• Council appointments
• Thank you for shopping local
• Connecting with state and federal elected leaders to advocate on behalf of immigrants and refugees in Tacoma
• What is a City Manager?
• Emerging leader positions
• Marine View Drive no parking signs
• Get involved with your neighborhood Council
• Working towards a Northeast Tacoma dog park
• Testifying in support of housing at the Washington State Legislature
• Affordable housing and the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative updates
• Stadium neighborhood litter pick up day
• Out in community

Council appointments

I’m honored to share that the full Council has appointed me to serve on several key boards and committees in 2026. These roles will allow me to stay deeply engaged on issues that matter most to our community—public safety, accountability, housing stability, and family well-being.

I’ll be serving on the Community Vitality and Safety Committee, the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center Board, the Government Performance and Finance Committee, the Pierce County Unified Regional Approach to Homelessness, and the South Sound 911 Policy Board. There’s important work ahead, and 2026 will be a year of collaboration, problem solving, and rolling up our sleeves to deliver results for our community. I’m ready to get to work!

Meet the 2026 Community Vitality and Safety Committee! I will work hard with Council Members Palmer, Scott and Walker to vet and develop policy and provide recommendations to enhance the living standards and safety of residents of Tacoma.

Thank you for shopping local

One of the things that makes District 2 such an amazing place to live is the incredible network of local businesses that bring energy, creativity, and character to our city every day. From neighborhood favorites to new small businesses, these entrepreneurs are a huge part of what makes Tacoma vibrant and welcoming.

A big thank-you to everyone who chose to shop local during the holiday season—your support makes a real difference. Events like the Downtown Tacoma Partnership’s Holiday Market showcase just how special our local business community is and remind us how much talent and heart we have right here. I couldn’t miss getting my snow globe picture with David Schroedel, Executive Director of the Downtown Tacoma Partnership!

If you’re looking for fun things to do throughout the year, one of the best ways to stay in the loop is by following our local business organizations on Instagram. I learn about many upcoming events and pop-ups from groups like the Downtown Tacoma Partnership, Stadium Business District, Old Town Business District and 6^th Ave Business District and I highly recommend following along to see what’s happening near you!

Connecting with state and federal elected leaders to advocate on behalf of immigrants and refugees in Tacoma

Over the last year, this federal administration has continued to promote actions and policies that sow fear and anxiety in our communities. This fear has become so pervasive that many of our neighbors now share their concerns only in whispers, afraid that speaking out – or even being seen – could put their families at risk.

I want to share with you that at the January 13, 2026, Council meeting, the entire City Council voted to sign on to A Statement from the Tacoma City Council Regarding Community Safety Standards and Law Enforcement. We also adopted Resolution 41844, a resolution directing the City Manager to create a webpage to share resources for immigrants, community members, and businesses related to immigration issues impacting residents of the City, to include background on City Council legislation in support of the City’s immigrant and refugee community, and the City’s advocacy to restrict the use of for-profit detention centers; and directing the City Manager to create outreach materials and share this information with affected community members.

I want to join my colleagues in encouraging our entire community to further use their voices and advocate on this topic to your state and federal representatives. Tacoma will continue to work within its legal authority to defend democracy and protect due process rights for every resident. We need our state and federal partners to champion protections for immigrants and refugees as well.

Use the below resources to find your state and federal elected representatives. Their websites will show you how to contact them directly, join their enewsletters, and watch out for outreach opportunities to talk directly with their offices.

• Find your Washington State Legislative District
• Find your United States Congressmember

What is a City Manager?

The City of Tacoma has launched a nationwide search for its next City Manager. 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.

Managing a biennial budget of $4.7 billion – and administratively overseeing more than 4,000 City employees who do the day-to-day work on programs that support the City Council’s policy priorities in service to the Tacoma community – the City Manager is responsible for seeing to it that this work is done in a strategic, operationally efficient, fiscally sound, and transparent manner.

Watch this video to learn more about what a City Manager does, and find the latest updates on the City’s search for its next City Manager at tacoma.gov/cmrecruitment.

Emerging leader positions

We can’t build the future of our city without the energy, passion, and perspective of our youth. The reality is that youth have not always had clear access or encouragement to serve on committees, boards, and commissions. I have felt that gap myself as a committee chair, rarely seeing young candidates. Last year I brought forward a proposal to open doors and creates real opportunities for youth leadership and professional growth. My Emerging Leader proposal aligned appointment processes and requirements for all CBC youth seats to reduce confusion in the application process, increase recruitment and retention for youth seat positions, and streamline work. 16 to 24-year-old individuals will qualify for Emerging Leader positions. This proposal went into effect on January 1. We are already seeing results! I am thrilled to see youth applying to serve in these roles, and look forward to incorporating their voices into City work and changing their relationship with government. Do you know a 16 to 24-year-old seeking leadership opportunities? Applications for the Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs’ Emerging Leader position are open through noon on January 26, 2026. Learn how to apply here.

