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Mukilteo council votes to make temporary court clerk a full-time position amid debate over traffic-camera program
Summary
The Mukilteo City Council voted 5–2 to convert a temporary court-clerk position to full time, citing added revenue and operational relief tied to the city’s traffic-camera and collections work, while some councilmembers warned the change could fuel program expansion.
The Mukilteo City Council voted 5–2 on Feb. 2 to authorize the mayor to convert a temporary court-clerk position into a full-time court clerk, a move city staff said would allow the city to handle collections and Department of Licensing reporting in-house.
Assistant Chief Davis told the council the temporary clerk, who currently works roughly 19 hours a week, could take on additional duties if increased to full time, including processing collections and DOL reporting. “With implementation of collections and DOL reporting, it's meant to bring another additional $300,000 to $400,000 to the city for this program,” Davis said.
Council President Moon moved the authorization, seconded by Vice President Emory. Supporters argued a full-time clerk would reduce reliance on a higher-paid hearing examiner and provide immediate operational relief to a single full-time clerk. “If we have one person that’s responsible for all the court hearings, it’s good to have someone as a backup,” Moon said.
Opponents warned that adding staff tied to the traffic-camera program risks expanding enforcement beyond current safety goals. Council Member Dixon said the program was sold to the public as a safety measure and cautioned against growing it primarily for revenue, saying the city must balance safety with tourism and community character concerns. “My concern is … it’s a real slippery slope because of the revenue opportunity that this presents,” Dixon said.
City staff also said some automations already exist to respond to emailed inquiries, but that certain functions—court hearings, collections and DOL reporting—require staff time. Assistant Chief Davis and other staff said converting the temporary position to full time would be less costly than ongoing use of a hearing examiner and would create capacity should the city pursue additional camera locations or programs.
The council vote was announced as 5–2, with Council Members Dixon and Champion voting no. The measure authorizes the mayor to implement the staffing change; staffing and budget details will proceed through the city’s normal personnel and budget processes.
