In November, Seattleites will have the opportunity to significantly impact the leadership of our City Council. Three of the nine seats are on the ballot, and it is important voters pay attention to the candidates’ perspectives on many pressing issues facing our city.
Seattle Parks Foundation reached out to candidates with questions pertaining to some of the most important issues that impact our parks and public spaces including: equity of access, public safety, tree canopy, and climate readiness.
As you read the candidates’ unedited responses, please consider how they show their commitment to our parks and public spaces, then fill out your ballot and VOTE!
Jefferson Park is my favorite for various reasons. It’s my neighborhood park and I love how the City put a lid on the reservoir to make better use of the space. The view of downtown and SODO/West Seattle is amazing, and I appreciate how the park has something for almost everyone: tennis courts, community center, skate park, open spaces and fields, driving range and lawn bowling, basketball court, great playgrounds and splash park for kids, and even the Beacon Food Forest. At any given time, you’ll see kids on the playground, families walking their dogs, and high school tennis teams. I also love that it’s a place for community gatherings, like the Beacon Hill festival in June, free movies and music in the park, and a place where people come together for birthdays, celebrations and so many other activities.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
It’s hard to pick my favorite park, so I’ll pick the one with the most nostalgia – Powell Barnett Park, which my son used to call “firetruck park”. We spent a lot of time there playing chase and tag just generally playing around the small fire truck at the park. Later we had school field days there, and often took food from one of our favorite restaurants to the park during the pandemic. We love that you can get there right on the 8 line.
My favorite park is Green Lake because more importantly, with the community center, it offers a plethora of attractions for everyone, be they young or elderly, parents or non-parents, sporty or not, and so on. That includes swimming in the lake, kiddie pool, and indoor pool; a playground; youth and adult programming; a walking path and bike lanes; basketball courts and sports fields; fishing; and gorgeous scenery in every season – and a ballot drop box!
Our parks are our Commons and by this measure Green Lake Park represents the epitome of our city’s democratic foundation. I must close with the caveat that familiarity may be influencing my response as Green Lake is close to my house. It’s my running destination and I’ve formed years of happy memories with my family there.
There are multiple parks in D2 experiencing various public safety issues. Hoa Mai Park in the CID is experiencing regular open air drug use and illicit trade. Other parks have experienced gun violence and arson recently, including Adams and Central Park in Rainier Vista, Atlantic City Boat Ramp, Pritchard Island Beach, and Mount Baker Beach. Addressing these issues requires thoughtful partnership with local communities and a comprehensive approach to find long-term solutions to meeting community needs while also being sensitive to immediate safety concerns.
First, we must invest in our communities to meet people’s basic needs around housing, childcare, healthcare, healthy foods, transit and more. When people’s basic needs are met, crime rates go down and we are all safer. We need to meet housing needs by building more housing of all types, including market-rate, subsidized/affordable, and social housing. We should deepen investments in rental assistance and also rapidly expand shelter, including tiny home villages, and connect residents to services. We should expand food assistance including Fresh Bucks, invest in more mental health and behavioral health treatment, expand childcare and other community center hours for youth, and fight for better pay and benefits for workers across the city.
Second, we should be expanding the City’s CARES team, which sends social workers and mental health professionals to 911 calls that involve behavioral health matters. This provides better outcomes to those calls, and also allows our police officers to respond to our most urgent public safety needs. I also support investing in diversion programs, and strengthening rehabilitation services to prevent recidivism.
Third, we need to hire more police officers, and specifically hire more women and a more diverse police force, with officers who come from and understand our diverse communities in District 2. Currently, because of our low numbers of officers, we are budgeting around $50M in police overtime, which is not sustainable nor ideal. Hiring more officers could actually be more cost-effective and result in better outcomes compared to having so many officers work so much overtime. Hiring additional officers could allow SPD to be more proactive with community-based policing, instead of just responding to 911 calls. We also need to insist upon greater accountability and greater civilian oversight of SPD, as so many in our community do not feel safe and do not trust SPD due to police misconduct that goes unaddressed.
