District 3
Meet the Candidates
Joy Hollingsworth
Aligned
joyforseattle.com
Alex Hudson
Aligned
alexforseattle.com
Question 1
Public Safety: The DSA’s core mission is to create a healthy, vibrant downtown for all. It is no secret that the pandemic took a heavy toll on downtowns across the country and Seattle is no exception. As we work toward recovery on all fronts, issues of public safety downtown continue to be one of the top themes we hear from stakeholders. How will you address public safety in downtown Seattle?
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Joy Hollingsworth
A safe and healthy neighborhood is a vibrant and prosperous neighborhood. I will use my experience as a lifelong Seattle resident, and my connections to community, businesses and government to develop community-centered solutions that reduce crime, prevent gun violence, connect vulnerable people to care and keep our youth safe.
1. Responsibly fund and staff first responders police, fire and EMTs
2. Address staffing vacancies with first responders, police, fire and EMTs
3. Prioritize crisis response teams and non-armed responders for neighbors in crisis
4. Ensure proper lighting, well-lit crosswalks,
5. Access to Mental health and service providers on call
Alex Hudson
I co-authored an editorial in The Seattle Times with Jon Scholes and Lisa Daugaard in December 2022 where we shared a clear safety vision for Third Ave, downtown, and the urgency with which solutions need to be delivered. We all know that for meaningful, systemic and lasting change we must focus on connecting social services, active case management and housing opportunities to those in crisis. That means I’ll work to deliver known solutions – more mental health care beds in crisis and and long-term residential facilities, permanent supportive and stable, affordable housing, immediately accessible shelter so no one sleeps on the streets, safer consumption sites to get people another option than doing drugs on the sidewalk, and overdose recovery centers to get people well and connected with on-demand drug treatment and support. If we reduce human suffering and get people the care they need, we will meet the dual objectives of living our values and having a lovely, happening downtown.
Downtown is on the upswing – it’s good to see high pedestrian numbers and bustling events – and it’s also not nearly where it can or should be. All of Seattle, and especially District 3, counts on a thriving downtown, and that starts with making sure everyone is safe and comfortable.
Question 2
Investing in Downtown’s Recovery: Given the importance of downtown to the overall health and vitality of our city and region, what actions will you propose to support downtown’s recovery?
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Joy Hollingsworth
Downtown is the front porch of Seattle and is important to our recovery. It’s the first thing people see when they come to Seattle. How we treat our downtown is an indication of how we treat our city.
1. First responders focusing on downtown presence and fast response times.
2. Support Arts and Culture events that draw people downtown
3. Improve the walking corridor from downtown to capitol hill which helps invite people into other districts to explore restaurants, shops and small businesses
4. Keeping the areas clean, street cleaning, garbage pick-up, and removal of certain grafitti [sic] from certain public spaces.
5. Create walkable and attractive place [sic] with street vendors, stores, pop-up shops.
Alex Hudson
A flourishing downtown is a necessity, not an option. As a committed urbanist who plays, shops, and works downtown, and with years of experience working in neighborhood advocacy and activation, I have passion and vision for downtown’s success as a safe and bustling place.
– The city can invest in and incentivize businesses that convert previously exclusively office use or vacant retail spaces with grant funding. Calgary’s “Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program” is a successful model we can look to.
– A 24/7 downtown has something for everyone – housing, education, retail, professional services, childcare, arts, food, shopping. I’ve proposed an innovation overlay zone downtown, a bold removal of regulatory barriers to facilitate swift innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities for Seattleites.
– We can encourage small businesses to thrive with a sales tax holiday for qualifying downtown businesses. We should consider other incentives to get empty storefronts filled with new businesses and restaurants.
– Invest in late-night transit service, create safer transit areas, and promote innovative programs like at Climate Pledge Arena, where a ticket is a transit pass.
– People flock to Seattle because it is beautiful and has cool, funky culture, arts and music, great restaurants, and unique retail. Investing in parks, arts, and programming creates cultural magnets and activity.
– We need to get people off the streets and create on-demand health, housing, and social services.
– I’m an ardent supporter of the First Ave Streetcar, a critical infrastructure investment.
Question 3
Fiscal Priorities: Given the fragile state of downtown’s revitalization, do you agree that the City should prioritize existing spending before imposing new taxes or increasing existing ones? In a detailed manner, please describe how you would propose addressing the budget issues the city is facing.
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Joy Hollingsworth
I am a small business owner. Before I consider raising prices on the products that I make, I look at what can I do to make the product more efficient. That’s through understanding the process, streamlining the process, buying in bulk and finding create [sic] ways to have quality outcomes.
