Three candidates are seeking election to Position No. 5 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 three candidates for Burien City Council Position No. 5 will appear on the ballot. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.
Burien Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore is seeking reelection to City Council Position No. 5, highlighting her work on climate action, renter protections, housing stability, and advocacy for residents impacted by airport noise. Moore says she will continue championing walkable neighborhoods, environmental justice, and a data-informed approach to public safety that addresses root causes of crime such as poverty and lack of opportunity. Her endorsements include the National Women’s Political Caucus WA, King County and 33rd District Democrats, MLK Labor, and elected officials including State Representatives Mia Gregerson, Edwin Obras, Joe Fitzgibbon, and Emily Alvarado, as well as King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda.
Also running for Position No. 5:
- Jamie Jo Skeen – EDITOR’S NOTE: Skeen declined to respond to us.
- Gabriel Fernandez
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.
Sarah Moore
1. Why are you runing for Burien City Council? What are your top three reasons and issues you want to address?
I am running for this position because I know that more needs to be done to strengthen our city and equip it to support our residents. I have the experience and temperament to move us forward in a way that will benefit the people of Burien and our city’s standing and reputation in the region.
My three priorities are all related to the questions below. I will identify them here and fill out further in the responses to the appropriate questions.
Priority 1 – what started me on this journey – is the desire for neighborhoods throughout Burien that are walkable, livable, with equitable access to services, healthy foods and arts, recreation and open spaces.
Priority 2 – everyone deserves a fair shot at living, working, and thriving in Burien. I am and will continue to be fighting for affordable housing, renter protections, and policies that support living wages—ensuring that people who work in Burien can afford to stay and build a future here.
Priority 3 – a city that is transparent in its decision making process and that invites residents into that process. I love talking to people about what I do, what the city does, and how to become more engaged. I want Burien to engage in as many ways with as many people as possible, including reaching into community gatherings and listening to our residents as they engage in other parts of civic life.
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?
While on council, I have been a consistent and unwavering voice advocating for a minimum wage that includes all workers – one that does not include tips and benefits in the calculation of wage, and for a rollout that gives smaller businesses time to ramp up, but eventually includes businesses of all sizes. I still believe that a minimum wage should fulfill those criteria. The voter initiative that passed with over 57% of the vote in February is the wage that should be enforced by the city.
I did not support the decision to file the lawsuit. The voters have spoken and their votes should be upheld. As both a resident and council member it saddens me to see my city involved in lawsuits, and I try to advocate and vote for measures that will avoid the need for lawsuits to be necessary to decide important issues for us. But the courts are one of the ways residents and cities have to resolve disagreements.
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?
More housing at all price points will be the main ingredient to ending homelessness. I have and will support proactive programs that encourage and incentivize middle housing, multifamily housing along transit corridors, and access to services citywide. I would specifically point to the programs proposed by our city planners and planning commission when we considered improvements to the Affordable Housing Demonstration Program at the end of 2022. I was in support of not only continuing this program, but strengthening it based on the feedback of smaller housing developers who wanted to bring creative housing options to Burien but couldn’t quite make it work. Additionally, we can and should partner with other cities to create some standard middle housing designs that will streamline the permitting process, saving time and money for affordable housing developers.
State law clearly requires cities to allow religious organizations to use their space as temporary shelter for unhoused individuals, for overnight vehicle sheltering, tent or tiny house dwelling, or temporary shelter inside a place of worship. I support the state’s goal of allowing religious groups to exercise their rights and act according to their principles in this regard. I was strongly in favor of an ordinance that organizations could use as a guideline if they wanted to use their space in this way. However when I reviewed Burien’s proposed ordinance, and asked shelter providers for input, I learned that some of the restrictions would make it functionally impossible for certain types of shelter to be put in place. For that reason I could not vote yes on the ordinance.
4. Public Safety and Policing: How would you approach public safety concerns in Burien, including police funding, alternative response programs, and community trust?
Continue to fully fund our Human Services department and the community grants is supports. The programs funded through our human services budget are an investment in the future safety of our residents and build trusted relationships in the community.
Co-responder models bring much needed mental and behavioral health support to all types of first responder situations. We must continue to fund this model.
Community police, engaging community, build positive interactions, walk more than drive, and be present more frequently at locations with frequent crime reports.
Promote and encourage Open active spaces in more areas of the city. Actively engage youth by supporting our Parks and Recreation department with late night activities for youth, summer and vacation camps, and by finding funding for paid youth internships such as the Green Burien Partnership.