There are additional proactive steps the city can take to improve both safety and feelings of safety in our parks. This includes maintaining our investments in park rangers and reinvesting in some park concierge positions recently cut by the city. Further, the city must continue partnering with nonprofits including the Seattle Parks Foundation and Associated Recreation Council and investing in year-round activities with smaller community based organizations serving historically marginalized peoples underinvested neighborhoods. Active parks have less crime and feel more welcoming to all.
Last but not least, we need to deeply engage with local communities impacted by public safety issues. It is our local communities who have a deep understanding of the public safety issues and our local communities must be partners in finding solutions. If elected, I will prioritize this type of community engagement and use the resources of my office to empower our local communities in finding solutions.
I strongly believe that every family deserves access to well-maintained parks and green spaces. On the City Council, I will advocate for our district’s fair share of assistance to ensure better parks for Southeast Seattle families. Another key part of this is expanding activities for kids to get outside and have fun, including by completing the construction of the Rainier Beach Skatepark.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
Elsewhere in this questionnaire you ask specifically about safety, so for this question I will focus on another important accessibility issue in parks – the cleanliness and upkeep of our parks and public restrooms. Earlier this year an audit reported that restrooms received the lowest rating among all 15 categories served. Further we currently are not meeting our goal to clean our bathrooms twice daily and bathrooms are often locked and unavailable during times they are meant to be open and accessible to the public. I believe our parks employees are incredible and hard working folks, and due to budget constraints the city has not invested in adequate staffing for the coverage we need to serve the public well, with service hours in July 2024 significantly lower than 2020. On Council I’d work to address this through implementing the recommendations in the Auditors findings to expand staffing and more adequately collect data. I believe that these improvements can help make our parks more accessible for everyone, especially families with young children.
Local government’s job is to deliver basic services and our Charter names five essential services: parks, transportation, police, fire, and libraries. I’m most concerned about the tendency over the years to supplant General Fund revenue to the Department of Parks and Recreation’s operating fund with revenue generated by (previously voter-approved) property taxes. The same goes for any department funded in part by voter-approved property tax levy lid lifts.
I’m not opposed to paying – or asking our voters to pay – for specific services but this “backfilling” of General Fund revenue with property tax revenue shifts our duty to fund essential Charter services onto our constituents and increases the cost of housing for homeowners and renters alike.
The Spending Plan stipulates that DPR’s operating budget cannot exceed a specific percentage of Metropolitan Parks District funding (I believe it’s 25%) but there are ways around that (in DPR and all levy-funded departments). I have opposed that during budget deliberations and will continue to do so.
Another systemic problem I see is the trend of “pork-barreling” ever since Seattle switched to hybrid district representation. This results in the Councilmember pushing hardest for projects in their district getting a disproportionate share of resources. Worse, it silos decision-making. I think policy decisions are best made with a system-wide approach. For example: how much money should we allocate for parks canopy preservation and where does it make most sense to allocate those dollars? The answer should be either where we have the most trees to save or where we are currently losing the most canopy in the city. Not which Councilmember has the juice to get what they want.
The move to district representation was a citizen’s initiative and I can’t do anything about that.
Housing, transportation, and environmental issues are inseparable, and we must address them together to reduce Seattle’s climate impact. I envision a city in which families live in dense, walkable neighborhoods, with easy access to public transit to foster the transition away from car-centric living. I will advocate to eliminate parking minimums, expand transit service, and incentivize electric alternatives for residents and businesses. Dense, new housing can help reduce carbon emissions with modern developments in energy-efficient residences. Further, increasing density in Seattle helps prevent sprawl, the leading cause of conversion of Washington’s beautiful forests, removing carbon sinks and forcing residents to continue commuting by car.