We have to have the same mentality before we decide to raise taxes. I would like to help connect public-private partnerships with different communities. Helping the city to generate more revenue 1) create more businesses city [sic] that generate tax revenue. 2) Public-Private Partnerships.
Alex Hudson
I was the Executive Director of two non-profit organizations, so I know that budgeting means focusing spending on achieving priorities. I agree the City, like all organizations, needs to be a mindful steward of resources. I’ll take a good look at its spending to ensure that we’re successfully funding our priorities and not wasting taxpayer dollars on endless studies or nice-to-have programs over need-to-have services. That’s where we start. I do support a municipal capital gains tax, the revenues from which I believe is (along with budget prioritization) part of the solution to addressing the City’s projected general fund deficit.
Question 4
Top Voter Concerns: What do you believe are the top three issues on voters’ minds right now, and how would you propose addressing them?
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Joy Hollingsworth
1. Community Safety
2. Unhoused Neighbors
3. Housing Affordability
4. Council focusing on essential government services
Alex Hudson
Housing and Homelessness. The housing crisis is untenable and affecting everyone. We need to create enough housing so everyone has a safe, affordable place to live and no one sleeps on the streets. I’ve been at the forefront on housing affordability for a decade and have released an extensive proposal including: investing in affordability, planning for the future, making it faster, easier and cheaper to deliver housing, preventing displacement, sheltering people, and creating long term change. Housing allows for vibrant communities and a sustainable economy, and the City has a big role to play in solutions.
Safety and Well-being. Fostering safety and well-being is the government’s most important responsibility. We need responsive and solutions-oriented systems that make things better. I support social service co-responders embedded with a transparent and accountable police force and I am a strong supporter of Health One. CoLEAD is a successful model we need to adopt and scale, along with more community violence prevention programs. I’ll work to ensure every part of our city government is focused squarely on creating immediate betterment and long-term holistic safety.
Great Neighborhoods. Our communities thrive when we have resources, opportunities, and investments in our neighborhood business districts, social services, and build walkable communities. We have to support our small businesses, arts and culture organizations, and parks to create wonderful places. We should have safe streets, great transit, and 15-minute walkable neighborhoods.
Question 5
Return to Office: One of the most impactful things we can do to drive downtown revitalization is to get more people here – visitors, tourists, residents and perhaps most importantly, workers. A steady and consistent flow of employees downtown who are eating, drinking, shopping and engaging in recreation brings much needed support for our small businesses and public spaces. Do you believe that city workers should work in person three or more days per week?
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Joy Hollingsworth
Three days a week is a great start. This can be in tandem and on rotation with other businesses who are bringing their employees back downtown so that there is coverage Monday-Friday with office workers. In order to draw people downtown, we have to make it safe to want to work downtown, make transit realible [sic] to come to downtown, and ensure there is linch. and business options.
Alex Hudson
I agree that a healthy future for downtown means a vibrant neighborhood with lots of people, activity, and opportunity day and night. I was proud to work at 3rd & Union throughout the pandemic, to have developed a sustainable hybrid work model for my organization, and to have invested in downtown’s future by renewing our office lease. In general, I support City business being done in public and know from my experience as an employer that a flexible approach is important. Every job and worker at the City is different, and it’s not clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid work makes sense or that the City Council should dictate that. I plan to set an example by having myself and my staff work in person at City Hall, while maintaining an in-community presence as well.
Question 6
If there were any important details about your candidacy that you were unable to provide in response to the previous questions, please take this opportunity to share that information here:
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Joy Hollingsworth
[Candidate left this field blank.]
Alex Hudson
I’m a solutions-oriented problem-solver with more than a decade of experience turning good intentions into progressive results. And I believe Seattle’s best days are still in front of us. I’m a transit rider, a renter, a Seattle Public Schools parent, and have lived on First Hill for 15 years. I’ve dedicated my career to public service, leading a non-profit organization that fights for transit riders across Washington, and formerly as the director of First Hill’s neighborhood organization, where I spent five years working on the ground to make that neighborhood a better, safer, more vibrant place for everyone. I’ve built coalitions that have brought free transit to every young person in Washington, delivered billions of dollars in investments in sustainable transportation, affordable housing, shelter alternatives, and parks, delivering real progress on the things that matter most to people in our district and across the city.
I’ve demonstrated over the last decade-plus that I deeply understand effective governance and policy formulation. I believe we need more of that sort of proven experience at City Hall, particularly now. The current status quo in downtown and across much of the city is not where we should be or need to be. I will be able to hit the ground running on Day 1 to create needed changes so that Seattle can realize its promise as a city of innovation, vitality and progress.