[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, submitted by a verified resident(s). It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The B-Town Blog, nor its staff:]
Burien City Council Elections: Please VOTE for the change our community needs on the Burien City Council
We are a diverse group of over 260 Burien community members from every walk of life and neighborhood. Many of us have lived here for decades while raising our families and running our businesses. We have arrived at the same conclusion; the quality of life and safety in Burien has suffered greatly over the last four years. We are compassionate and caring individuals who want to help our fellow community members in need. However, proposals by the current Burien City Council are radical and represent neither common sense nor the majority of the residents of our city. Last year, while we were working hard and trying to survive the most difficult year in recent memory, our City Council made critical decisions that will irreparably harm the safety of our neighborhoods. At some point, our elected leaders need to be held accountable for these failures. Elections give us that opportunity. There is a primary election on August 3, and four City Council positions will be decided. This is a majority of the council seats and change at this level would make a meaningful impact on the future of our city.
Our voices have been ignored
The current council is not responsive to the majority of their constituents. Many council members appear to only have allegiance to their own personal agendas, political aspirations or listen to a small, vocal group of our community. They are beholden to interests outside the city they were elected to serve. Many of us have lived in this community long enough to remember the last time outside influences forced our area to take on more than its fair share. King County was forcing its vision on our community. Their actions were so extreme that we are still dealing with the consequences 25 years later. As residents we united, took action, and the city of Burien was born. We decided in that moment that our residents needed local representation that prioritized the needs and vision the community wanted to see. Unfortunately, with decisions like DESC and Enhanced Service Facilities, it is clear that the state and county have received the message that once again they can do whatever they want in our city because we have elected representatives that do not care about the community they were elected to serve. The time has come, once again, for all concerned citizens in our city to unite and say enough.
Burien deserves better
Before you cast your ballot, ask yourself what kind of city do I want to live in? Do you currently feel safe? Do you want an urban downtown core where you can shop, eat and mingle with your fellow citizens? These are reasonable asks and ones that other city councils deliver to their citizens. What we are seeing now in our city is not normal and it is not acceptable. Our current City Council has a very different agenda and one that is not compatible with providing a safe and prosperous city. Just as we have done before, it is time once again for Burien to unite and elect a City Council that prioritizes the needs and safety of our community.
Signed by over 260 resident citizens and local businesses for a better Burien.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have an opinion you’d like to share with our highly engaged local Readers? If so, please email your Letter to the Editor to editor@b-townblog.com and, pending review and verification that you’re a real human being, we may publish it. Letter writers must use their full names and cite sources – as well as provide an address and phone number (NOT for publication but for verification purposes).
