By Gwen Davis

The District 1 candidates took to the floor Mon. evening, where each discussed how he or she would approach tackling a city council term.

"For the very first time we will select a representative from District 1," said the initial facilitator. "As of the end of last Friday, these are the official candidates and we are very glad you are here."

"The two top vote-getters will advance to the general election," she said.

The primary is August 4.

"This year you will be voting for three candidates for the city council.”

Lucy Gaskill-Gaddis asked three questions, which rotated tables. Each candidate had two minutes per question. The first round took 60 minutes. After that round, people would be able to ask questions to council candidates, one-on-one.

Each question was two minutes.

Question 1: Why do you want to want to run for District 1 and what qualifications do you have the job?

Karl Wirsing: "Wherever you live you state to see patterns -- you see big ideas and big personalities but after a while they fizzle. I don't ever want to lose the fire at the start."

Brianna Thomas: "I'm running because my time in politics has led me to be a little inpatient. I think we could work a lot more comprehensively." She lived in nearly all the neighborhoods in the district and worked in politics, on various campaigns. "I'm running right now because I've tried multiple times to convince young women to be in government, and when the seat opened I felt it was hypocritical to not.” Additionally, she also works as a housing and home advocate state-wide.

Phillip Tavel: "I have seen so much potential that over the years has gone unrealized. I see more and more city council that lacks leadership. They are not managing and following through on their promises. When a crisis comes up they jump on an issue and move on. It's time to get ahead of these issues," he said. He spent the last 22 years doing many things including teaching physics, practicing law and volunteering. "I've been involved in my community and really want to serve you."

Jody Rushmer: "I'm running because our district has been under-represented in city government for decades now," he said. "We need our equitable share," of the council's money, he stated. "I want to make sure our children have the resources they need to be successful. I feel the quality of life in our district has been challenged."

Arturo Robles: "I have a degree in city management. I had an internship where I rotated to different departments in the city. They wanted us to look at different departments... I'm hoping that experience will be good for me." He said he's been underemployed which gives him certain experience. "I think we should have free two-year community college. I'm sure the US Department of Education needs to be involved. Pre-K, it's been a little slow, we need to speed it up so someone who doesn't have the means to have their kids in education, can."

Chas Redmond: "For the past 12 years I've been in everyones face here in West Seattle." He's been involved in West Seattle nonprofits, transportation and several councils. "All of that has given me insight into what the people of West Seattle want and need. Planning has gotten out of hand. The department of planning doesn't listen to people," he said. Redmond used to work for NASA. "I would do even more if I were elected."

Lisa Herbold: "I believe this district deserves a strong voice, I believe I come with a unique set of skills." She's worked in City Hall and has a career in public service as an organizer for low-income people. "I have a healthy appreciation for the process," she said. "If knowing how to get things done makes me an insider, then I am an insider. Seattle is growing at a rapid pace. We can do that if you join me in fighting for policies where not only the wealthy can live."

Pavel Goberman: "I am from the former USSR, I lived here for 36 years. I'm running for the constitution and to put a few judges in prison..." He has two degrees and is running for office because "I want to solve problems. I have plans to create jobs in Seattle and improve traffic. The City Council is corrupt and created a housing problem intentionally. I asked them, 'how much money did you get from special interests?' They didn't answer."

Shannon Braddock "I am running because I believe that with effective representation to partner with nonprofits and businesses we can get progressive policy done, I believe that." She has been with Joe McDermott's office and has worked on housing. "I really love the quality of life here and the growth is impacting everything. I am very familiar with the entire region. We know how to pull people together. I have a master's in public administration from the UW and all three of my kids attend Seattle Public Schools. I am very community -rooted and excited for this opportunity."

Question 2: WIN is concerned with homelessness. How would you addresses issues of homelessness?

Jody Rushmer: "We have the largest United Way... which is helpful for the homeless population." The city has implemented measures to reduce homelessness. "My work would be to end homelessness, a 10-year plan. One of my major initiatives would be to get schools the money. I would work for the schools to build programs for our kids," to get people out of homelessness.

Arturo Robles: "There is a lot of promise with fees that have been proposed," he said. "There still needs to make private development go on... Many times I think some of the solutions we've proposed... Maybe we should convert homeless housing to permanent housing."

Chas Redmond: "I think the solution will be different approaches. I would like the homeless encampments to not be in industrial wastelands" but closer to everyone else. "The faith community could also work with the city to acquire property. I would ask DPD to look at our zoning. I would also like to look at co-housing," where people can participate in that.

Lisa Herbold: "We need to accept the fact that this isn't a purely a supply-side problem. For every 100 dollars a community experiences in rent increase there is a percentage of homelessness rise in that community." She said we need better laws for our tenants and a strategy that puts the housing levy on the ballot in 2016. "But we can't rely only on the tax payer to solve this problem. We need to hold the development community accountable. When they build housing or apartment buildings they need to build housing for the low-income. "We have been spending our precious dollars in permanent housing but we need more housing now."

Pavel Goberman: "There are some riches from private companies... I spoke before the City Council and they ignored my proposal. People need not a one or two bedroom apartment, they need housing overhead." There has been crime and tax-payers need temporary shelter, and a place for storage for the homeless. "Seattle must be an example for all cities in the US."

Shannon Braddock: "We need to have resources for families that are at economic risk." There also needs to be addressing of mental health issues and their families as well as addiction treatment. "We have had success and this is an important thing we need to do. At the county I am proud of the work we've done which helps provide [programs help youth," particularly for LGBT and minority youth.

Karl Wirsing: "Once someone becomes homeless, to find an on-ramp back to the community can become challenging. Once you become homeless you lose a place [including a for email or a telephone number. One of the most aggravating things I hear is ‘Why don't you get a job?’" One program I think is great is Headstart, an organization for people to get back into the community.

Brianna Thomas: There are 32,000 homeless children in the city, she said. "I was speaking to a group and they said, ‘Why do you have homelessness, this is America?' And there you have priorities... We need to make sure we're addressing needs, particularly the need of dignity," she said. "LGBT youth make up 40 percent of our street population and are already coming from a place of vulnerability and can't be put into the general population."

Phillip Tavel: "It needs to be a priority. Every single day we don't have a solution, those people are still on the street." In Utah they found out that if there was a program where they give the person a social worker it costs the city less money and gets them back on their feet and gives them a sense of dignity. "You have 20,000 plus people looking to the SHA and it's too many people. We have the resources if we consider it a priority."

Question 3: What issue would be a priority for you as a City Council member?

After those questions, candidates answered pre-determined questions from the audience. Each had one minute.

Audience question 1: Regarding issues that aren’t particular to West Seattle but face the general city, how would you face those issues?
Audience question 2: What would you do to deal with rising density in West Seattle?
Audience question 3: Are we reaching the point where taxpayers won’t prioritize more taxes?

The audience then had 25 minutes to personally meet and greet the candidates.

The event was sponsored by the Westside Interfaith Network (WIN) and the League of Women Voters of Seattle-King County.

The primary election is Aug. 4 and the general election is Nov. 5.