Candidate Profile: Matthew Goelzer For Kirkland Council, Pos. 3

KIRKLAND, WA — General election ballots will land in mailboxes across King County by Oct. 18, as the 2021 election season enters its final stretch heading into Nov. 2. Dozens of key races are in play this year, including contests for King County Executive, four positions on the Metropolitan King County Council and several local city council races.

As voters prepare to fill out their choices, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles leading up to Election Day.

Architect and first-time candidate Matthew Goelzer is running to represent Kirkland's third council district.

Candidate

Matthew Goelzer

Age (as of Election Day)

48

Position Sought

Kirkland City Council Position 3

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Family

I have an amazing wife, Paula, and four great children who have grown up in Kirkland. We have had children in LWSD for 17 years and have a student enrolled at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. We are fortunate to have extended family in Kirkland as well. My father in law lived in Section 8 housing at Kirkland Plaza. My brother in law, his wife, and children live in Kingsgate.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I do not have any relatives in local politics or government.

Education

I have a Bachelor Degree in Architecture and a Bachelor Degree of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin.

Occupation

I am a licensed Architect and a LEED accredited professional. I have been practicing for 25 years and am a signatory to the AIA 2030 Commitment with the goal of moving our profession to being carbon neutral by 2030. By electing me, Kirkland gains a leader with 25 years of professional experience in design and development and a commitment to sustainability.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

This will be my first time serving in a public position.

Campaign website

www.GoelzerforCouncil.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

We are in a time of great prosperity and growth. With that prosperity, we are seeing acute pressures on housing, infrastructure and services. Kirkland has the opportunity now to set a vision for where we want to be in 2050 and to put a strategic plan in place to get there. I feel that I am uniquely qualified for this opportunity.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Inclusion and socio-economic diversity. With our great prosperity, we are seeing displacement of working class families and working class jobs. I will make it my priority to making housing affordability, diversity in housing options, and diversity of employment options a top priority. I want to live in a City where I can have teachers, paramedics, mechanics, and software engineers as my neighbors. We need to take definitive steps today to create that community tomorrow.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am in a unique position to have a comprehensive vision of the challenges in front of us. I am a business owner and Architect. I work on development projects across North America which gives me a broad perspective. Simply put, I understand what drives development. I know that our prosperity is enviable and to be celebrated.

At the same time, I bring an eyes wide open perspective that is missing from the other candidates. I have friends and family in the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. My niece and nephew were impacted directly by the Asian hate that was rampant in 2020 (in Kirkland). I know kids who have been kicked out of their homes for being gender non-conforming. I know kids who are struggling with addiction and self harm issues at an age where they should only know curiosity and joy. I have family who have faced homelessness and struggle with the stress of housing insecurity (in Kirkland). I have friends who have made the tough decision to close businesses as they have seen their workforce be displaced by rising housing costs. I use transit as my primary way to get to work. My kids bike to work.

I am committed to partnering with all members of our community and to seek out the under-represented voices to make sure that everyone is heard. I know that my vision of Kirkland is not currently representative of all of those voices. I look forward to listening, learning, and evolving that vision to meet the needs of our diverse and amazing community.

When Mitzi Johanknecht leaves office, what should the county look for in appointing a new sheriff?

I agree that the Sheriff should be an appointed position with direct accountability to the County. The County should seek a candidate with a broad world view and the ability to connect on a personal level with our diverse community in King County.

What are some of your priorities for a post-pandemic recovery?

Rebuilding our sense of community is key to recovery. We have seen tremendous strains on mental health related to anxiety and isolation over the past 18 months. The City needs to prioritize mental health services, community outreach and community building. This will not be easy work and will need to be part of a long-term commitment to improving mental health services.

What would you do in office to strengthen preparedness and response efforts for extreme heat and wildfire smoke events?

Regionally, there is insufficient public space available for emergency shelter for heat, smoke, or winter storm events. This was made clear during 2020 when COVID restrictions placed further strain on available resources.

Developing a plan with the broader community would be a great first step. During many of these events, schools could be opened for shelter. Many houses of worship do this but on an ad hoc basis. I also have seen many instances where business are willing to open their doors in these events. By taking a comprehensive approach to these crises and a position of leadership, the City can act as the organizing agency for a response that is more robust and matches the scale of the need.

Prevention is also key to this. The City can be working to reduce heat island impacts within the City and must work with neighboring cities to make this a regional approach.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

The people of Kirkland feel like government is happening too them, not for them or with them. The outreach that is being done is being handled in a way that people feel the conclusion is predetermined and that their voice is unimportant. I have heard it from neighbors and in public forums. I have seen good people give up and stop participating in the process. My commitment to the people of Kirkland is to maintain an open dialogue and to have the uncomfortable conversations. We are stronger together and with more voices.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

As the epicenter of the pandemic, it is very difficult to put judgement on Kirkland's response to the pandemic. More communication sooner would have been helpful.

The pandemic exposed issues in our community related to housing insecurity, inequity in health risk demanded of our working class and our Labor community, and how reliant our service industry is on folks that are deciding to change priorities to avoid commuting for minimum wage jobs. The need to step into these hard discussions has been highlighted over the past 18 months.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

We have a huge opportunity in the next 4 years to reset Kirkland’s Comprehensive Plan with bold visioning to create a City in 2050 that is warm, welcoming, diverse, and prosperous. It will feel like the home we love, but will have risen to the challenges in front of us related to housing affordability, economic displacement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It will be a City that is green and healthy with unparalleled parks, schools, and services.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am known for my ability to lead others and to build followership. I am open to all sides of any discussion and am able to admit that I am wrong and to give my full support to the new path. I am motivated by problem solving and am energized by the challenges in front of us. We can get ahead of the change in front of us or allow it to happen to us. I am looking forward to working with our community to get ahead of change and to give Kirkland its brightest future possible.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Sometimes the solution to the problem is simply taking the time to let people feel heard.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

By electing me, you will gain a leader who listens and a partner who will advocate for our unique and diverse Neighborhoods. I am fully invested in our shared future in Kirkland. I look forward to working with the community to craft that vision and future together.