Four candidates are seeking election to Position No. 1 on the Burien City Council in 2025, offering voters a range of backgrounds and perspectives in one of the city’s most closely watched local races.
Ballots began arriving July 18 for the upcoming Aug. 5 primary election, where all four candidates for Burien City Council Position No. 1 will appear on the ballot. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.
Claudio Fernandez, a construction manager, laborer, and small business owner, is running for Burien City Council Position No. 1 in the 2025 election. A longtime Burien resident and local father, Fernandez says his priorities include improving public safety, increasing affordability for working families and seniors, and supporting responsible development that grows the economy without raising taxes. With a background in business and marketing from Orange Coast College, he emphasizes practical, cost-effective solutions and says he is “seeking to better my city, not become a politician.”
Also running for Position No. 1:
- Cameron Boosman, a longtime Burien resident and former Planning Commission member. EDITOR’S NOTE: Boosman did not respond to our two inquiries for this series.
- Hugo Garcia, incumbent.
- Jessica Ivey, a professional mediator and community advocate.
To help inform voters ahead of the primary, The B-Town Blog invited each candidate to respond to a standardized set of 11 questions covering topics such as public safety, housing, homelessness, economic development, climate policy, and their vision for Burien’s future.
NOTE: Photos and links are from the King County Elections website. We do not correct punctuation, grammar, or fact check candidate statements.
Claudio Fernandez
1. Why are you running for Burien City Council? What are your top three reasons and issues you want to address?
I’m running for Burien City Council because I care about the future of our city. As a local dad, labor worker, and small business owner, I see the challenges residents face every day. My top priorities are making Burien more affordable, improving public safety, and supporting working families. I’m not running to become a politician. I’m running to serve.
2. Minimum Wage and Small Business: Burien recently passed a minimum wage initiative, while voters approved another. What are your thoughts on this and which version do you think should be enforced? Also, what are your thoughts on the lawsuit/countersuit over the initiative that was passed in February?
I believe people deserve fair pay, but I also know firsthand how hard it is for small businesses to stay open. Burien council passed one version of the minimum wage while voters passed an initiative. We need the version that supports workers while being realistic for small employers. Lawsuits and countersuits won’t help anyone. What we need is collaboration and practical solutions that allow businesses to thrive and employees to survive.
3. Affordable Housing and Homelessness: What specific strategies do you support for increasing affordable housing and addressing homelessness in Burien? What is your stance on the recently proposed ordinance regarding homeless encampments at churches/religious organizations?
Many families and seniors are being priced out of Burien and that’s not right. It’s time to bring a fresh perspective to how we handle growth and housing. I support responsible development that provides affordable housing, not just high-end units. We also need to address homelessness with compassion and structure. I support what the city is doing now with its outreach team. They have done a great job of restoring many of the issues some council members created. I believe churches should be able to help, but there must be clear guidelines to keep everyone safe, including nearby residents. The proposed ordinance as drafted was not it. I think one thing many of us would like to see is Burien moving forward by making the right choices from the start and building on those instead of what we’ve seen historically, which is making a bunch of wrong choices, watching the damage happen, and then scrambling to fix it after the fact.
4. Public Safety and Policing: How would you approach public safety concerns in Burien, including police funding, alternative response programs, and community trust?
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. I support strong police services along with the outreach team the city is currently using, to build up trust in the community. We also need common-sense alternatives for handling mental health and addiction-related issues so officers can focus on violent crime and emergency response.
5. Airport Impacts: Burien continues to experience environmental and quality-of-life impacts from Sea-Tac Airport. Noise pollution, air quality, and land-use conflicts remain major concerns, particularly for residents in North Burien. What is your stand on this issue?
Living in Burien, we all know how the airport affects our air, noise levels, and daily lives, especially in North Burien. I support holding the Port of Seattle accountable and advocating for stronger protections for our residents, including better soundproofing, air quality monitoring, and fairer land-use decisions.
6. Downtown Revitalization and Economic Development: What is your vision for revitalizing Burien’s downtown core and attracting new businesses, jobs, and community spaces?
As a construction business owner, I believe Burien has great potential to attract new jobs, local businesses, and community spaces. We need to clean up downtown, make it more inviting, and support small businesses with fewer barriers and more opportunity. This will help grow our economy and bring life back to our city center.
7. Public Transit and Traffic: How can the city improve public transit options, address traffic congestion, ensure safe streets for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists?
We need safer, more accessible streets for everyone, drivers, walkers, bikers, and transit riders. I support practical improvements to traffic flow and safer routes to school and work. Better public transportation options are key for those who rely on it daily.
8. Environment and Climate Resilience: What steps (if any) should Burien take to address climate change, protect green spaces, and improve urban tree canopy in light of funding challenges?
My family raises animals and through that experience I’ve come to value how small intentional choices can make a big difference. We eat a mostly vegetarian diet and believe that how we live, what we eat, and how we use resources matters. Burien should do its part to care for the environment even with limited funds. We can protect our green spaces, improve our tree canopy, and support practices that build long-term sustainability. Even small steps taken consistently can lead to meaningful change.
9. DEI & Sanctuary City Status: What is your stand on Burien’s policies that protect the needs of its diverse population? Also, the city voted to become a “Sanctuary City” in 2017. What are your thoughts on this?
As an immigrant myself and now a U.S. citizen, I understand the importance of making people feel welcome and safe. Burien is home to people from many backgrounds, and I support policies that respect everyone’s dignity. I believe we can uphold our values as a city while being mindful of how federal decisions may impact our local resources, while also protecting our community from people who are committing violent crimes.
10. Transparency and Community Engagement: What new approaches would you take to increase transparency and improve communication between City Hall and the public?
I believe in leading with integrity and keeping the community informed. We need to hear from more voices, not just the loudest. I’d push for more direct communication, especially with those who often feel left out of the process due to the busyness that comes with raising a family and working.
11. Budget Priorities and Tough Choices: Given ongoing budget constraints, what would be your top funding priorities, and what tradeoffs would you consider balancing essential services with new initiatives?
My top priorities are public safety, infrastructure, and essential services that directly benefit Burien residents. I do not support raising taxes. Families are already struggling with high costs. Instead, we should explore the sale of unused city property and focus on efficient use of current funds.
Good luck Claudio!!!! 🤞