The News Tribune endorsements: Tacoma City Council at-large Pos. 7 and Pos. 8

There is palpable frustration in Tacoma. Coming off a two-year spike in homicides and continued questions about elected officials’ ability to adequately respond to long-standing issues like homelessness and the cost of housing, the 2023 races for City Council take on a sense of urgency — or at least they should.

By the time the dust settles this year, voters will have elected two at-large council members and a new representative for District 3, which includes Hilltop, Central Tacoma and parts of Tacoma’s South End. The decisions they make will shape the council for years to come, and in the process, the city we call home. The choices won’t be easy, with a number of qualified candidates offering stark differences in vision and approach.

The endorsements below reflect The News Tribune Editorial Board’s recommendations for both at-large positions.

Our endorsement in District 3 can be found here.

Tacoma City Council Pos. 8 (At-large)

During the primary, a three-way battle for Tacoma City Council At-large Pos. 8 between incumbent Kristina Walker and challengers Todd Briske and Hunter Henderson will be whittled to two.

In the opinion of The News Tribune Editorial Board, Walker deserves your primary vote — and election this fall, giving the former nonprofit executive director another term.

Walker, who will turn 43 in August, was thrown into the fire from the get-go, as the city contended with COVID-19 during her first months in office. She proved to be a quick study who contributed almost immediately, and has gone on to distinguish herself as one of the hardest-working and most-prepared members of the council, a fact that’s evident in any policy discussion or debate. She currently holds the position of Deputy Mayor.

Importantly, Walker’s background is in transportation advocacy, and more specifically, creating the policies and infrastructure necessary to make sure Tacoma is accessible to everyone, whether they’re behind the wheel of a car, riding public transportation, or traveling by foot or bike. At a time when the city is consumed by crises of violence, crime and desperation, things like sidewalks, bike lanes and safe routes to school can feel extracurricular. But the truth is that investing in our neighborhoods and taking a proactive approach to accessibility helps level the playing field and address root causes while creating the kinds of opportunities that lift people up. Walker is an expert in this arena, and the perspective she brings to the council is extremely valuable.

Walker also isn’t one to shy away from a challenge, and her stark acknowledgment of the multitude Tacoma faces, and the ways they intersect, is refreshing, particularly at a time when some voters feel like their elected leaders are out of touch.

Walker told The News Tribune Editorial Board she is committed to public safety. She believes Tacoma must hire enough police officers to fill its patrol ranks while focusing just as much effort on hiring community response officers and creating alternative responses to crime.

“I don’t need to tell any of you that we have work to do. … We are not where we want to be right now,” Walker said when asked about her crime and safety priorities. “I absolutely believe that one homicide is too many.”

Briske, 43, is a web developer who graduated from the University of Washington Tacoma and currently lives in the Lincoln District. He described himself as a natural problem solver who has long been frustrated by issues like potholes, homelessness and the city’s lack of affordable housing.

Briske decided to run, he told us, after participating in Tacoma’s Citizens’ Academy, a 13-week program that allows residents to gain insight into the Tacoma Police Department’s Community-Oriented Policing efforts. While we don’t believe he’s ready for a spot on the City Council, we encourage him to stay engaged.

The same is true of Henderson, a 34-year-old lifelong Tacoma resident who recently moved to the Eastside after spending three decades on Hilltop. He’s a graduate of Stanley Elementary and Foss High School who most recently earned a master’s in public administration and now works in transportation planning. Henderson served in AmeriCorps after graduating and is also an active member of several local nonprofits, including the Hilltop Action Coalition.

Henderson’s big issue – which he made clear during the endorsement interview process — is what he described as “short-sighted development in our community.”

The “straw that broke the camel’s back,” Henderson told us, was the recent conditional approval of the Bridge Industrial mega-warehouse project in South Tacoma.

The project’s approval is what inspired him to run, he said, and while The News Tribune Editorial Board hasn’t taken a position on the complicated issue, Henderson has a point: the development decisions we make today will reverberate for years to come, and they aren’t to be taken lightly.

Tacoma City Council Pos. 7 (At-large)

The other at-large race for Tacoma City Council drew only two candidates: Olgy Diaz, who was appointed to fill out the remainder of Conor McCarthy’s term in 2022, and Kristen Wynne, a local business owner who has previously worked for the King County Prosecutor’s office.

The outcome of the race may provide the clearest indication to date of the temperature of the local electorate.

Diaz, a 37-year-old South Tacoma resident who ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2013, was selected by her City Council colleagues out of a pool of 43 applicants. At the time, council member Keith Blocker cited Diaz’s understanding of homelessness, affordable housing issues and the importance of equity. When Diaz was sworn in, she became the first Latina member of the council in its history. Diaz, who has a background in government relations, is also the only current LGBTQ person serving on the council.

Wynne, 58, launched the Historic 1625 event space in the former home of Osbourne-McCann Cadillac on South Tacoma Way with her husband in 2011. Relying on her background as an attorney, specifically in land use and environmental law, Wynne has become an active and engaged member of Tacoma’s small business community. Most recently, she helped to launch the Tacoma Business Council, which has organized around issues related to crime, public safety and homelessness.

For voters, choosing between the two candidates will provide a litmus test. For those who believe that the long-term, holistic approach that Tacoma leaders are charting in response to increases in crime, homelessness and economic displacement deserves a chance to succeed, Diaz is the obvious choice. But for those whose frustrations have long since boiled over, Wynne provides a clear counter to the council’s current direction.

As an Editorial Board, we know how much is at stake. In recent years, we’ve been routinely exasperated by the slow pace of progress across the city. We’ve also been regularly unimpressed by the actions of the council, which at times has seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

Still, the ultimate question we faced while weighing our endorsement in this race was the same one we always contend with: Which candidate brings the best ideas to the table and the clearest potential for contributing to effective policy decisions?

In our opinion, Diaz has a leg up in both areas. She brings much-needed, often underrepresented lived experiences to the council, and the community solutions she champions ultimately stand the best chance of affecting lasting change by addressing root causes.

Specifically, Diaz’s views on responding to homelessness and related issues set her apart. Based in large part on her valid experiences as a local business owner, Wynne would like to see more emphasis on enforcement and the clearing of local homeless encampments, which can be a magnet for criminal activity and health and human safety concerns. She’s identifying very real problems, but her preferred approach — which relies heavily on funneling the unhoused into existing shelter models as a path to housing and services while making it harder to be homeless on public property — has been tried before with little success, even if it’s appealing to voters in search of quick fixes.

Diaz provided a more well-rounded response.

“People have autonomy. We can’t force them into these things, and jail is certainly not an option. … That’s the most expensive way to help someone, and it’s not going to help someone with a mental health crisis or substance use disorder,” Diaz said.

“I think that the more that we can continue to get creative, diversify, and actually listen to the folks who are unhoused about what it is that they need and what will get them off of the street and into some type of housing … the better,” she added.

Tacoma is better for the leadership Diaz provides on the council. She deserves a full term.

This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 5:00 AM.