvement Plan and approved the design-build contract in 2023, even urging colleagues to lobby state legislators for more funding.
Yet, according to Ross, Mayhew now calls the Snoqualmie pool design “too small” and is promoting a North Bend-led regional pool—an approach voters have already rejected three times at the ballot box. His new plan, she warns, could divert $22 million earmarked for Snoqualmie to another city or create a new taxing district that would increase property taxes to fund a pool outside Snoqualmie’s borders. "His new plan would divert Snoqualmie’s $22 million to another city or create a new taxing district that raises your property taxes to fund a pool outside Snoqualmie, reversing years of local progress," Ross wrote in her letter.
Underlying these policy disputes is a broader debate about the role of partisanship in local government. Ross emphasizes that the positions of Mayor and City Council are officially nonpartisan under Washington law (RCW 29A.52.231), and she insists she has kept local issues above politics. "I’m proud of my endorsements by mayors and councilmembers across the Snoqualmie Valley and Eastside who value collaboration, accountability, and results over partisanship," Ross stated, distancing herself from national political divides. She contrasts her approach with Mayhew’s acceptance of partisan endorsements, which she argues signals "an intent to represent one party’s interests even though nearly half of Snoqualmie voters aren’t affiliated with that party." Several of Mayhew’s council allies have reportedly followed suit, marking what Ross sees as a troubling shift away from the city’s tradition of independent, collaborative leadership.
As the campaign enters its final weeks, Ross is asking voters to judge her on her record of "steady, honest leadership focused on results, not politics." She highlights her efforts to protect public safety, strengthen city finances, and deliver tangible progress, urging residents to "keep Snoqualmie safe, transparent, and well-managed." Her appeal: "Please vote to re-elect Katherine Ross for Mayor by November 4."
Meanwhile, the broader theme of community values and inclusion has also been in the spotlight across the country. On October 24, 2025, the Marblehead Ministerial Association (MMA) in Massachusetts issued a public statement expressing deep concern over the discovery of antisemitic, racist, and sexist graffiti on Marblehead High School property. The incident coincided with the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel, amplifying its emotional impact, especially among Jewish community members. In their letter, the MMA wrote, “Such acts are not only hateful but also completely contrary to the values of respect, inclusion and safety that our community strives to uphold.”
According to the MMA, antisemitism, racism, and sexism "cause real harm to real people in our community," and vandalism of this nature is "more than mere defacement—it is an attempt to divide and intimidate." The association expressed gratitude to the Marblehead High School administration and Marblehead Police for their swift response and praised the solidarity shown by local leaders and residents. The MMA called the incident "a call to action," urging ongoing education about empathy, tolerance, and the importance of standing up for one another. "Only through awareness and accountability can we prevent these acts from recurring," the group stated.
The MMA was founded in 1981 as Christian and Jewish congregations came together in response to antisemitism. Today, it includes over a dozen faith communities in Marblehead. Each year, the association reaffirms its covenant to "love our neighbors as ourselves" and recommits to rejecting hate in all forms.
These two stories, though separated by geography and circumstance, highlight the ongoing challenges—and responsibilities—of local leadership. Whether in the realm of city governance or community solidarity, the choices made by leaders and residents alike will shape the character and future of their communities. As Snoqualmie voters head to the polls and Marblehead residents reflect on recent events, one thing is clear: the work of building safe, inclusive, and principled communities is never truly finished.
