Hello District 5,

As we enter the Thanksgiving season, I’m reminded of how much we have to be grateful for. I’m deeply thankful to the residents of District 5 for placing your trust in me once again and allowing me the honor of serving you for another four years. I am also grateful to Mayor Woodards and Deputy Mayor Daniels for their dedicated leadership as they conclude their terms this year, and our city is better because of their service. Last week also brought moments of reflection and gratitude as we celebrated Veterans Day and the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. To all who have served, and to the families who stand beside them, thank you.

This season is also a reminder of how much we rely on one another. The recent government shutdown put real strain on families across our community, and many of our neighbors are still working through the ripple effects. If you are in a position to give, whether through local nonprofits, food banks, or service organizations, your support can make a meaningful difference. And if you or someone you know needs assistance, please visit the City’s Community Resources web page for help navigating available resources.

Sincerely,

Joe Bushnell
District 5 Tacoma City Council Member

Topics in this newsletter include: 

• Turkey Giveaways
• Larchmont Community School Yard
• Service Level Spotlight – Streets Initiative
• City Council Updates Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program
• City Council Approves Continuation of Tacoma Creates
• Transportation Impact Fees & System Development Charges
• Code Enforcement Policy Review Timeline
• City of Tacoma Invites Community to Play a Direct Role in Search for Next City Manager
• Business Engagement Solutions Team (BEST)
• Out in Community

Turkey Giveaways

I wish everyone in Tacoma a happy Thanksgiving, and I am personally thankful to the Tacoma Police Department for partnering with Parks Tacoma to provide free turkeys and sides to our community.

Saturday, November 22: Families can drive through and pick up the turkeys and sides at Eastside Community Center (1721 E 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98404) starting at 10 am while supplies last (One turkey and sides per vehicle).

Monday, November 24: Families can drive through and pick up the turkeys and sides at People’s Center (1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way) starting at 6 pm while supplies last (One turkey and sides per vehicle).

Larchmont Community School Yard

I am proud to share that I passed a resolution this fall for $32,000 in support of the Larchmont Community Schoolyard Project. This picture is of the current playground - I am so excited for when I can share photos of celebrating the new schoolyard made possible by this investment! This contingency fund request provides the final funding needed to complete this project after a recent reversal in federal grant funding disrupted construction. Having been a student at Jennie Reed Elementary School, and now a Council Member who has gotten to watch the Community Schoolyards Project transform a playground that had hardly changed since I was a student, I can say firsthand what an impact the Community Schoolyards Project has had here in Tacoma. I am heartened to see that the Community Schoolyards Project partners did not let the loss of a $1 million grant stop them from completing the projects promised to Tacoma. It is an honor to provide the final funding to get the Larchmont Community Schoolyard Project over the finish line. The Trust for Public Land, Parks Tacoma, and Tacoma Public Schools have made it their mission to transform Tacoma’s schoolyards into vibrant, community spaces through the Community Schoolyards Project. They are working to ensure that every person in Tacoma has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of their home by maximizing the use of existing schoolyards as improved play arenas and increasingly natural spaces for children, as well as adults. The first five pilot locations will serve more than 25,000 people in Tacoma’s South End and East Tacoma neighborhoods.

Service Level Spotlight – Streets Initiative

I stopped by the Pothole Palooza project at South 74th Street to give props to the Street Operations crews who are conducting westbound curb lane replacements from South Wapato Street to South Oakes Street. Check out this reel to watch the work happen! For Pothole Palooza, crews focused on the maintenance and preservation of arterial roadways, which would have a large impact on the city. Projects took place in each of the five council districts. During Pothole Palooza, crews were out at 10 locations around the city. Street Operations staff planned this work before starting Tacoma Streets Initiative programs, which happened during the summer. You can report a pothole in your neighborhood through Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center by dialing 311 within Tacoma city limits, (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else, or by visiting tacoma.gov/311.

