With four seats on the Arlington City Council up for re-election, Graham Smith seems to be the only one scrambling against a strong opponent.

Steve Baker and Chris Raezer are running unopposed, and Scott Solla is up against Brock Hecla, a political newcomer who has been mostly absent for the race. Hecla hasn't attended forums hosted by the chamber of other groups, and he has been unavailable for interview by the media, including North County Outlook.

Smith, the incumbent in the At-Large position, is facing a formidable challenger in Linda Byrnes, the former superintendent of the Arlington School District.

A retired financial adviser, Smith and his family moved to Arlington in 1997, drawn by the small-town quality of life. Not content to sit in a rocking chair, Smith volunteered with the Jaycees, the Arlington Rotary, the Everett Gospel Mission and the Snohomish County Housing Authority. He also served for four years on the airport commission.

When a position opened on the City Council in 2001, Smith was appointed to fill the unexpired 2-year term. He was re-elected in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

Smith has pushed for more transparency in city government during his tenure. He'd like to see council meetings televised so citizens will "know what's going on" even if they can't get to the Monday evening meetings.

"This is their city," said Smith, "and people deserve to be informed. We need more citizen input, maybe regular Town Hall-type forums, designed just to let people have their say."

The city is facing another budget crunch in the upcoming year, with a projected $1.8 million shortfall. Smith believes his analytical and management skills in the financial industry have served the city well and will be especially critical in the years ahead.

He's also eager to see new businesses locate in Arlington.

"We've set up a standing committee, the Economic Development Committee, to attract businesses to our area," said Smith, "and we've streamlined the permit process to make the city more attractive. The area around the airport is ripe for development, and we've hired a consulting firm to approach major businesses about moving here."

While targeting big businesses, Smith said he's not forgetting about the mom and pop stores that make Arlington such a unique shopping destination.

"The downtown revitalization project is a great example of how the city can work with small businesses to help them thrive," said Smith.

Linda Byrnes, Smith's challenger, is well-known and well-liked in the Arlington community, and she's no stranger to municipal government. Byrnes served on the Lake Stevens City Council in the early 1980s, and she has continued to be an active board member for many civic and community service organizations over the years. In 1996 she took over the superintendent job with the growing Arlington School District. When she retired from the district in 2008, she was supervising an operations budget of $50 million and a capital budget of $90 million.

"I know from being on the Lake Stevens council that you spend a lot of time talking about sewers," said Byrnes. "It's not exciting or glamorous, but it's critical to the health of the city and its citizens."

Having gone through her share of budget challenges in the educational system, Byrnes believes the key to recovery is being able to keep good people.

"It takes a lot of time and money to recruit, train and mentor employees," she explained. "It's important to treat people well, to recognize their achievements and make them feel genuinely valued."

She is also keenly aware of the need to be fiscally responsible with the public's money. "Government works for the people, and they have a right to know how their money is being spent," she said.

The city's long-range plans should reflect what people want, Byrnes contended. "We need to do a better job planning instead of just letting things happen," she said. "If we want gyms, baseball and soccer fields, let's decide where those things belong and plan for them, even if they don't happen right away."

She is a team player, happy to work in the background without seeking recognition and eager to bring conflicting interests together to find consensus.

So how does she feel about having a building named after her?

"It was a shock and an honor," Byrnes said of the decision to name the new performing arts space at Arlington High School after her. "Many, many people worked many, many hours to accomplish that goal. I was literally speechless for 30 minutes when the announcement [of the naming] was made."

Byrnes is a supporter of the small-town lifestyle Arlington offers. "People choose to live and work here for a reason," she said. "Arlington is the last small town along I-5."

Because Brock Hecla has failed to mount a viable campaign, Scott Solla is running virtually unopposed to retain his seat on the City Council. Still, Solla isn't taking the election for granted. He has served on the Arlington City Council for three and a half years as an appointee in the Position 3 seat, and this is his first full term re-election effort.

A manager in the grocery industry, Solla has worked hard to understand the ins and outs of municipal operations, and he compares his responsibilities at the city to his professional job.

"The city is run like a business," said Solla, "and the great part of my job is helping to train and mentor teams of people. We face some tough times together, but by understanding the challenges and complexities, we can make good decisions."

Solla, who moved to Arlington nearly five years ago, wanted to make a difference in his community. Before earning a seat on the council, he served on the city's planning commission.

"There's more to it than me," he said. "I want to leave a legacy for the next generation, by helping to make the town a better place to live."

Solla is focused on bringing more economic development to the city, and he's proud of leaders in other organizations and departments who are doing what they can to support that plan.

"Airgas just opened a location here in town," said Solla. "They have over 100 locations all over the country, and the company president said that Arlington was the easiest city to do business with. We're very customer-friendly."

It's all about keeping people on the eastern side of the freeway while maintaining Arlington's rural small-town charm.

"While we're in this temporary lull, this is the time to plan," said the councilman. "We're working on a comprehensive plan for the city so we can have a seamless recovery."

Solla sees his position as that of a facilitator. "I'm a representative of the voters. My job is to make sure people have an opportunity to speak and make their opinions known. Then we can pull sides together to come up with reasonable plans."

"Arlington is a city of givers," he continued. "Neighbors help their neighbors. Everyone does what they can, and everyone can have an impact."

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