With Jim Ferrell, Susan Honda, Hoang Tran and Diana Noble-Gulliford advancing to the general election for the Federal Way mayoral and City Council Position 4 races in November, respectively, candidates must be prepared to answer tough questions from the public in the coming months. The same goes for candidates in the race for City Council Position 2 (Bob Celski and Jesse Johnson) and Position 6 (Martin Moore and Roger Flygare).

Economic development, public safety, transportation and homelessness will continue to be hot topics, but there are more questions candidates must answer to prove they are the best choice for Federal Way.

Here are a few to get started.

1. What sort of background, experience, expertise and interests should be represented on the council and in the mayor’s office to provide residents with the most well-rounded elected body that can best serve Federal Way and carry it into the future?

2. What fundamental infrastructure problems should be corrected in Federal Way to improve quality of life, and how should those be prioritized?

3. What makes Federal Way different from neighboring cities such as Kent, Des Moines, Auburn and Fife? What features should be celebrated and built upon, and how would you go about encouraging that? Other than ideal location and a new Performing Arts and Event Center, what other things should be promoted when attracting new businesses or extolling the virtues of Federal Way to outsiders?

4. What amenities other than the Performing Arts and Event Center or Town Square Park should be pursued in the downtown core to make it complete?

5. If you could change one perception or shift the dynamic of one thing in Federal Way, what would it be, and how would you start doing that?

6. Partnerships: Many candidates previously said they would build partnerships with various community organizations or agencies. While this is admirable, please explain which partnerships you would improve and/or build, and to what end. What would those partnerships accomplish or address? How would you go about facilitating those partnerships between the city and the different stakeholders?

7. How do you think the Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce and city of Federal Way’s economic and community development departments should work together to enhance economic growth in the community?

8. What do you want the city to be known for? What is one way you would start to establish that reputation?

9. The Federal Way community is diverse, with a wide range of ethnicities and languages spoken. How would you promote cohesion between these different groups and better unify the community?

10. Multi-family housing has become a divisive issue in the city. What approach should the city take when addressing multi-family housing, and how do you think more multi-family housing can benefit Federal Way?

11. What should be the city’s priority when working with Sound Transit in bringing light rail to the city, especially when establishing an acceptable route for the next phase of light rail from Federal Way to Tacoma?

12. If you were to improve upon or add to existing amenities or programs in the city, such as parks or the arts, what would you do? What else could be done to make Federal Way a more attractive and appealing place to live and visit or start a business?