Jan Drago, recently appointed to take over the King County Council seat for District 8 vacated by Dow Constantine's election as County Executive spoke to the West Seattle Herald about her plans for the job. She is ambitious and her plans speak to her personal priorities.
Topping the list is "Economic recovery. Period. It's job creation and getting the economy back running again. It's what brought me to Seattle in the 1980's during the recession. I opened an ice cream shop up on Broadway," Drago said, "I have to get a better understanding of the County's role in economic development because there are all these different organizations. What you don't want is duplication."

Next for Drago is transportation, an issue she has worked with Constantine on for the past few years. "I made the West Seattle Viaduct the number one funded priority for the City of Seattle and I'm happy about that," she said, "I worked for eight years getting a solution, a plan for the viaduct, so I'm not interested in going backwards on that... we've spent way too much time…so Dow and I are on the same page. We just have to be prepared to take it down. It's going to be difficult." She wants to move ahead as quickly as possible on the South Spokane Street Viaduct she said.

"Another priority for me is Public Safety and Criminal Justice", Drago said, citing a long background in the field. "It's a huge part of the County budget, but the piece in particular that I'd like to try to work with and maybe do a pilot project in West Seattle and White Center is Youth Violence. If we continue to do what we've done in the past on Youth Violence we're not likely to change anything," she said suggesting that there are "creative and innovative" things available.

Drago wants to get the King County Sheriff's department to work with the Seattle Police Department on a pilot program, "it's personally one of the things I'd like to do."

Drago will serve in the position until the November general election.

District 8 is comprised of the communities of West Seattle, North Highline, Vashon/Maury Islands, Burien, Normandy Park, SoDo, International District/Chinatown, Pioneer Square, West Beacon Hill, and portions of SeaTac, and Tukwila.