Candidates for City Council and the 30th District sounded off on economic development, education funding and more during the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club on Wednesday.
Participating candidates
• Incumbent Rep. Carol Gregory and Teri Hickel, who are running for the 30th Legislative District Position 2. Gregory is currently a board member for Federal Way Public Schools, who has held several other positions in education, including director for the Northwest Area Foundation of Burst For Prosperity. Hickel is the former executive director of Advancing Leadership who Mayor Jim Ferrell recently recognized with a Key to the City.
• Lydia Assefa-Dawson (incumbent) and Mark Greene are competing for Federal Way City CouncilPosition 1. Assefa-Dawson was appointed to the council last year to fill a seat vacated by Mayor Jim Ferrell. Assefa-Dawson serves on the Land Use and Transportation Committee, the Committee to End Homelessness and the State Advisory Council on Homelessness. Greene has a long-time record of political involvement and most recently lost to Congressman Adam Smith. Greene has a background in the Revived Citizens Party and supports the labeling of genetically modified foods.
• Julie Hiller and Mark Koppang are competing for Federal Way City Council Position 5. While Koppang has ran for the City Council before, Hiller is a political newcomer. Koppang has served on multiple committees, including the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Civil Service and Independent Salary commissions and Kiwanis. Hiller is a businesswoman who leads the Human Care Ministry and serves on the board of Light of Christ Community Garden.
• Dini Duclos (incumbent) and P.K. Thumbi are competing for Federal Way City Council Position 7. Duclos was elected in 2007 and appointed as deputy mayor in 2010. Duclos serves as chair of finance for the Economic Development and Regional Affairs Committee and is a member of the Parks, Recreation,Human Services and Public Safety Committee. Thumbi serves on the Arts Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission and applied to be appointed to the vacant council seat last year but the seat was filled by Assefa-Dawson.
30th District candidates
Regarding economic development, Gregory said she is interested in looking at strategies with the Chamber. She said both the Chamber and Legislature need to focus on bringing a variety of businesses to the Federal Way area.
She is specifically interested in Federal Way’s Weyerhaeuser property after the timber giant moves its corporate headquarters to Seattle in 2016. That property has potential to bring added value to the community, she said.
Hickel agreed with Gregory that local legislators need to help bring more businesses to Federal Way, including more innovative jobs for people interested in fields such as technology and engineering.
If elected, Hickel will also work on filling Federal Way’s downtown core.
“We have room to grow, that’s one of the reasons why I’m here,” she said. “We have a great location and if we can get people in and out, then we can help our community prosper.”
The Legislature also needs to pay attention to taxes and must ensure the state doesn’t overtax Federal Way businesses, she said.
Hickel said one of the main issues with economic development in Federal Way is congestion and transportation. She said it’s important for the Legislature to focus on road improvements and she touted the recent transportation package that Federal Way Republicans Sen. Mark Miloscia and Rep. Linda Kochmar supported this year, but Gregory did not. The package included funding for three congestion-related projects that will support the south Puget Sound region.
Gregory agrees that there are a number of important projects in the transportation package that will help Federal Way.
“Where I differ is on the taxing authority for it,” she said. “We’ve got to look at other ways to fund our system … I don’t have a problem with the transportation package; I have a problem that we are only using regressive taxes to fund things and for people on fixed incomes and low incomes, that isn’t working anymore.”
Both candidates were also asked what the state should do to respond to the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision to fully fund education, as well as how to fund higher education.
Hickel said the state needs to fix its “unfair” and “outdated” levy structure and how the state funds schools. Federal Way is the “poster child” for districts to do a levy swap, she said.
Hickel also said lowering college tuition as the state did this year is important for students so there’s more access to higher education.
Gregory agreed with Hickel, but said fixing the state’s levy system is only part of the solution. She said legislators must write a plan that fully funds the Supreme Court’s definition of basic education.
“And the levy swap is part of that question — I don’t disagree with that, but a levy swap is not the full answer possibly because many are saying it may cost more than what it would bring in,” Gregory said. “It also is not the same in every district, so there’s a lot of confusion about what a levy swap means. And until we actually see the numbers and a strategy for doing that, I don’t know if that’s the full solution but it’s clearly a part of that solution.”
What would the candidates do to retain and attract high paying, family sustaining jobs in the south Puget Sound region?
Gregory said legislators need to develop strong economic partnerships in the region “so that we fully know what we want.” She said education and bringing a state university to Federal Way is a key part of that.
Hickel would also like to see a state university come to Federal Way.
She said the state also needs to make sure to maintain Federal Way’s tax structures so companies will want to move to Federal Way. She would like to see legislators “create synergy” around the medical field in Federal Way, which has St. Francis Hospital, a new Seattle Children’s South Clinic and other healthcare facilities.
Economic development: Council candidates
City Council candidates were asked what specific economic development initiative they would support and how they would work with the Chamber to achieve it.
• Hiller: The city should maintain the elements that make Federal Way a business-friendly city, including no business and occupation taxes and ensuring smooth permitting. The city needs to partner with businesses and citizens and establish common goals of what the city should look like.
• Koppang: Economic development is one of the reasons he is running for council. The city needs to clearly state and practice in policy that Federal Way is open for business. The city should also look at strategic alignment with industries that work well, such as healthcare. He wants to see family wage jobs come to Federal Way.
• Thumbi: He said economic development is key and what America is all about. His main focus would be to create a desk at City Hall for businesses, which would have a database that would connect businesses in one location.
• Duclos: She said it’s crucial the city develops its downtown. Weyerhaeuser would be a “wonderful place” where people could do research and train for the med-tech industry. She would also like to see a college downtown.
• Greene: He thinks Federal Way should become the center of solution-based businesses that tackle societal problems, such as developing green energy sources.
• Assefa-Dawson: She said all the activities and events in Federal Way will attract businesses. She said the city’s population consists of numerous cultures who she believes can start their own businesses and city officials need to encourage those businesses that everyone could benefit from. She would also like the city to attract a college campus that could cater to those who need jobs and to match student’s education with jobs located in Federal Way.
Yes or no: Council candidates
In a lightning round, City Council Candidates answered questions by holding up a sign that said yes, no or undecided.
• When asked whether they were in favor of allowing marijuana businesses in Federal Way, Greene was the only candidate who answered yes. Duclos was undecided.
• When asked whether they expected the proposed Federal Way day shelter to be under construction in 2016, all of the candidates answered yes.
• When asked whether the city should have building height limits, Thumbi was the only candidate who answered no. Duclos was undecided.
• Should the city consider having an objective, independent citizen oversight panel of the police department: Greene, Thumbi, Koppang and Hiller, yes; Duclos and Assefa-Dawson, undecided.
• When asked if the public should get to vote on major capital facilities, Duclos and Koppang said no; Thumbi and Hiller, yes; and Asseffa-Dawson and Greene, undecided.
