PRIORITIES

Living in Snohomish County is becoming more challenging due to the increasing tax burden being placed on hard-working families and individuals. I am proud to have a consistent record of opposing tax increases on Snohomish County residents. I will continue to prioritize living within our means by proposing balanced budgets which do not raise taxes.

Each year since I have been on the County Council, I have worked to identify areas where the county can save costs and be more efficient with your tax dollars, thereby eliminating the need to instead resort to tax increases. If re-elected, I will continue this work to support hard-working taxpayers over the next four years.

Crime, homelessness, and drug addiction have all been identified as top concerns of residents. These issues are usually interconnected as individuals who become addicted to dangerous drugs such as fentanyl often end up living on the street or in encampments and committing property crimes to fund their underlying substance abuse issue.

The status quo approach to addressing this issue is not working. We cannot follow the path of Seattle and other metropolitan areas which have rejected accountability and instead offer up programs to “safely” use deadly drugs. We can and must do better.

I believe we need a carrot-and-stick approach to solving these complex issues. On one hand, it is critical that we invest in treatment beds and programs to help those who are struggling with an addiction to get clean and return to a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, it is also critical that we hold those accountable who refuse help and instead choose to break the law.

A “tough love” approach is often necessary to make progress with someone who is not in the right frame of mind due to a serious drug addiction. I have heard countless stories of individuals in recovery who point to the time they were arrested and spent time in jail as the turning point for them to choose a healthier lifestyle.

Every person has God-given dignity; this includes those who are homeless and addicted but also includes the citizens who are impacted by drug-fueled and other types of crime. We can make meaningful progress on these issues when we lead with true compassion, which includes a zero-tolerance approach to substance abuse and the crime it brings. If re-elected, I will continue to make public safety the top priority of county government.

Snohomish County is a beautiful place to live, from the Puget Sound to the Cascade Mountains and everything in between. However, in order for our children and grandchildren to be able to afford to live where they were raised, it is essential that we foster a thriving local economy with good, family-wage jobs.

I’m proud to have led the effort to establish the state’s first Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program right here in North Snohomish County. This program brings training in the skilled trades back into the high school and currently serves 75 high school students per year in preparing them for successful futures in the skilled trades. The RAP Program has had such great early success that it is now being used as a statewide model for pre-apprenticeship training. We need more innovative efforts like this to build up a well-paid workforce to support Snohomish County’s growing economy.

Having passenger air service in Snohomish County at Paine Field Airport has been a huge attraction for county residents wanting a more convenient travel alternative to the traffic at SeaTac. It has also had the added benefit of putting our county on the map for businesses across the globe to bring family-wage jobs to our region.

If re-elected I will continue to advocate for innovative businesses and family-wage jobs to locate here in Snohomish County to provide opportunities for our children and grandchildren, and I will also look for ways to expand workforce development opportunities similar to what we’ve been able to accomplish through the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program.