City Council Updates Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program

Fall is often the busiest time of year for the City Council as many of the largest policy projects that Council Members have spent the year researching and engaging community on come forward for a vote. This October, one important item the City Council tackled was to approve several Tacoma Municipal Code updates to the Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program (MFTE) program. The updates aim to ensure the MFTE program continues to enhance housing density, expand affordable housing, bolster housing stability for lower income renters, and further nurture economic development and investment in Tacoma. 

With changes brought by Home in Tacoma and shifts in the housing market, it is the right moment to reflect on how the MFTE tool can better serve our residents. I am especially glad to see more flexible regulations that help individuals and families remain housed as they experience wage growth. That kind of stability makes a real difference in people’s lives. I also appreciate the focus on supporting homeownership through the eight-year exemption, which will open more doors for people to build equity and stay in our communities.

The MFTE program provides limited 8, 12, or 20-year exemptions from ad valorem property taxation for multi-family housing in Residential Target Areas. In 2022, the City expanded eligible areas where the 12-year exemption is allowed to be used, lowered the household income level to 70 percent of Pierce County AMI as published by HUD each year, added a 20-year option for projects that provide permanently affordability, and adopted the option for extending an exemption for an additional 12 years if affordability is added.  The citywide rezoning that occurred through Home in Tacoma further expanded mid-scale zoning and the areas in which the MFTE can be used.

City Council Approves Continuation of Tacoma Creates

Another significant milestone was the City Council’s vote to reinstate a local 1/10th of 1 percent sales and use tax to continue funding the Tacoma Creates program for an additional seven years. Tacoma Creates is the City’s Cultural Access Program that helps fund nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is to provide public programming in arts, culture, heritage, and science.

Tacoma Creates has been a transformative program since it was first approved by voters in 2018. It has brought the arts into more lives, supported local jobs, and helped grow a strong creative economy here in Tacoma. Being able to look back at everything it has offered and see our whole Council support its continuation is truly meaningful. I am especially proud that we are now expanding the program to include capital investments, which will open the door to more economic opportunity and help organizations stay rooted and resilient for years to come.

Since its inception, Tacoma Creates has provided over $30 million in funding to more than 100 cultural organizations, who in turn have produced more than 5,000 programs and events, reaching more than four million participants. Tacoma Creates also helps to reduce barriers to access and expand programming offerings citywide. More information on Tacoma Creates is available at Tacoma Creates.

Transportation Impact Fees & System Development Charges

There is still a lot of work left for the City Council before the year wraps up. Residents across District 5 ask me all the time about how the City is addressing new development’s impact on our City’s infrastructure. Our vision zero data shows that District 5 in particular has some of the greatest need of investment in the City. This is one of the first questions I dug into when I joined the City Council.

We need a funding source to upgrade our Transportation, Wastewater, and Stormwater infrastructure to accommodate Home in Tacoma’s anticipated impacts on growth and density. Over the last few years, the City has been reviewing how we can Introduce transportation impact fees and system development charges to help fund the growth of these systems.

Transportation impact fees are a one-time charge for capital improvements. The amount charged is proportional to the person trips added to the transportation system. The funding can only be used to help fund infrastructure needed to accommodate growth. System development charges similarly are one-time charges. The funds charged pay for the infrastructure needed to maintain the status quo of our wastewater and stormwater to maintain our aging system.

The City Council will be voting on this important topic by the end of the year.

Code Enforcement Policy Review Timeline

There is plenty of work on our plate heading into next year as well. My previous e-newsletters have included updates on the City’s work to review and revise the City’s code compliance process.

The Code Compliance Team is responsible for maintaining community compliance with the Tacoma Municipal Code (TMC) to protect the health, safety and welfare of Tacoma residents. Investigation of compliance concerns are usually initiated by community members, who report their concerns to the City using Tacoma FIRST 311. When complaints are received, Code Compliance Inspectors respond by inspecting the property of concern. If the Inspector observes violations of the Tacoma Municipal Code, the property owner is informed and code compliance works with them to correct identified violations.

Review of this code has been led by the Council Community, Vitality and Safety Committee, with an anticipated timeline of a recommendation coming to full Council consideration in the first quarter of 2026. I know this topic is of high importance to District 5, and I am watching closely and eager to take action to improve the City’s work in preserving the quality of life for our residents.

City of Tacoma Invites Community to Play a Direct Role in Search for Next City Manager

The City of Tacoma has launched a nationwide search for its next City Manager, and invites community members to play a direct role in the process. A survey is available at tacoma.gov/cmrecruitment until November 30 for those who would like to weigh in on what professional skills, leadership qualities, and experience they believe are vital for this key City leadership role.

The City Manager reports directly to an elected City Council and is responsible for the implementation of the City Council’s policy priorities. The City Council’s policy priorities, in turn, are reflective of their engagement with the community members the City serves.

The brief, four-question survey takes approximately five minutes to complete, and the input gathered will inform the City Council’s selection of a City Manager who reflects the values, priorities, and needs of the Tacoma community.

The latest updates on the City’s search for its next City Manager can be found at tacoma.gov/cmrecruitment.

Business Engagement Solutions Team (BEST)

In Tacoma, we rely on strong, resilient local businesses for our neighborhoods to thrive. As a part of the Council Economic Development Committee, I’ve been working with my peers and City staff to determine strategies for how we create a business climate where small businesses can flourish.

This year we dug into the results of the 2024 Business Climate Survey, coupled with feedback from individual businesses and economic development partners, that identified a need for improved city responsiveness to business resiliency issues regardless of location and/or involvement in existing programs. 

This has led to the launch of the Business Engagement Solutions Team (BEST), a cross departmental group of key management staff and service delivery experts that are committed to addressing business climate concerns and improving program and service practices along the way.

We’ve seen BEST at work in District 5, with their work coordinating communication on expected and required vacant property management at 72nd and Pacific Fred Meyer Closure - leaving behind a playbook for future vacant property concerns. Maybe you’ve also seen some of the expanded Rapid Murals that have gone up to mitigate blighted conditions, like in the picture above. As we head into 2026, you will see more business support, particularly in the Hosmer area and along the Pacific Avenue corridor. Supporting our local businesses and business districts is near and dear to my heart, and I look forward to exploring what other ways the city can have an impact.

Out in Community

Have you driven down East 64^th lately? Maybe you’ve seen the new continuous sidewalks, new bike lanes, ADA-accessible curb ramps, and improved lighting that make it safer for all users that the City put in for phase 2 of our East 64^th Street project. I had such a great time at the ribbon cutting ceremony for this project with Tacoma on the Go. I can’t wait to celebrate the completion of the third phase this project!

It was a joy to attend the Mayor’s final State of the City address – and to dance with her and the Lincoln High School drum line!

The City of Tacoma hosted our 8^th student government day – with 85 high school students from nine high schools across Tacoma! These students spent a day learning all about how the Tacoma City Council works, and the resources the City provides for our community.

October 11 was Green Tacoma Day – thank you to everyone who came out to a volunteer event and helped plant trees and make Tacoma more green!

One of my favorite events of the year is the Hosmer Trunk or Treat! The entire Hosmer neighborhood comes together to have fun, build community, and make Hosmer a safer and more welcoming place to be.

Duke Paulson, Executive Director of Tacoma Rescue Mission, CM Rumbaugh and myself at the Tacoma Rescue Mission (TRM) groundbreaking to expand the single men’s wing shelter at their downtown location. The funding for this project includes City of Tacoma’s Grant Package for $4 million in Community Project Funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and $3.5 million from the City’s General Fund. This project Tacoma Rescue mission will increase their capacity by 100 beds and will host a total of 260 beds.