Two great options to represent South Tacoma, refresh City Council. We had to pick one
Tacoma is going through an unusual leadership shakeup. When this year’s elections end, the Tacoma City Council will have swapped out five or possibly six of its eight members in just two years.
How promising is the pool of replacements? Very, if an open seat on the Aug. 3 primary ballot is any indication. Voters have a tough choice between two outstanding prospects vying to represent South Tacoma and the South End. In an agonizing decision after interviewing all the candidates, we’re endorsing Joe Bushnell.
Refreshing the council and mayor’s office has been part of Tacoma’s DNA for nearly 50 years. T-Town voters were among the first in the US to adopt term limits back when Richard Nixon was president, Dan Evans was governor and Gordon Johnston was mayor — in 1973.
The system works. Most council members max out the two, four-year elected terms allowed by city charter, then step aside for new energy and ideas.
Occasionally, they depart after one term. Two incumbents didn’t file for reelection in 2021: Chris Beale in Position 5 and Lillian Hunter in Position 6. Hunter’s seat drew two candidates who will go directly to the Nov. 2 election. Beale’s attracted three hopefuls, two of whom will advance.
For Position 5, Bushnell earns the TNT Editorial Board’s endorsement over another exceptional candidate, Anne Artman, in a decision that went down to the wire.
Bushnell, 31, would be the youngest council member by nearly a decade, offering the insights of Tacoma millennials struggling to buy homes and nail down a livable income. But he boasts a remarkably broad background.
The son of a Cambodian refugee mother, Bushnell was born and raised in Tacoma and lived all over the city before settling in his council district 3 ½ years ago. He’s a Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan; a former Washington state Senate staffer; and now local government affairs coordinator for the Washington Hospitality Association.
Well versed in the menu of progressive causes, he vows to push for police reform, affordable housing, and the health and welfare of homeless people. But Bushnell is also sharp on small business concerns and the need to rebuild Tacoma’s economy after COVID-19; in his current job, he had a hand in the Restaurant Rally program, throwing a lifeline to dining establishments with federal relief funds.
Artman, 60, is also a terrific pick for Position 5 — especially for voters who identify homelessness and drug addiction as top priorities. She’s a community leader in confronting these problems, having served as Pierce County’s behavioral health manager and on the county’s Opioid Task Force.
Most impressive are her on-the-ground initiatives to break the cycle of addiction and homelessness. Artman founded the Tacoma Recovery Center in 2014, set the stage for a tiny house village to open nearby and has spread the recovery-coach gospel statewide. Living in her council district for 38 years is another big asset.
But we give Bushnell the edge for mastering a broader range of issues. He’s on the Tacoma Public Utilities Board and chairs the South Tacoma Neighborhood Council. He’d also bring an Asian-American perspective to City Council.
The third candidate, Treyvon Dunbar, is a father of three who’s lived in Tacoma 20 of his 27 years. He’s an ardent young voice for those who feel unheard by council. (He and Artman are both Black.)
Dunbar is a convenience store employee, but his labor of love is field work for local Democratic organizations. If he joins a city board or commission and adds policy experience to his political resume, he’ll be one to watch.
News Tribune election endorsements reflect the views of our Editorial Board and are written by opinion editor Matt Misterek. Other board members are: Stephanie Pedersen, News Tribune president and editor; Matt Driscoll, local columnist; Jim Walton, community representative; and Pamela Transue, a community representative who serves during election season. The Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom and does not influence the work of news reporting and editing staffs. Endorsements are merely recommendations based on candidate interviews, research and discussions among the board. We do not endorse any candidates who do not interview with us. For questions, email matt.misterek@thenewstribune.com
This story was originally published July 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM.