-Hello.
I'm Phil Tavel, and I'm running for
Seattle City Council District 1.
And I'm here to ask for your vote.
I've lived here for 25 years,
and I've been an active public servant all that time.
I'm a renter.
I'm a dad with a fifth grader in the public school system.
And my parents live here in District 1, as well.
My life's work and passion has always been public service.
I've been a high school physics teacher, a community leader,
a small business owner, a public defender,
and I am now an administrative law judge.
For more than 15 years,
I've worked in the criminal justice system,
helping people navigate drug court, mental health court,
veterans court, and other public services.
You know, not every crisis needs an armed response,
but to deal with rising gun violence
and to hold people accountable when they victimize others,
we need a properly staffed and trained police department.
I will start by expanding the Collaborative Policing Bureau
and finalizing the contract with the police,
which is now more than 2 ½ years overdue.
Our city is not delivering on its basic promises to provide
a clean, safe, equitable, and prosperous city for everyone.
The city can do a better job
addressing the humanitarian crisis in our neighborhoods,
our parks, and downtown streets, as well.
It's time for us to focus on proven interventions,
expanding our array of shelter options,
increasing our stock of permanently supportive housing,
and providing safe lots for people
living in their cars and RVs.
We have thrown hundreds of millions of dollars
at the homelessness issue, and it only seems to get worse.
We cannot keep funding service providers
that fail to deliver on their promises
to help people in crisis.
I will ensure that there is
a true accountability in our system.
I will also prioritize electrifying
our municipal fleets of vehicles,
to move our city towards being carbon neutral.
I will make sure to properly maintain our bridges and roads,
especially our bridges,
and protect our dwindling tree canopy.
This is a time for public service, not politics.
My name is Phil Tavel, and I ask you for your vote.
Thank you.