Tacoma City Council selects its newest member. She’s the first Latina to serve

Tacoma City Council unanimously appointed its first Latina member Tuesday night.

Olgy Diaz was selected out of 43 applicants vying for the at-large Position 7 to replace Conor McCarthy, who resigned in June.

Diaz previously ran for the City Council District 5 seat in 2013 but lost. She said on Tuesday she was excited and humbled to be appointed. Diaz will be sworn in at the Aug. 16 council meeting.

Diaz, a South Tacoma resident, is the government affairs director for Forterra and serves as the president and board member of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington, and on the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and Institute for a Democratic Future. She was previously on the city’s Human Rights Commission.

“I believe city government is at the core of helping shape what is possible for Tacomans, and I want to shape policies and services that help create pathways for as many as those people as possible,” Diaz said in her interview Aug. 1.

Council member Keith Blocker, District 3, said Diaz has a strong grasp on homelessness, affordable housing and the importance of equity. She would be the first Latina member on council, which is important since the city’s Latino population is 13%.

Joe Lopez, the first Latino to serve on council, temporarily filled the District 1 City Council seat for 45 days from December 2013 to February 2014 when member Anders Ibsen took a leave of absence for U.S. Marine Corps reserves training. Ibsen was initially expecting to be in training for up to a year but returned to Tacoma early. The council appointed Lopez after interviewing 15 applicants for Ibsen’s seat.

Diaz said during her formal interview that housing affordability and homelessness, economic development and public safety were the top issues the city was facing. The city is facing a $24 million budget deficit, which the council will begin discussing next month.

Diaz said the city could look at delaying costs, including by not immediately replacing retiring employees. She said the council has a reliance on administration to help the members understand what is possible. She said she would also like to look at items that don’t cost the city money but can help move Tacoma forward.

At-large Council member Kiara Daniels, Position 6, said she appreciated Diaz understanding the importance of working with city staff.

Diaz said the Tacoma Police Department’s Crime Plan is a good, data-driven, evidence-based system that would be important for the council to track. She said she will look to see if the plan works for Tacoma and if the plan needs tweaks along the way. Diaz noted the city spends 34% of its budget on public safety and would want to evaluate shifting around funds, possibly to social services.

Council member John Hines, District 1, said he was impressed with Diaz’s answer during the interview on how she would respond to a business owner reaching out about a large homeless encampment near their property. Diaz said she would have the business owner call 311, the city’s customer support center line, and explain the process of the 311 system that will connect the business owner with the Homeless Engagement Alternatives Liaison (HEAL) team. She said she would organize a meeting and ask the business owner what happened previously to contacting her as a council member.

“No one’s first thought when you see something loud going on is, ‘I’m going to call a City Council member,’” Diaz said. “It’s sort of the last thought you have. When you get to that point, …you’re probably more engaged and you might be more willing to have that conversation.”

Hines said he appreciated the thoughtfulness behind the answer, because as a council member, once a complaint gets to him someone else has already touched it, so he has to think why is someone coming to him.

Council member Sarah Rumbaugh, District 2, said Diaz understands how government works. She added she likes that Diaz ran before and lost but was willing to try again.

Diaz said in her council interview she could bring needed perspectives to council and help build bridges for those who have not traditionally been seen or felt reflected in government.

Mayor Victoria Woodards thanked the 43 people who applied for the position.

“I’ve had the opportunity to serve a public office in different places at different times, and I will tell you that this is the toughest time to be in public office to have so many issues that sit before this city, more issues than we have resources,” Woodards said.

Deputy mayor Catherine Ushka told those who applied to stay involved and not be discouraged but encouraged.

Diaz’s term will expire December 2023.

Editor’s note: This story originally reported that Diaz was the first Latino person to serve on the council. It has been updated to note Joe Lopez served on the council temporarily from December 2013 to February 2014 while an elected council member took a leave of absence.

This story was originally published August 10, 2022 at 12:08 PM.