Partner with nonprofits who are already engaged in violence prevention work with youth and adults, such as New Futures, Choose 180 and anti violence work in schools. Burien has a vibrant community of nonprofit organizations who are already building trust relationships with communities vulnerable to violence and we as a city can amplify their work.
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?
As the chairperson of the Burien Airport Committee and a 23 year dweller under the flight path, I can say that I literally think about this topic from the time I wake up in the morning until I go to sleep at night. The noise pollution from the airport is easy to notice and measurable. Pollution from ultrafine particles and other airborne contamination is harder to measure and harder to prove source. We need to establish permanent monitoring stations for pollutants in locations heavily impacted by flights and as isolated as possible from other sources of pollution.
We need to hold the Port of Seattle and WSDOT to account for the cumulative nature of pollutants from the port and the road traffic related to airport business – these are not two totally separate issues but closely related sources of pollution.
Burien’s aging port packages need to be replaced, and if current funding models are not achieving this, we must hold the port responsible (as I already am) for reviewing the model and seeking new sources of funding.
History has shown that the airport growth has never slowed down and we are unlikely to succeed in decreasing air traffic, but we need to – and I have and will continue to – push for protections and compensation for localized harm that the port brings to Burien.
6. Downtown Revitalization and Economic Development: What is your vision for revitalizing Burien’s downtown core and attracting new businesses, jobs, and community spaces?
A thriving downtown core is an important business investment for Burien, but we also need to invest in all parts of the city. For example, Burien also needs to support the businesses on Ambaum, which form a key backbone for the people in the surrounding neighborhood, while staying on guard against gentrification. And we must build a stronger business presence in Boulevard Park.
I support the arts district model for downtown, with community arts spaces on 153rd and growing the downtown core to expand past 152nd street and embrace 153rd and 148th. The aging “welcome to Burien” sign at 148th and 1st ave South is being studied for replacement with a more modern design. This needs to be the first step in recognizing the importance of that intersection and the nearby areas, improving their curb appeal and expanding the footprint of our downtown to include them.
Burien owns two properties in the downtown core or nearby – we need to get the word out on their development, and ideally restart the idea of a hotel.
Ambaum is zoned for additional growth, which will naturally follow the rapid ride bus line. This growth must be done with the intentional awareness that the businesses already in place are a vital part of the community and are at serious risk of being pushed out. It is also a transit hub that, despite having sidewalks, feels unwalkable. A few actions such as increasing setbacks near transit stops to allow pedestrians to move away from traffic can help create more walkability which will help keep existing businesses active.
Growth in Boulevard Park should be centered around the goal of restoring an active commercial hub where residents can be within walking distance of goods and services, and businesses can anticipate a local consumer base. Boulevard Park also needs traffic calming at a few key intersections, in order to become and remain walkable as it grows.
I will touch on this again in my answer to the outreach question, but the city should actively incorporate outreach to these neighborhoods in its coffee chats and other community engagement efforts – even if there is initially a limited show of interest. Residents have not built the habits of viewing themselves as part of Burien, and the city can help support this by showing up regularly.
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?
While public transit as such is not within Burien’s control, we do have options for improving access. One is to keep the focus of increased density in areas within ½ mile of transit. We can also encourage residents to use existing transit, as ridership is a measure used to determine future routes. Burien has a council representative on the Regional Transit Committee but this group is largely inactive and that needs to change.
Unfortunately Burien is many years (and budget cycles) away from being able to support city-wide sidewalks, and the required sidewalk installed by new developers will only become a useful solution as development fills in the gaps. I am very interested in the idea of having a handful of streets, chosen with input from local residents, that are closed to through traffic and kept as bike/walk areas.
Looking ahead, my greatest concern about traffic is yet to come, with the completion of the 509 connection to I – 5 and 509 becoming a toll road. I anticipate some benefits to Burien businesses – more traffic through, means more stops along the way. But I also anticipate more noise and pollution issues all along the 509 corridor and impact to surface streets near 509, including damage from heavy machinery not designed for residential neighborhoods. I will push for a discussion of impact fees to help defray the added cost of street maintenance.
Burien will have a Public Safety Levy on the November ballot, which will include funding for street repairs to the highest priority streets where modifications such as lights, sidewalks or calming measures can enhance traffic safety. Lastly, residents have a part to play by reporting unsafe conditions, using Burien’s reporting portal: https://www.burienwa.gov/residents/resident_resources/report_an_issue . The city prioritizes all known issues with its streets and sidewalks, but local residents are the most familiar with specific street conditions and your input is important.
