“The state’s population is projected to grow from about 7 million (2015) to about 9 million in the next 25 years. What challenges associated with that growth need the most immediate focus? If elected, what projects or policies would you like to see to help address those challenges?”
As someone who works on community and economic development on a daily basis fighting for working families, veterans and small businesses, I believe that the most important task ahead of our district is to ensure we have a plan for that growth. This plan has to be something that the community has seen and understands and is prepared to help implement.
Such a plan would ensure that residents don’t feel blindsided by unanticipated housing development or increased transportation infrastructure investments that don’t meet the region’s needs. A plan would help protect the environmental and social quality of life that so many in our communities rely on and ultimately would make sure that leadership can be held accountable for growing this region in a way that makes sense to its residents and helps our communities know where we are, where we want to be and how we are going to get there.
If elected, I would focus first and foremost on ensuring that our community had the chance to build a plan that is thoughtful about what we want South King County to look like now and into the future and do so in a way that is transparent and holds leaders accountable. Next, I would focus on making sure that the resources necessary to meet the needs of the community to implement that plan so that we are building the right kind of housing, attracting the right kinds of business and growing the right kinds of jobs to support the quality of life we know and love here.
Most important to me, as a resident of Federal Way for nearly 10 years, a working parent and someone who has kids going into our school system next year, we need to make sure that this region grows in such a way that works for ALL families and doesn’t push people out of our communities in favor of becoming Seattle or Bellevue.
Therefore, if elected, I am committed to ensuring that we have a plan that has been developed by people who live, work and play here, not centralized out of Seattle; have the resources necessary – whether transportation, housing, environmental or otherwise – to build our community in a way that allows us to retain our quality of life and raise our families with a sense of security, prosperity and hope for the future.