Climate change is making extreme weather events more common and more impactful each year. I support the creation of community climate resilience hubs to protect unhoused neighbors, seniors, and other vulnerable community members during extreme weather events, and am interested in partnering with Seattle Public Schools to use school buildings as cooling centers in the summer. I also support the work of the King County International Airport Community Coalition, including their efforts to raise awareness and to ultimately prohibit the use of leaded aviation fuel. The King County International Airport is directly adjacent to Beacon Hill, including many schools, youth, and families who are impacted by the noise and air pollution from the airport.
As a city we need to address climate change directly by investing in clean energy, green buildings, and emergency preparedness. But we have to be smart about it. This means ensuring that we are bringing all people along this green journey with us and building climate resilience for all of our communities. As one of the key architects of the 2024 Transportation Levy, we made sure that SDOT’s Climate and Electrification program is funded. As a council member, in partnership with Seattle City Light, I will direct spending to new charging stations in the public right-of-way and at libraries, community centers, and parks. I will also work with SDOT, SCL, and OSE to look for opportunities to electrify other parts of the transportation system. I believe that transit is where we can make the biggest leaps for climate resilience.
Building a community that is well connected and discourages car use by having ample strong public transit options we, as a city, can make a big leap in creating a green future. Both within and beyond transportation, the city needs to push funds towards projects that work on climate resilience. As a City Council Member, I’ll push to expand Seattle’s green jobs programs and build strong partnerships at the state level to secure resources. I’ll work to ensure city funding reflects our commitment to cutting carbon emissions and strengthening climate resilience. This is about more than policy, it’s about making sure Seattle leads the way in building a clean energy future that works for all of us.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
We are seeing the effects of climate change on our doorstep. Heat waves and wildfire smoke caution us about what could be ahead if we do not act locally to create a more sustainable future. Further, we continue to see people of color and working-class communities disproportionately impacted by our changing climate from health outcomes and displacement. To build true climate resilience, we must reduce emissions across the board and across sectors, including in our building stock, housing, and transportation systems, which are the biggest drivers of emissions today, with a focus on equity. To address climate resilience I will:
– Support infrastructure investments and leveraging of state and federal funds to modernize existing public buildings and push for implementation of Seattle’s Green Building standards.
– Protect Seattle’s Green New Deal funding to maintain and accelerate climate action and sustainability policies and community partnerships citywide.
– As chair of the City Light, Sustainability, and Arts and Culture committee, I am leading in working with Seattle City Light to start planning for and building out renewable power generation that can meet our energy needs, and prevent a purely market driven energy transition that is bound to leave low income residents with the bill for aging gas infrastructure.
– Work to ensure that the City is on track to meet its goal for 2029 to transition all homes to electric heat pumps to move away from use of fracked gas that is currently contributing to a third of our City’s climate pollution. This will help eliminate climate and indoor air pollution, add life-saving cooling capacity, and lower energy use through greater efficiency.
– Support critical projects that increase green spaces– such as parks, community gardens, and urban forests– in historically under-resourced neighborhoods ensuring equitable access for all communities.
– Establish workforce development initiatives focused on training people in green industries for a just transition.
– Combat car emissions by thoughtfully investing in and encouraging greener modes of transportation including public transportation and incentivising multimodal transportation.
I currently serve as a board member of Climate Solutions Action Fund and I’m proud of the role I’ve played in helping craft some of Seattle’s climate policies and defending our State’s Climate Commitment Act. I’ll bring both experience and urgency to this work to ensure that we not only do our part, but lead on climate and environment.
On our City Council, I will:
Ensure equitable energy access by partnering at the state level to maintain affordable energy prices, promote the equitable distribution of solar infrastructure, and hold utilities accountable for fair pricing and clean energy transitions.
Strengthen climate resilience by preparing our communities for extreme weather events, improving infrastructure to prevent flooding, and ensuring frontline communities have the resources they need to stay safe.
Promote sustainable transportation by reducing car emissions, improving public transit, expanding bike lanes, and making it easier for people to choose greener ways to get around.
Finding ways to improve our clean energy use and production while ensuring that energy access is spread equally and our infrastructure is getting properly upgraded is vital for creating climate resilience and something I will strive to bring to Seattle.
