Cindy Gobel
For Snohomish County Auditor
My experience, education, and integrity demonstrate that I have the knowledge and ability to be a great Auditor. The position of Auditor oversees four divisions: Licensing, Recording, Animal Services, and Elections. My first career was in law enforcement working with records, licensing and animal control for eleven years. My second career is in Elections, working in the field for 17 years. The first 12 years were with Snohomish county elections, then in 2017 I advanced to a position with Secretary of State Kim Wyman in her Elections Division.
I worked with all 39 County Auditors to ensure legal compliance of election laws and certify tabulation equipment for each state election. I expect to bring what I have learned at the state level to Snohomish County in a manner that incorporates both my Seattle University Law Degree, eleven years in law enforcement, and 17 years in elections. Thank you for your support.
Issues, Vision & Values
ISSUES:
Marysville is growing and our community needs to look towards its future. Our infrastructure continues to play catchup with the ever-expanding population growth while 10- and 20-year plans lag behind our foreseen growth and transit needs. Life-long residents are looking for leadership that can help our community grow while meeting our needs.
There has been immense focus on developing Marysville as a location for big business while small, locally owned establishments continue to struggle. The revitalization of Marysville’s downtown has been given performative lip service year after year. Residents of our city want local establishments to thrive, want more local opportunities for enjoyment, and want our city to provide adequate services to those in need.
If our collective goal is to make the city of Marysville a thriving community where residents live, work, play then our focus must be to meet the needs of all who call Marysville home.
Offering events that have a broad reach of interest would provide a wealth of opportunity to Marysville’s residents along with increasing revenue within the city. Creating infrastructure that provides adequate transportation needs in and around our community is vital for growth. The need to support our community members that are struggling with housing, addiction, and food insecurity is always present. This past year has drawn attention to our need for increased services as our local families have struggled to make ends meet.
Vision:
My vision for the city of Marysville is to enrich our community for residents both established and new. Create a thriving and accessible downtown that welcomes small businesses and shoppers, provides opportunity for all to flourish, and celebrates the diversity that makes our city unique.
Values:
I believe that our community can maintain its relationships while building new opportunities. We have lived here for generations, built this town from a one lane highway to the 2nd largest city in the county, and we have maintained our family values and integrity along the way. My vision for Marysville’s future is one that celebrates diversity and equality, where we work together to ensure that our community builds an even stronger foundation while providing opportunity for our children and their future. We must work together as we continue to build a community of family values, positive growth and a bright future.
The Leadership Our County Needs
Meet Cindy
In 1987 I moved to Oso, WA where I graduated from Arlington High School. I must tell you, as a teenager moving to a rural town, I was shocked by the difference between city and country living. I struggled learning to drive a tractor, loved berry picking in the high alpine, and learned what community living and supporting your neighbor really meant. Five years ago, the Oso mudslide took friends and community members that were part of my foundation. Looking back, I appreciate all the times we fostered love and community because it became our strength during one of the community’s hardest times.
I went to college at Western Washington University. There I got my Bachelor’s in Human Services and my Master’s in Adult Education. I started my career in law enforcement working in dispatch and records for Western Washington University Police and enjoyed 11 years in law enforcement working with amazing men and women who risked their lives every day to ensure the safety of our communities.
I left law enforcement to work at Snohomish County Elections in early 2005. I was hired to implement the newly developed statewide voter registration database and worked closely with vendors and the Secretary of State’s office to ensure smooth implementation. I enjoyed the twelve years I worked at the county elections department and personally assisted thousands of voters by answering questions, issuing replacement ballots, explaining candidate filing, providing election assistance, and ensuring that voters had the information and materials necessary to participate in the election process.
During the twelve years I worked in Snohomish County Elections, I also focused on community involvement. I discovered that I enjoy being a Guardian Ad Litem for Superior Court advocating for children and their needs. I enjoy volunteering as a Certified Mediator for Volunteers of America. I also enrolled in Seattle University Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2015.
In 2017 I took a position with Secretary of State Kim Wyman. I reviewed county compliance of statutes to ensure the integrity of the voting systems used statewide through logic and accuracy testing. I built partnerships statewide with all county auditors, and I have been so blessed with friendships and experiences gained through these interactions.
With two careers spanning 29 years of licensing, recording, elections, and enforcement services it is no surprise that I recently decided to run for Snohomish County Auditor. My experience, education, and integrity have demonstrated that I have the knowledge and ability to be a great leader.