Meet the Brier City Council candidates: Daniel Allen, at large

Daniel Allen

Daniel Allen is campaigning for the Brier City Council at large, running unopposed. He was appointed to the city’s parks board in 2020. Allen is also involved in other outreach programs in Brier. The general election is Nov. 7.

Q: Why are you running for Brier City Council? What do you hope to accomplish?

I am running for Brier City Council because I understand the challenges that our city and neighbors are facing due to the sprawling growth of surrounding cities, rising costs of living and increased property taxes. As a parks board member and experienced community leader, I have a vital perspective on how to be a good steward of our limited city resources, harnessing our growth opportunities while preserving the Brier we know and love. I want to help the city make the right choices for today, and what Brier will be in the next 10 years.

I believe my background and experience make me uniquely qualified to be an effective voice on our city council for all Brier residents.

Q: What experiences would you bring to the council and how are they relevant to the position?

Mayor Kaemingk and the city council appointed me to the Brier Parks Board in 2020 and I have been proud to serve the community since. This team coordinates events that bring families, neighbors, and friends together, and creates opportunities for meeting people within our community. Additionally, I am an active member of Brier’s own Brookview Church, co-led a men’s group for two years, and am involved in multiple outreach programs, including helping local families associated with Cedar Way Elementary, Vision House and the summer soccer program.

Q: What is your vision for Brier?

My vision for Brier is to be a fully functioning city with growing revenue that allows us to remain a hidden gem nestled among the cities around us. The people of Brier love our city just the way it is, and we’ve worked hard to maintain the small-town presence. And still, like each community around us, we continue to grow. It is imperative for our city to recognize how the surrounding growth impacts our neighbors, and we need to establish a path forward to preserve our most treasured characteristics of Brier.

Q: In your opinion, what is Brier’s most pressing issue and what are your solutions for addressing it?

Our city budget is the most pressing issue in Brier. The city’s revenue is largely based on property tax. I will push our city toward new revenue opportunities that keep more of our neighbors’ hard-earned dollars in their pockets and appropriately fund our city operations.

Q: How do you plan to encourage residents to become more civically engaged?

I am impressed by the online engagement from our neighbors across social media, and I’d like to encourage folks to bring their voices into city government more often. We need more voices at the table in our city council meetings. As a council, we need to hear from our neighbors directly to initiate progress and respond appropriately to our community’s needs. Brier has several volunteer opportunities to work within the community including the library and parks boards, and the planning commission. I would be thrilled to use my experience on the parks board and involvement in our community organizations to encourage others’ civic participation.

Q: The neighboring city of Mountlake Terrace is preparing for growth with the arrival of Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link light rail. How do you think this growth will impact Brier – if at all – and if so, how would you help to prepare the city for it?

Increased traffic through our region is coming, and we have already seen some of the impact. We may need to invest into a traffic impact study to meet community expectations and mitigate the repercussions of too many cars coming through our city. I would also be interested in seeing future developers contribute to road improvements.

Having additional resources and greater transit access close by is a huge benefit to our city. I think this makes Brier more desirable with access to new restaurants and services. We must balance the benefits of this growth with the appropriate remedies for the impact on our city.

Q: How will you work to promote equity both within city government and for Brier residents?

We must continue advancing local priorities that recognize and address racial inequities. Too often decisions are made through stale systems or methods that don’t fully address the personal impact on our neighbors. I will continue building consensus in Brier by advocating for policies and resources that bring value to our city, supporting our neighbors, and building a thriving, equitable community.

Q: Are Brier’s current levels of staffing for its police department adequate? If so, expand on your thoughts and – if not – how might the city pay for additional policing?

No, unfortunately, our city hasn’t had a fully staffed police department in years. Our officers collect significant overtime to compensate for the short staff but are overworked and under supported. We have unfairly put officers at risk by leaving them to patrol independently without appropriate backup from our own city’s police force. We put our trust in the officers with our safety, yet we ignore the safety of the officers. It is up to us as Brier community members to rectify this imbalance and reinvest in public safety.

With the growth of our region, we are adding more people in our community – and the potential for increased crime. I am committed to carving a new path forward with the council that builds on past successes, prepares our force for growth, and allows us to attain proper staffing levels. We must identify appropriate revenue sources and policies that fulfill the needs of the Brier Police Department.

Q: What are the most pressing environmental issues the city currently faces and your proposals to address those?

We are seeing more deer, coyotes and bobcats than ever before in our city. The more we develop, the greater tree cover we strip away from the local wildlife to live. We need to create measures for any future development to avoid, minimize, or compensate for the adverse effects and environmental impacts resulting from their projects.

Q: Where can people contact you to learn more about your campaign?

Daniel Allen
206-604-2763
Daniel@danielallenforbrier.com
danielallenforbrier.com

— By Cody Sexton

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