We must accelerate the electrification of our transportation network and built environment, including public and privately-owned buildings and continue investments in green infrastructure such as our electric vehicle charging station network.
My bold ideas are:
Prepare our regulatory landscape for the incorporation of energy from small modular nuclear reactors into our grid once the technology is more mature.
Use goats to clear ivy, blackberry, and other invasives from parks and green belts.
Incentivize the use of biodigesters that turn food and yard waste into methane which is then converted into electricity.
The latter two will compensate for the decreased snowpack (due to climate change) that feeds the rivers of hydropower energy production and also save salmon since we won’t have to rely as much on hydro.
Environmental justice is about ensuring that those most affected by climate change and pollution are at the forefront of decision-making and that their priorities are acted upon. Renters, low-income families, and families of color have historically been excluded from City decision-making, especially strategic planning in the city.
With a seat on the Council, I will work to expand community engagement by partnering with local community organizations and providing meaningful opportunities for resident input to shape government action. By centering the values of equity and sustainability in Seattle’s growth strategy, we will be able to better meet the needs of our city’s residents, mitigate some negative impacts of climate change, and develop a safe and thriving city with enough homes for current and future residents, including those escaping climate emergencies.
District 2 has some of the lowest tree canopy and green space in the City. For too many years, we have had exclusionary zoning. We have many wealthy neighborhoods with lots of trees, low levels of noise and pollution, and great access to parks and other amenities. And we overly concentrate renters onto busy, noisy, and polluted arterials.
We are a deeply segregated city: segregated by class, race, and homeowners versus renters. We should be doing everything we can to have a more integrated city, and to allow renters to have the same access to parks, clean air, waterfront, and leafy neighborhoods as homeowners. We can do this by encouraging more dense, walkable neighborhoods throughout the City, with great access to transit, and to transition away from our overreliance on vehicles for transportation. This is how we can have both housing and trees/green space.
As a councilmember, I will work to ensure that all voices are included, heard, and acted for when developing the comp plan. While we want and need to encourage development – especially in the realm of housing and transportation – we need to do so justly and in a way that benefits all Seattleites, especially marginalized communities. I will work with community leaders in district 2 to make sure that the comp plan is in accordance with people’s wants and needs. Furthermore, I will work so that new developments don’t negatively affect our green spaces or climate resilience. New development should be built with the goals of maximizing green space and creating infrastructure that is built to last and be sustainable.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
I am a strong believer in the idea that we can increase development while improving climate resilience and promoting the growth of green space. To do so, Seattle needs strong transit, greater infrastructure improvements and housing, and a future-forward plan to support the growing population and need for climate response. On City Council, I will:
– Protect, grow, and diversify investments into affordable housing to the scale identified by statewide-modeling efforts, including promoting zoning and comprehensive plan updates that increase housing options and affordability in every Seattle neighborhood.
– Support community-based development with goals to stop the displacement of low-income communities and communities of color out of urban areas, and increase high-density, transit-oriented development.
– Incentivize the planting and preservation of higher tiered trees through development incentives if trees are prioritized.
– Promote dense housing nodes throughout the city especially near transit access and services to promote walkable neighborhoods that aren’t dependent on cars.
– Incorporate anti-displacement strategies to protect vulnerable communities so they can remain connected to the neighborhoods they feel safe in and call home.
With a strategy of anti-displacement, targeted green space investment, affordable housing development, and a transit-oriented development plan I believe that we can grow our green space and climate resilience whilst increasing development to provide for our growing city.
Building functional cities that reduce sprawl, promote transit ridership and supports affordability is one of ways we can best fight the climate crisis. When we fail to build smart cities and instead we displace more residents to the suburbs, we contribute to urban sprawl, higher vehicles miles travel and clearing more land for growth management. To build a city that is affordable and livable for all, our Comprehensive Plan needs to be grounded in climate justice, with affordable housing and environmental health treated as interconnected priorities. For this reason I supported ensuring we protect our neighborhood centers so that we can accommodate growth.
