On Oct. 3, 2023, a forum was held at the Burien Library for candidates running for the Burien City Council, where only half – three of six – showed up.
Organized by the non-partisan League of Women’s Voters Seattle & King County, the forum lasted around 90-minutes, and was one of just a few held locally for the 2023 election.
All candidates were invited to the event, but only Cydney Moore (Position No. 2), Patricia Hudson (Position No. 4) and Krystal Marx (Position No. 6) showed up.
Not in attendance were Linda Akey (Position No. 2), Kevin Schilling (Position No. 4) and Alex Andrade (Position No. 6), who all said they had other, conflicting commitments.
Video
Below is video of the forum, as provided by the Burien Library (running time 1-hour, 31-minutes):
That should be “all who later said they had other, conflicting commitments.” Let’s be accurate and truthful.
Linda Akey’s explanation, “I had another commitment,” begs the question of where her priorities lie in addressing crucial voter concerns. Similarly, Alex Andrade’s excuse that “The timing is unfortunate” and Kevin Schilling’s dismissal of “That date wasn’t good for me” do little to reassure voters of their dedication to the electorate.