Announcer: King County Council.
As the legislative branch
of county government,
the Metropolitan
King County Council
sets the policies,
enacts the laws,
and adopts the budgets that
guide the largest jurisdiction
in Washington State.
Its mission is to protect
public health and safety,
enhance quality of life,
and ensure public trust.
This is a nonpartisan position.
Members are elected
for four-year terms.
This year, three of the nine
council positions will appear
on the primary ballot.
Hello. My name's Lydia Assefa-Dawson.
And I am running for
King County Council District 7.
In the past 28 years, our region
has changed significantly,
but our leadership has remained the same.
It is now time for a change in leadership
that reflects our community
and meets the urgent needs
of our families and businesses.
I am ready to rise to that challenge.
As an infant, I lost my legs
in an accidental fire.
I came from Ethiopia
in search of opportunities.
I have learned to cope with my disability
and the challenges associated with it,
all the while raising
three amazing sons.
The journey was not easy.
Having suffered housing insecurity
and financial hardships along the way,
I've dedicated my career to helping
vulnerable families regain stability
and independence during tough times.
As we recover from the pandemic,
my compassion, insights, and skills
are critical to recovery across our region.
For more than 28 years,
my career in cities, nonprofits,
and small businesses has focused
on serving people.
I have continuously initiated and served
on boards and commissions at the state,
county, and city levels
to address homelessness
and housing development,
education, youth, transportation,
the arts, social justice,
noise and environmental pollutants,
and fund allocation.
I have led as a member
of my Ethiopian community,
and for the past seven years,
I have also proudly served
on the Federal Way City Council,
and I have the vision and ethics we need
to see remarkable and long-anticipated
improvements for our region.
With your support and vote,
I'll work tirelessly in partnership
with key stakeholders, including you,
to create a culture of inclusivity,
health and wellness,
vibrant political leadership,
and economic vitality
for the communities of our region.
If you qualify
and are not registered to vote,
please register.
If you're registered to vote,
I thank you in advance for exercising
your right and privilege to vote.
My name is Lydia Assefa-Dawson,
and I am running for King County
Council District 7,
and I would be honored to earn your vote.
Thank you.
Hello. My name is Dominique Torgerson.
And I am running for King County Council
for District 7
because we need change.
I know all too well the issues
that we face in our rural unincorporated
areas of King County.
With completely unreasonable
and overburdensome permitting and zoning codes,
it is otherwise a miracle if someone can
even make it through
the permitting process at all,
much less without great financial
and mental difficulty.
It took our business two and a half years
to make it through what should have been
an over-the-counter permit.
King County does little to nothing to support
its rural or unincorporated businesses,
which is completely evident by the fact
that we have the absolute lowest percentage
of sales that comes from
the unincorporated areas
out of any county in this entire state,
at a minimal 3.2 percent.
And that is based on 2016 numbers.
King County basically has two principal sources
of tax revenue -- property tax and sales tax.
Property taxes levied by counties
can only increase by 1 percent every year.
With that limitation, we have to be able
to supplement our revenue
by getting sales tax.
But the only way to create this foundation
of stable sales tax revenue
is to support unincorporated businesses.
With such limited sales tax
coming back from the general fund,
we have absolutely no way
to continue to support the rural areas,
much less get funding for anything else.
My second issue that I want to address
is our effect on the environment.
We have such an inefficient recycling program
where most of what we recycle
still ends up in the landfills.
With the technology that is available,
there is absolutely no reason
we should even have landfills anymore.
And that is something I want to change.
Lastly, we need to get back
to listening to the people.
As elected officials, it is our duty
to be servants to the people.
The words "career" and "politician"
should never go hand in hand,
but, unfortunately, it is now all too common,
continually reinforced by greed
and need to excessively control.
If I am elected, I will push for term limits
that will effectively remove the incentive
for someone to try and make
an elected position a career.
My name is Saudia J. Abdullah,
and I'm asking for your vote for King County
Council District 7.
This area is special to me.
I'm raising my son here.
I work for King County.
I ride King County Metro buses.
I shop at our local businesses.
I relax and unwind in our beautiful parks.
My son attends public school here.
King County is our home.
That's why I know firsthand
the challenges our district is facing
and how important it is to have an advocate
on the council who's invested in our community.
South King County is changing, fast,
and we can't keep pretending the solutions
from the past will solve
the community's new challenges.
Here's what I know.
We all want to live in a community
where we support each other,
where our students are safe
and our businesses thrive,
where we embrace fresh perspectives
and creative solutions.
We all want to live
in a community we can be proud of.
And I want to work with you
to get us there together.
I know the new ideas will help us build
a brighter future for South King County.
That's why I want to be your next
King County Council member.
I'm asking for your vote because I'm ready
to work with you and for you
to make South King County
the vibrant, safe, and happy community
we know it can be.
Please visit FriendsOfSaudia.com
to learn more about me
and to be sure to follow our campaign
on social media.
My name is Saudia J. Abdullah,
and on Aug. 3,
I'd be honored to receive your vote
for King County Council District 7.