I also support stacked flats which provide for an opportunity to get more units on a plot of land while maintaining trees. I am committed to working closely with community on Phase Two of the Comprehensive Plan that I will be able to help shape if elected in November. That means preserving tree canopy, expanding parks access, and investing in green infrastructure, especially in underserved areas.
I understand and empathize with community members’ concern about the process by which the Executive developed and rolled out the Comprehensive Plan update. It was a year late and left so little time between the public comment deadline – December 20, 2024 – and transmittal of the final version that the public felt their input was a check-the-box exercise. They were also surprised at the significant differences between the first version released in Spring 2024 and the second released in October 2024 with 30 Neighborhood Centers.
It’s hard enough encouraging constituents to consider or embrace the change that the 20-year update implies, it’s even more difficult when they are understandably annoyed with the process. Conducting extensive outreach to constituents citywide, taking meetings, walking neighborhoods, and really, really listening was more important this year and that’s what I did. I was also in close conversation with district representatives because they know best the nuances of what their constituents want.
In the coming years I would like to see a more solid timeline of the development and release of the update and it should contain ample opportunity for constituents to weigh in and learn about what is being contemplated. The future of Seattle is ours together.
We need to treat trees like the public good/resource that they are. I would support providing financial and other incentives for property owners and developers to plant and maintain trees. Incentives could include height and density bonuses, setback waivers, and things like expedited permitting or permitting fee waivers. We should also increase our tree canopy by planting more trees in our rights-of-way and other public places, prioritizing neighborhoods with limited existing coverage that are vulnerable to high temperatures. This approach towards climate justice is particularly important in Seattle’s South End, which historically has suffered from higher temperatures, less tree canopy and worse air quality than other parts of Seattle.
Maintaining and growing our tree canopy throughout the city will be an important way for us to keep cool as temperatures rise. With the tree ordinance appearing ineffective I will look into new ways to ensure that we are maintaining and improving our tree canopy and not cheating the system and seeing tree loss occur.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
Growing our tree canopy throughout the city is critical to ensure public health for all communities in the city, especially as temperatures rise due to climate change. In 2021, Environmental Justice priority areas had 31% less canopy than our most advantaged neighborhoods. That disparity puts vulnerable communities at greater risk from extreme heat and pollution. The city set a goal to reach 30% canopy cover by 2037, but we’re falling behind—and our current approach won’t get us there. We need stronger enforcement of existing tree protection regulations, especially around tree removal, and a reliable system to track where trees are located and lost. We should also prioritize planting native trees in parks and public spaces, where many replacement opportunities exist, with a focus on historically under-canopied neighborhoods. Seattle can, and must, grow our urban tree canopy while also building the housing and infrastructure our city needs. Protecting and expanding our urban forest is vital climate and public health infrastructure—and I’m committed to ensuring we meet our goals in a way that is just and sustainable.
We should replace the tree ordinance of 2023 with one aimed at protecting trees in the zones where we have the most mature canopy to save: residential zones and public parks and green belts.
More immediately, I’ve been fighting for increased ivy mitigation to preserve our canopy and I won’t stop until that is adequately funded!
Access to safe and welcoming public spaces is critical for a community-oriented and connected city. To ensure equity is centrally informing the actions of city government, we must ensure that community voices are meaningfully represented throughout the decision-making process. I would advocate for expanding partnerships with existing neighborhood groups, schools, and cultural organizations to understand and amplify the priorities of the communities that surround parks and other recreation spaces. We need to ensure we are doing community engagement in meaningful ways for marginalized communities, including providing language access and culturally-specific engagement opportunities and working with trusted local CBOs.
I support increased funding for parks and green spaces in areas that historically lack adequate access, and invest in amenities that make these spaces safe and welcoming for everyone. Again, we need to invest deeply in community, from housing to food, transit, and childcare, to ensure all Seattleites can utilize our incredible public spaces and recreation resources.