Marine View Drive no parking signs

Anyone who has visited NE Tacoma over the past few years has seen a number of cones placed in the turnouts on Marine View Drive. Just recently the City of Tacoma’s Public Works Department removed the cones and installed No Parking signs along a large stretch of the street from Norpoint Way to the Cliff House.   Many of my neighbors and I have participated in an Adopt a Highway litter pickup program on Marine View Drive in past years. As we see more littering taking place now that people are open to pull over and enjoy the views to the other side of Tacoma, I hope our community will work to protect the waters of Commencement Bay by being involved in litter clean up days. I will be bringing this to our next Northeast Tacoma Neighborhood Council meeting as a talking point.

Get involved with your neighborhood Council

Start your new year off by connecting with your neighbors!

There are eight Neighborhood Councils and one overarching Community Council that support Tacoma’s diverse communities by engaging with City staff on neighborhood issues, concerns, and priorities identified by community members. I regularly attend neighborhood council meetings, and recently sat down to talk with North End Neighborhood Council Chair Peter Bennett.

There are four neighborhood Councils that overlap with Tacoma City Council District 2. Find out which neighborhood council you’re in, and learn more from your neighborhood council by navigating directly to the website, social media page, or email address provided below:

• Central Tacoma Neighborhood Council
• New Tacoma Neighborhood Council
• North End Neighborhood Council
• Northeast Neighborhood Council

Working towards a Northeast Tacoma dog park

Everyday when I’m out walking Stella Dawg (I call her Dawg because both my daughters are UW Huskies) I think about everyone in Northeast Tacoma who’s contacted me about wanting a Northeast Tacoma Dog Park. Last year, Parks Tacoma heard your voices and dedicated their discussion at the last Co-Create to Recreate event at Center at Norpoint to brainstorm how that dog park might come to be. It is heartening to hear from Parks Tacoma that they’re continuing to research this idea and planning for more community outreach and conversation. I’ll keep you all updated when they schedule their next steps.

Testifying in support of housing at the Washington State Legislature

The state legislative session kicked off this Monday, and it’s off to a whirlwind start! Yesterday, I testified on SB 5885 in Senate Housing Committee today in support of the proposed substitute for SB 5885, expanding opportunities for affordable housing developments on properties owned by religious organizations. The Bill Analysis is here.

The State Department of Commerce projects that Washington will need more than one million new housing units over the next 20 years, with half of that need being affordable housing for residents at the lowest income levels. Faith organizations in our community are eager to help address this crisis.  Many of these organizations have underutilized land in our communities. These organizations want to provide affordable housing on their properties, but the current requirement that 100 percent of units be affordable makes most projects financially unfeasible. This bill would remove that barrier by empowering faith organizations to build more affordable housing on their land while giving local governments the flexibility to set affordability thresholds that work for their local communities.

It’s a short, 60-day session where things will move fast. I am thankful to City staff who help track the topics most important to the City of Tacoma, and whenever possible I will show up and speak on behalf of the needs of our City.

Affordable housing and the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative updates

In December, after a year of community outreach, research, and careful deliberation in the Community, Vitality and Safety Committee – the Tacoma City Council passed Ordinance 29086, amending the Rental Housing Code and the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative to preserve access to housing and expand tenant rights in Tacoma.

The review of the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative has been centered in the goals outlined in the initiative itself: to protect families and reduce homelessness and to balance the needs of the landlord, tenant, and Tacoma while creating a partnership to ensure safe, healthy, and thriving rental housing in Tacoma.

Despite the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative’s intentions, it has had dire consequences for our city, most notably on our low-income housing providers who provide housing to those with the greatest need. Data provided by the Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium and the Tacoma Housing Authority demonstrated the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative’s substantial drain on low-income housing providers’ resources and budgets, as well as an increase in staggering debts for tenants that will significantly hinder their ability to secure housing post-eviction.

The latest information on landlord-tenant policy in Tacoma is available on tacoma.gov/rentingintacoma. The City Council’s Community, Vitality, and Safety Committee will continue to review and research landlord-tenant policy topics in 2026.

Stadium neighborhood litter pick up day

Looking for a way to be involved in what is happening in the Stadium district? Join neighbors as they meet on Saturday, January 31^st from 10-noon to pick up litter. Event starts at Columbia Bank parking lot at 601 N. 1st Street, Tacoma, WA 98403. If you have never been before, this is a well-organized litter pick up, with items such as gloves, bags, and litter grabbers provided by the city. I have been to several of these litter pick up events and always meet people who care deeply about our city. I hope to see you there. Please consider registering ahead of time so they have enough supplies. You can register at the Stadium Neighbors website here.

Out in community

My family joins Parks Tacoma and our NE Tacoma neighbors every year on Thanksgiving for the Norpoint Classic 5k.

Celebrating Chanukah with family and friends.

I joined the Downtown Tacoma Partnership for their meeting at the Murano Hotel Gallery.

Attending UWT Next Gen event. Here I am with students and Pierce County Councilmember Rosie Ayala.

I had the opportunity to sit at Puyallup Tribal Councilmember Sylvia Miller’s table for the Salish Cancer Center Gala.