Mayor Nehring thanks staff at Coffee Klatch

MARYSVILLE – Mayor Jon Nehring praised his staff for writing good grant requests at his Coffee Klatch at City Hall Tuesday night.

“We grade ourselves on how much we bring home,” he said. “Your tax dollars, we multiply them.”

He mentioned money coming this way for numerous interchanges on I-5, turf and lights at Cedar Field and for the Bayview to Centennial Trail connection in 2020.

“Others pay taxes too, but they never get it back,” he said.

When asked about increased state taxes, Nehring said he didn’t agree with that.

“I’m not a fan of raising taxes when the funnel stream is going well,” he said. But he did added, “Mental health needed fixing. That would be a win.”

He’d like to see government hold the line on taxes for a while.

“Let’s take a time out; give everybody a breather,” he said.

At the event, Nehring also said:

•Plans are in the works to improve infrastructure as the Arlington Marysville Manufacturing Industrial Center grows. As the vacant, private former agriculture land is developed, street improvements will be made at 116th, 156th and 172nd to manage traffic. “Development pays for a lot of this,” he said, adding the city can’t afford to build everything first.

•Construction will start on the First Street Bypass in about 10 months and will be finished in late 2020. The Highway 529 interchange at I-5 will be done in 2022.

•The new Regional Firefighter Authority will hire more firefighters and have improved equipment.

•A company that makes electric cars showed interest in Marysville when three city leaders went to China recently.