Public goods and services are often withheld or not invested in where marginalized communities reside in Seattle. Seattle has invested heavily in preventing this over the years, but these investments are often paired with gentrification. On the City Council, I will advocate for more investments – especially in green spaces, public transit, and community centers – in marginalized communities paired with anti-displacement policies to ensure that all people can grow in place as the city grows with them.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
As an Analyst with King County, I had the honor of co-authoring the County Equity Report to shed light on the ways health, social, racial, and economic outcomes are determined. I also served as a sounding member of the City’s equity and environment steering committee and helped fund the equity in open space project when I worked at Seattle Foundation. I know how important it is to address the inequitable access to parks and public spaces in our city and I’ll continue to fight for that on council. On the City Council, I will advocate for more investments – especially in green spaces, public transit that connects people to those spaces and affordable housing near parks so everyone has access to the beautiful open spaces Seattle has to offer.
Ensuring equity starts with listening to community members and centering their voices around the policy that is being made.
Seattle currently ensures equity and accessibility in recreational programs through inclusive initiatives like adaptive activities – wheelchair basketball, power soccer, and inclusive summer camps through Seattle Parks & Recreation and partners like Outdoors for All. Continued investment in these programs is essential. Many parks, including Yesler Terrace and Waterfront Park, feature ADA-compliant facilities with accessible playgrounds, beach mats, and tactile wayfinding. Staff receive training in inclusion, and programs are adapted to meet physical, sensory, and cognitive needs.
It’s also crucial that we keep investing in Micro-parks throughout the city so everyone has access to a park or green space close to them.
As a resident of South Seattle, the community that experiences the highest rates of gun violence in our city, keeping our public spaces safe is a top priority. Every child and family deserves to feel safe in our parks and public spaces, and community members should be able to gather in their neighborhood without fear of violence. We must activate parks to improve safety. This includes maintaining our investments in park rangers and reinvesting in some park concierge positions recently cut by the city.
Further, the city must continue partnering with nonprofits including the Seattle Parks Foundation and Associated Recreation Council to invest in year-round activities with smaller community based organizations serving historically marginalized peoples underinvested neighborhoods. Active parks have less crime and feel more welcoming to all.
Also, as described more in depth above, we need a comprehensive approach to public safety, including investing in our community so we can meet peoples’ basic needs, expanding the CARES Team, hiring a more diverse police force and increasing accountability and oversight of SPD, increasing our diversion programs and providing greater rehabilitation resources to reduce recidivism. We also need to provide our youth and young adults with greater access to good jobs and other enriching activities during the summer months. And we need to work with our community on safe gun storage both in homes and vehicles, through things like free gun lockbox giveaways and public campaigns on the importance of safe storage.
Also, I will champion consistent, not ad hoc, funding to address youth gun violence and support community-based organizations dedicated to prevention. I am proud to be a Moms Demand Action “Gun Sense Candidate” and to be awarded the Alliance for Gun Responsibility’s “Seal of Approval.” I will continue to advocate for some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, including universal background checks and safe storage of firearms. Together, these steps can help keep our parks safe, lively, and welcoming for all.
Gun violence is a scary reality for too many Washingtonians, including my immediate Rainier Beach community. I am the only candidate in this race making gun violence a centerpiece of my campaign. On Council I will take as much action as I can to eliminate these threats to safety and livelihoods in our schools, neighborhoods, homes, and parks. Stronger gun safety laws, better mental health services, accountable and professional law enforcement and mediators, community violence intervention investments, and more can play a crucial role in improving the well-being of those affected by gun violence. As a city councilmember, I have my own role in preventing gun violence and that is by supporting legislation and programs that keep our communities safe from these kinds of dangers.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
As a city we need to find an answer to violence and public safety threats, in particular gun violence. I’ve been endorsed by Moms Demand Action and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility because they trust my approach to addressing gun violence in our community. Our parks and public spaces should be areas to enjoy where people feel safe and secure in their community. On the City Council I will do the following to address public safety and keep our parks safe:
– Work at the grassroots, city, and state level to keep guns out of the hands of our youth, dangerous individuals, and people at risk of harming themselves or loved ones.
