Mayor

About Mayor Russell Wiita

A lifelong resident of the Sky Valley, Russell Wiita was elected to the office of Mayor during the 2019 general election. He took office as mayor on November 26th, 2019. Prior to his election as mayor, Wiita served for 4 years on the Sultan City Council, serving as Mayor Pro Tem in 2018.

Growing up in Sultan, Russell worked on his grandfather’s local cattle farm, volunteered in the community, and attended Sultan schools. In his junior year of high school, Russell served as the Student Representative on the Sultan City Council.

Employment

Russell works as the Legislative Aide to Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring, who represents District 1 on the County Council. Working for Councilmember Nehring, Russell has experience working through tough constituent concerns, navigating governmental bureaucracy, and researching and developing policy. The work at the County Council complements his work as Mayor, giving him a regional and local perspective on issues facing the residents of Sultan. Prior to his work at Snohomish County, Russell worked in accounting at the University of Washington Law School and as a project assistant for a consumer products manufacturer in Monroe.

Education

After graduating from Sultan High School in 2012, Russell attended the University of Washington in Seattle (Go Dawgs!). Russell studied political science and graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in political science in 2015. While a student at UW, he was involved in student government, the Husky Marching Band, and interned in the Washington State House of Representatives.

Community Service

Mayor Wiita volunteers his time supporting community events including the Sultan Harvest Thanksgiving Dinner, Halloween Trunk-or-Treat, the 3-on-3 basketball tournament, the Sky Valley Farm Festival, and judges senior presentations at the Sultan High School. He also financially supports the Sultan Education Foundation Battle of the Badges and the Sky Valley Chamber Auction.

Russell also serves on a number of boards including the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the #Finish522 Executive Committee.

Mayor’s Role

The mayor-council form consists of an elected mayor (elected at-large), who serves as the City’s chief administrative officer, and a council (elected at-large), which serves as the municipality’s legislative body. The council has the authority to formulate and adopt City policies, and the mayor is responsible for carrying them out. The mayor attends and presides over council meetings but does not vote, except in the case of a tie.

The mayor may veto ordinances, but the mayor’s veto can be overridden by a majority plus one of the entire council membership.

The mayor appoints members of the City’s Planning Board, the Sultan Community Alliance Board, and Civil Service Commission.