Letter: Re-Elect Neal Black to the Kirkland City Council, Pos. 5

I am supporting Neal Black in his bid for re-election to the Kirkland City Council, Position 5.

When I and other Kirkland voters elected Neal to the Council by a wide margin less than two years ago, we knew we were getting someone experienced with community service, including three decades of volunteer work on policy issues ranging from environmental sustainability to reducing gun violence to increasing access to justice. What we couldn’t have known is the important role Neal would play in helping our community respond to the twin threats of a global pandemic and the barriers to equality laid bare by both the murder of George Floyd and the response to COVID itself. Neal is an important part of a Kirkland leadership team that has helped us navigate the pandemic, provided resources and protection to our first responders and health care workers, provided economic relief and recovery to those hit hardest by the pandemic, including our small businesses and their workers, embraced the challenges associated with this new era of racial reckoning, and never stopped doing the hard work of running our city. That includes enhancing parks, diversifying modes of transportation, encouraging development of affordable housing, and developing better models for responding to community crises associated with behavioral health, substance use, and homelessness. All while balancing the budget and preserving Kirkland’s strong financial position.

I trust Neal to come prepared and make thoughtful decisions. He’s the clear choice for Position 5, and he has my vote.

Joan McBride

Former Kirkland mayor