– Evaluate current investments into public safety to ensure funding is being utilized in the most effective way.
– Innovate and support newer models that support crime intervention, prevention and community wellness.
– Continue investments in programs like Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), Community Passageways, and others that help restore lives, prevent violence, and end cycles of incarceration and generational harm.
– Continue to invest in dual-dispatch programs like the CARE team.
– Combat the overdose epidemic:
— Increase access to community-based treatment.
— Support efforts with partners to grow our behavioral health workforce and facilities.
— Ensure overdose reversal medication and fentanyl testing access is expansive.
– Work with our state delegation to expand funding for the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention.
Public safety is a fundamental responsibility of city government, and I believe we need a comprehensive, data-driven, and community-informed approach to keep all our neighborhoods, parks, and business districts safe. Our city’s public safety concerns are real and must be met with urgency, empathy, and practical solutions. As a former Senior Policy Advisor with experience leading safety and economic development initiatives, I’ve worked directly with first responders, city departments, and community-based organizations to implement strategies that improve safety while addressing root causes.
On the Council, I will support the Seattle Police and Fire Departments in filling vacancies and strengthening response times, while also expanding alternative response models like mental health crisis teams and CARE responders who are better equipped to address non-violent emergencies. We must pair this with investments in youth violence prevention, substance use treatment, and safe public spaces. Collaboration will be key. I am honored to have the endorsement of County Prosecutor Leesa Manion and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. On the Council, I will work with them, and first responders and care providers to engage with neighborhood associations, small business owners, and service providers to tailor solutions that work for specific corridors and communities. Public safety should never be a one-size-fits-all model—it requires sustained partnership, shared accountability, and a commitment to making every Seattle resident feel safe, no matter their ZIP code.
I called for additional services to improve safety in our parks during the 2023 MPD Spending Plan update which led to the Parks Rangers program expansion. I think we should expand Parks Ranger staffing further to serve more parks with increased service hours. Fundamentally, to address public safety in parks, we must better address public safety across the city with adequate SPD staffing, increased substance use disorder treatment, and continued investment in alternative response (CARE, Health One, Health 99, etc.).
I believe the best way to ensure MPD funding is protected, well invested and that it addresses the needs of District 2 is robust community engagement, so that the public has a clear understanding of how MPD funding will be used to support our communities. I will work closely with local and trusted community organizations, neighborhood groups, and the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation staff to promote robust community engagement, including in multiple languages and culturally-responsive ways.
We also need to be addressing our upside-down tax code. Too often we rely upon regressive sales taxes and property taxes (levies) to meet our community’s needs, which often exacerbates the affordability crisis that our lower-income families and fixed-income seniors are facing. Instead, we should be doing more to tax wealthy corporations and individuals, by passing a local capital gains tax and increasing the corporate payroll tax, and advocating for a wealth tax at the state level. Adopting more progressive revenues will help to ensure a robust parks system for all.
Parks are key community spaces throughout Seattle and maintaining MPD funding through the levy is crucial to keeping our parks clean, safe, and lively. On the council, I will work to ensure that the levy gets the attention it deserves and I will advocate for its extension so we can continue the upkeep and improvement of our city’s amazing green spaces. I look forward to working with your Foundation to discuss future projects.
This candidate did not respond to our survey.
Parks are key public spaces that can be used for community gatherings, recreation, relaxation, and connection. It is vital that we continue to make our parks available, beautiful, and safe for all by investing in new parks and green spaces to support our growing city. MPD funding is integral to our parks being maintained and for new investments for our parks to occur. On the City Council I will be vocal about the Parks Levy’s importance and promote its renewal in 2028. Furthermore, I will look to add progressive revenue options to aid the Levy’s funding and ensure that our parks and green spaces grow and thrive.
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