Local News

The Snohomish County Council voted 4-0 this morning to ask County Executive Aaron Reardon to step down until an investigation by the Washington State Patrol is complete.

The State Patrol has been investigating since November whether Reardon misused county funds.

The council said the investigation is a distraction and is disrupting county business. Any county employee would be placed on leave, said resolution sponsor Councilmember Dave Somers, but the council doesn’t have the power to place the executive on leave.

In a video statement, Reardon said he was focused on county business and would not step down. He reiterated that in a brief interview this morning. “It is what it is,” he said. “The investigation hasn’t been a distraction at all.”

Somers said after the meeting that he decided Tuesday to ask the executive to take a leave of absence because of last week’s media coverage detailing documentation that Reardon used his county money and resources for personal and political reasons, including county-paid trips that were part of an affair.