The following is a letter released by Snohomish County and written by outgoing County Executive Aaron Reardon:

As I announced Feb. 21,today is my last day as Snohomish County Executive. For nearly 15 years, it has beenmy great honor to serve this community in both the legislature and county government. I am humbled to have had the privilege to work on behalf of the people within the community in which I was born and raised.

I take pride in the work this county has accomplished, unafraid to tackle significant challenges including those brought on by theGreat Recession. We have built a prosperous pathway upon which this community can continue to travel while capitalizing on tremendous opportunities for collective success.

Through a shared vision,the ethic of mutual responsibility and a lot of hard work, we have built the most competitive community in the state in which to invest. As I said in my final State of the County Address, if properly nurtured – and I believe it will be – Snohomish County’s economy is poised to undergo a change that will transform it into a community of unparalleled investment, opportunity and upward mobility for all of our citizens for generations to come.

Together, we have modernized and transformed Snohomish County government from a silo‐based bureaucracy to amore dynamic, network‐driven organization focused on outcomes as opposed to

processes. We overcame financial difficulties by implementing a rigorous, outcome‐based budget that prioritized spending, kept taxes low and rebuilt reserves. We streamlined the regulatory process, allowing for creativity and innovation by reducing red tape and lowering the cost of doing business for both the county and the private sector.

We created a business friendly environment and focused on diversified job growth, which attracted new business to Snohomish County from across all sectors.

We remained stead fast in our commitment to improving workforce training and working with local businesses to ensure their future remains strong in Snohomish County. This includes our efforts to create the first‐of‐its‐kind Washington Aerospace Training and Research Center, which is preparing a new generation of workers for our state’s aerospace industry.

We successfully preserved open space while helping local farmers grow their business and compete in an ever‐changing economy. Today, our efforts to bring together farmers, environmental organizations and tribal leaders serve as a model for how governments can create lasting partnerships and resolve the most complicated issues.

Even during theGreat Recession, while other governments dramatically cut back on investing in and maintaining public parks, we created public/private partnerships to expand and improve our park system for all to enjoy. From new playground equipment and the county’s first spray pad to eliminating gaps in the Centennial Trail and building needed ball fields, these investments will benefit generations of residents from around the region.

And, we set unprecedented standards for public infrastructure investments ensuring only the most responsible businesses will be chosen to perform county construction work, giving a leg up to our local, skilled workforce.

These achievements set Snohomish County apart from other governments and communities throughout the state. These are achievements that have allowed Snohomish County to rebound and prosper faster and to a greater degree than others.

Today, Snohomish County is on track, in the black and moving forward.

I am pleased to leave this organization on such solid footing and I commend the members of my administration and county employees who did the hard but necessary work to make this happen day by day.

I extend my best wishes to our county officials as they continue their work at the direction of this county’s residents.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to sincerely thank the voters of Snohomish County for choosing me on six separate occasions to represent you. It has been a great honor and a sincere privilege to work on your behalf.

Thank you and God bless,

Aaron Reardon