By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
While most of the local election-season spotlight has shone on the Seattle City Council District 1 race, two other major local positions are on the ballot, both also without incumbents. The candidates in one of those races, King County Council District 8, answered questions for half an hour at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch meeting.
Burien Mayor Sofia Aragon and citywide Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda are the candidates for the seat that County Councilmember Joe McDermott is leaving. They answered questions asked by local journalist/broadcaster, and WS Chamber board member, Brian Callanan. We recorded the event on video:
From here down are our brief summaries of the questions and answers, starting with the introductory statements. These are summaries/paraphrases with the exception of anything you see in quotation marks.
Q: Self-introductions:
ARAGON: Mayor of Burien (a role that rotates among councilmembers) is a part-time job, I run a statewide nonprofit with eight employees, Washington Center for Nursing. My family has a lot of West Seattle history – took an Alki photo when Blue Moon Burgers was a gas station – husband has two generations here – we lived in Luna Park area for a while until housing got unaffordable.
MOSQUEDA: Lives in North Delridge. I asked small businesses, what’s the one thing I could do for you? They pointed to an empty parking lot and said, if you could build housing, with child care on first floor for my workers, that would help … I want to address housing crisis, health crisis, greater economic opportunity.
Q: King County is largest labor market in the state, small businesses are the backbone -what policies will you support to uplift small businesses?
MOSQUEDA: We are not out of the pandemic yet. Direct investment, As budget chair for Seattle we put millions directly into small businesses, especially women and BIPOC-owned – Also, direct investments in art and culture – that actually supports small business; the Art Walk brings people into businesses. Also: Expedite permits.
ARAGON: City of Burien is a majority-small-business city – has a lot in common with West Seattle – talking to different chambers, seems there’s a missing link in terms of a county Economic Development department – in Burien we provide technical assistance, grants, etc. – we can do a lot more in county – also things to drive people to your doors, public safety, storefront repair
Q: Regarding affordable housing – how will you work to balance the need for it with the interests of property owners and developers?
ARAGON: Bring people to table to talk about what you see and strategies – up to the community – can feel like the county can do things to you – King County owns a lot of land in Burien.
MOSQUEDA: It’s an economic security issue. If not enough housing, we don’t have enough workers. Investment in housing is a stability issue. I want the county to invest more in unincorporated areas … also, waive utility hookup fees, and expedite process.
Q: Addressing homelessness – the King County Regional Homelessness Authority has had some tumult – do you still trust it and what’s your response to the issue overall?
MOSQUEDA: Worked to help set it up. Its success is imperative to solving the crisis. We have to address this as a regional issue. #1, ensure they’re paying their contractors; #2, invest in workers – turnover rates are as high as 50 percent. #3, ensure longterm funding for the authority.
ARAGON: KCRHA needs help. Worked with it closely because of what Burien is going thru. Needs to maintain its mission to address homelessness regionally. Just doesn’t have that connectiveness right now. We’ve all invested in affordable housing – invested in four projects, none of them are up and running yet.
Q: Retail theft impacts ability to run businesses. How will you address that?
ARAGON: Supported having a storefront officer – the “defund” movement did not help – the storefront officer needs to help with crime prevention strategy. We cannot dismiss the reports of biased policing … need to see how we can have o culturally responsive workforce.
MOSQUEDA: Multi-faceted approach, direct support for small businesses – number of them said they needed flexible dollars – we want to free those, to have a fund … On the prevention side – want to double down on services (that were discussed by King County Sheriff’s deputies at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting at which the candidates appeared a week earlier) … need to invest more in alternative responses so deputies are not showing up for “crimes of survival.”
Q: King County is seeing the most fentanyl deaths ever – how do you combat that?
MOSQUEDA: Direct strategies to get people into treatment. Our current jail is so overpopulated that sending people there is not a solution but getting people into treatment is.
ARAGON: It’s a tragedy. All strategies are needed but they’re focused at the crisis point – it’s a lifelong provess to get out of addiction, so I want to focus on prevention – talk to students – educate them about what they’re getting into – we need every lever we can use to urge people into services.
Elaboration time was offered:
MOSQUEDA: We need a landing zone. The recent King County (crisis-care) levy is going to help with that.
ARAGON: It’s great but still two years away. The pre-arrest diversion, we tried that, but nobody set up the system, there;’s no place to divert people who are in the streets.
Q: Transportation infrastructure, what do you support to improve it and address traffic?
ARAGON: Need to connect people everywhere – that includes state ferries, though they’re more of a Legislature issue, we should urge them to strengthen it … transportation also needs to be safe – recounts a family member who did not drive, needed to take bus, but safety was an issue.
MOSQUEDA; Want to get more people to come to the peninsula and our region. More frequent transit. That includes ferries. Also want to increase Water Taxi frequency for both West Seattle and Vashon, also the shuttles – we need to work to ensure our buses run on time – they need maintenance investments.
Q: About equity and inclusion – King County is diverse – how can resources be distributed across the county?
MOSQUEDA: Don’t treat any demographic as a monolith. Don’t have one person speak for everyone. Also, create job opportunities.
ARAGON: Appropriate investment International District is part of D-8, Asian community is second largest community in D-8 and hasn’t had representation (on the council) in 40 years – in Burien we have an economic development department that helps people with resources.
MOSQUEDA: County council’s never had a Latina/Latino councilmember – excited about someone who wants to listen to the diversity within demographics
ARAGON: Hispanic community is largest demographic in Burien; we make sure to hire bilingual officers. Recruitmnt and retention are important.
Then came a lighthearted lightning round of questions to “humanize” the candidates.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
ARAGON: No need for sleep.
MOSQUEDA: Construct housing faster.
Beach vacation or forest retreat?
MOSQUEDA: Beach.
ARAGON: Beach.
Night owl or early bird?
ARAGON: Early bird.
MOSQUEDA: Night owl.
Audio-book listener or book reader?
MOSQUEDA: Reader.
ARAGON: Reader.
Favorite movie?
ARAGON: Star Wars.
MOSQUEDA: Thelma and Louise.
Astrological sign?
MOSQUEDA: Cancer.
ARAGON: Aries.
Then, closing statements:
ARAGON: In Burien, we’re putting up four affordable-housing models … (some) enable people of low income to gain equity. Also, alternative response for public safety started in the South Sound. We need it but it’s not a replacement for officers.
MOSQUEDA: North Delridge resident, 4-year-old child, family walks to parks and businesses – really excited about our community and I want more people to be able to live and work here – long line of biz owners in family, including Des Moines, Iowa, proprietors of Tasty Tacos, now in 65th year and voted best taco in Des Moines every year.
The Chamber lunch, held Thursday at Alki Masonic Center, also included a half-hour forum with the City Council District 1 candidates. We’ll publish our report and video from that over the weekend. Meantime, ballots go out next Wednesday, so voting starts in less than a week, ending on November 7th.
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