The North Renton Neighborhood Association hosted a forum to allow featuring candidates running for Renton City Council.

NRNA President Meredith Farmer and NRNA Social Committee Chair Dominic Williams moderated the public event on Oct. 14 at the Carco Theatre in Renton.

The candidates were first given two minutes to introduce themselves and their platform to the crowd.

James Alberson Jr., the incumbent for Position 1, started off the introductions by stating accountability, safety and opportunity are the priorities of his campaign.

“From a crime standpoint, we see way too many perpetrators not being held accountable for their actions and we have to do something about that because we are not creating a very safe environment,” Alberson said. “In fact, by doing so, I think we are adding to that lack of safety.”

His opponent, Michael Westgaard, said he was planning to take on the cost of living prices people are facing in the city, with a focus on housing, by implementing state renter’s protections and streamlining the permit process for Renton’s desirable housing.

“I think by taking on these cost of living issues, that will deal with a large percentage of the nuisance crimes we see and the people that are struggling to survive,” Westgaard said. “Then we can really focus on the violent criminals and use the resources in the police department to take that on.”

The incumbent for Renton City Council Position 2, Carmen Rivera, touted her background in social services and how that makes her better as a council member.

“Oftentimes, I think we can all agree, there have been legislators who do not understand how policy impacts people. They might pass something that seems really lovely, but when it comes down to rubber meets the road, they don’t have that direct experience,” Rivera said. “I’m one of the few people on the council that does.”

Mary Clymer, running against Rivera, said she is running for city council because she loves Renton and her platform is focused on safety, affordability and caring.

“The work of the city council is not a seven-person job. It is about lifting every voice. It is about hearing what everybody is doing and the willingness to show up and listen, even when we don’t agree with what is being said,” Clymer said. “We still need to show up and that is how I believe we will move Renton forward.”

Position 6 incumbent Ruth Pérez, who was appointed in 2014 before being elected in 2015, said she is running for re-election because she cares about the people.

“My priorities are not my priorities, they are the priorities of the people I have had the opportunity to talk with, door by door,” Perez said. “In my top list of priorities is public safety, transportation and quality of life.”

Paul Dutton, also running for Position 6, said he is running to make sure Renton is safe, accessible and inclusive.

“Renton is growing fast, but not everybody is keeping up. There’s a lot of people being left behind,” Dutton said. “I’ve learned how to listen to people and I want to use that to help make people’s lives better here.”

One candidate for King County Council District 5, Steffanie Fain, was also in attendance and said she is running for District 5 to get a better share of King County’s resources.

“I see a really great opportunity for us to get someone who is both collaborative, but persistent, and proactive in getting resources, programs and infrastructure back here in our district,” Fain said.

The candidates then answered questions concerning issues facing Renton. Pérez lost her voice due to an illness and had Alberson read her answers for the questions given in advance.

Many of the candidates agreed that the council is not engaging enough with the community and suggested more public events to better interact with concerned residents. The incumbents said there are limitations to the extent they can engage at city council meetings on the limitations and Alberson and Pérez said the best way to connect is to email or meet with a councilmember.

“These are working sessions open to the public,” Alberson said for Pérez. “The best way to connect with elected officials is one-on-one and (my) office is always open.”

All of the candidates expressed frustration at how the abandoned building at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Park had been handled by the city. Westgaard and Rivera are in favor of more taxes for vacant buildings to prevent companies from holding onto these properties for investment purposes only.

“I think this a broader apparent view of what happens when we give so much private control of our land over to outside investors that are just taking advantage and allowing those properties to just sit and rot while taking tax credits for the loss in value,” Westgaard said. “We need to work on the tax code in that way and I think that working with the state is a great idea.”

Many of the candidates thought there should have been better code enforcement and harsher fines given out earlier. Clymer agreed with that sentiment and offered a solution to making the site less unsightly.

“Why not put up, instead of an ugly fence, something where artists can then develop it,” Clymer said. “You can make it more of an art piece so people can at least have something decent to look at as they are working through the process.”

The candidates agreed on their displeasure for eminent domain, but recognized it is a tool the city has to use at times that should not be taken lightly. Both Alberson and Westgaard brought up that several renters that were displaced with the Renton School System’s eminent domain for expansion of Renton High School are being aided by the city and some are able to buy homes as a result.

“Every effort is made to ensure that individuals that are affected are treated fairly and actually, may get an opportunity out of it for a better home for the compensation,” Alberson said. “It does happen.”

The need for gun control was another topic the candidates agreed on and several candidates said the city should limit the amount of ammo and type of firearms people are allowed to purchase. Alberson, Clymer, and Rivera said changes in Renton alone would not solve the problem of gun violence.

“It can’t just be Renton. I brought up the idea of increasing the ammo sales tax and creating a gun violence task force and what was brought back to me was unfortunately ‘Well if Renton does and nobody else does it, it’s not going to really matter. It’s not going to make a difference,’ but if we lead and work with our county partners to do this, we can make a regional difference,” Rivera said.

For increasing bike and pedestrian safety in Renton, most of the candidates suggested better bike lanes with physical barriers in smart locations and better transit options. Dutton said he thought roundabouts would be a good solution to better safety on streets.

“They are more efficient to move more people through a traffic light,” Dutton said. “Long-term maintenance costs go down. They’re a little bit of up front capital costs, but they save money in the long run.”

Ballots for the election have been mailed and ballot boxes are now open until 8 p.m. Nov. 4.