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?
I believe that Burien must address climate change, which is real, human caused, and which will become an increasingly dominant issue in Burien, regionally and worldwide.
Addressing climate change is not just an environmental issue; many steps that make homes and neighborhoods more liveable will also protect them from the worst impacts of climate change, and in some cases, are investments that will make utilities more affordable in the future and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
I support the goals of the Burien People for Climate Action, with the major goals of weatherizing and decarbonizing existing buildings and new construction, promoting transit as a viable form of transportation to, from and within Burien, planning for EV infrastructure support, and working collaboratively with other regional cities and with King County to find resources to do more. I see these as win/win climate actions that are also investments in our city that will benefit residents with lower utility bills and the ability to choose EV with confidence.
Burien also needs to secure more funding to host emergency severe weather shelters. As climate change progresses, hot weather and smoke emergencies will impact sheltered and unhoused people alike.
The Green Burien Partnership, which pairs Burien with a variety of nonprofit organizations and youth job building programs, has helped restore, sustain and grow the city’s tree canopy. Funding for this program is at risk and we need to actively pursue resources to keep it. This program provides paid internships to youth and makes more tree canopy available to neighborhoods with less access to healthy open spaces. It has been creatively managed to keep costs very low, and I am committed to supporting any and all effort to keep it going.
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?
Burien is a majority minority city, with many languages spoken in homes, and is diverse in other ways – an active LGBTQIA community, residents of all ages and religions, many new residents and others who have lived here for decades. Diversity is not just a buzzword for Burien, it is who we are. As such, it is the duty of the city to understand our communities and create policies to serve their needs. Our policies should be based on what our community needs and I will continue to support care for THIS community.
Before answering the sanctuary city question, I think it is very important to clarify what the ordinance did, and why I supported it at the time and still do. The ordinance stated that city staff could not ask questions about immigration status, religion or nationality while interacting with community members, unless those statuses were relevant. I support this ordinance – city staff are here to help residents, not to question their status or make it harder for them to seek help.
Burien was a leader in establishing this ordinance and we need to continue to lead in challenging times, upholding the rights of our residents, regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation, nationality, language spoken at home, religion, income level or housing status.
As far as I can tell, these federal policies are designed to create rifts between groups of people and if followed, will leave out too many and make us all less safe. The time to say no to that is now.
10. Transparency and Community Engagement: What new approaches would you take to increase transparency and improve communication between City Hall and the public?
Transparency: I have taken a step toward transparency with the newsletter I create before each city council meeting (https://tinyurl.com/bk79ywtf), in which I share the upcoming discussion topics and when relevant, my views and reasons for having them. One of the great breakdowns I see in civic engagement is that too often, people hear about decisions after they are made. The more ways we can get the decision making information out there – in as neutral a way as possible – and the more the city can demonstrate that the input it seeks is acted upon, the more our residents will want to give input in the future. City staff bring many topics to council for decisions, and over time, staff and council sometimes develop communication methods to expedite this heavy workload. From inside, this may work, but feedback from community members is that it takes time to get up to speed on issues impacting them, and the process needs to review how it communicates to better mesh with how people gather and use information.
Engagement: The city needs to engage by going to the places where its residents gather and talk, and listen to learn. Burien has recruited three trusted leaders within Burien’s diverse communities, who receive compensation to serve as Community Connectors. These leaders help maintain the city’s ties to some of the key language speakers in the city to stay current on needs and issues and address them promptly. I think we should expand this program, incorporating them into advisory groups, and holding listening sessions to glean key concerns that they are hearing, and when appropriate, attending events recommended by the Connectors.
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?
Burien spends more than half of its budget on police and much of the rest on public works and parks. Cuts made to other vital but smaller programs would devastate city operations without making a significant dent in our budget.
We need to look at where we can partner with businesses, nonprofits, neighboring cities etc. to fill gaps. My roots in the community, experience on the Parks Board, and relationships built across South King County are a real asset here.
As I speak with residents, I hear again and again a theme of anxiety about cuts and changes in direction at the federal level, and a sense that cities, local leaders and communities will become more important than ever. Burien will need to be creative, collaborative and open to new ideas to weather these changes, and I am ready for the challenge.
Council recently voted to place a Public Safety levy on the November ballot, asking Burien voters to increase property taxes in order to fund a variety of public safety measures such as added police officers, maintaining our co-response model and increasing street safety with lighting, sidewalks and other improvements. If this does not pass, we will indeed have budget challenges ahead.
No Moore damage.