BLAINE MAYOR POOR STEWARD

September 19 letter to Whatcom County:

Under the six-year reign of Mayor Mary Lou Steward, the City of Blaine has been an exceptionally poor steward of the salmon streams and estuary that defines our community. In February, Mayor Steward was interviewed on CBC radio, where she stated that Blaine was improving Semiahmoo Bay for development of the shellfish industry, which was a complete lie. 

Under Steward's reign, Cain Creek greenway has been characterized by neglect, allowing the stream-shading conifers to die from English Ivy invasion, and the Dakota Creek/Drayton Harbor estuary to be polluted by stormwater runoff from Planned Unit Developments over our city aquifer that she unlawfully railroaded through the planning process without a single Environmental Impact Statement. 

When the Washington State Department of Transportation announced plans to replace a culvert for Cain Creek under Peace Portal Way as part of salmon restoration, City Councilman Mike Hill--who owns numerous commercial properties downtown--went on record in The Northern Light against the project. Hill, who voted on two amendments to the Blaine Municipal Code to increase the values of his properties in violation of state law, was only able to do so because Mayor Steward refused to enforce the city and state prohibition against self-dealing by public officials.

Under Mayor Steward, Blaine Community Development Services has repeatedly, with her approval, reduced critical area protections and shoreline setbacks to half that of Whatcom County standards. When Councilman Hill accosted Blaine Water Coalition spokesman Otto Pointer at the November 12, 2024, Blaine City Council meeting right after the WSDOT presentation on Cain Creek restoration, Mayor Steward never said a word. Hill was never censured. 

Now, six months after Councilman Lewis made a motion to adopt the Washington State Department of Ecology 2024 Western Washington Stormwater Management Manual the city was required by law to adopt over a year ago, Mayor Steward is demanding his resignation for speaking with Blaine Water Coalition about adopting a code of ethics for Blaine officials and restoring oral public comment at city council meetings, which Mayor Steward banned on February 12, 2024, after citizens inquired about conflicts of interest of Blaine officials under her administration. 

In June, when Blaine Water Coalition filed a complaint with the Washington State Attorney General about Blaine Planning Commissioner Sam Randhawa voting to line his own pockets on illegal real estate rezones that harm Cain Creek and Dakota Creek--where he is the listed real estate agent--Mayor Steward did absolutely nothing.

Jay Taber, Blaine Water Coalition

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