Election 2019: Naz Lashgari, candidate for Lynnwood City Council Position 4

With the primary election set for Aug. 6, there are multiple candidates running for Lynnwood City Council positions. To help Lynnwood residents learn more about the candidates, Lynnwood Today sent a questionnaire asking about each one’s vision for the future of the city and how they plan to address issues the city faces.

We will post these as we receive them.

Naz Lashgari is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commissioner who is campaigning for city council Position 4. The position is currently held by Councilmember Shirley Sutton, who has filed to run against incumbent Shannon Sessions forPosition 7. Other candidates include Van AuBuchon, Diodato Boucsieguez, Jim Smith, Ashkan Amouzegar and James Rutherford.

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

Lashgari: I am running for Lynnwood City Council Position 4 because of the Love of Lynnwood. I have deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, and Lynnwood is my home. I am proud to be part of a dynamic city that is moving forward. Our city is growing rapidly, and during this exciting time, it is important to me to be proactive in managing Lynnwood’s growth. I will contribute to the success of the current strategic plan by ensuring financial stability, economic success, while continuing to be a safe, welcoming city, where “All Are Welcome.”

Q: What is your 10-year vision for Lynnwood?

Lashgari: The City of Lynnwood has done an excellent job of planning for the next 10 years, and is being proactive in fulfilling the community’s vision. My vision for the City of Lynnwood for the next 10 years is to bring to completion the community’s vision for the City Center district and light rail. There are many mixed use and housing-development opportunities in the City of Lynnwood for the next 10 years. I will help that growth by creating an active urban core, and work closely with private developers by providing Density Bonus Programs, to make sure Lynnwood will continue to have affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income residents, while the city maintains its residential aspect.

Q: What ideas do you have for addressing the city’s homelessness issue?

Lashgari: The homelessness issue in the Puget Sound region is at a crisis point, and the trickle effect is being felt everywhere in the region including in our city in Lynnwood. The opioid crisis and lack of affordable housing is fueling this problem. Providing affordable housing is pivotal in addressing the homelessness issue. My idea for addressing the homelessness issue is to provide incentives for single-family home owners to build mother-in-law units that can provide affordable housing for the residents of our city. It is also important to have medical intervention in addressing the opioid crisis to help them get back into the community, which the Lynnwood Police Department is currently doing.

Q: What experience would you bring to the council and how is it relevant to the position?

Lashgari: As a woman in leadership positions, the experience I will bring to the city council position is my professional and life experiences, which is over 20 years of experience in Business and Human Resources Management in health care, as well as many years of experience providing humanitarian assistance to women and children in underdeveloped countries. As the vice chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission I bring years of experience in understanding the challenges of marginalized people, who can contribute greatly to our community once they are given the opportunity. All of these experiences makes me a great candidate for the city council position in City of Lynnwood.

Q: How do you plan to involve residents in the city’s decision-making process?

Lashgari: Communication is the key to involving residents in the city’s decision-making process. I plan to involve the residents of Lynnwood by improving the presence of City of Lynnwood on social media, as well as an updated version of the current E-news of the city. Currently, the City of Lynnwood uses Social media as well as E-News to inform Lynnwood residents of upcoming events, however, I will increase that presence by asking Lynnwood residents to be in an interactive forum online, where they can post their issues, to make sure residents can be involved in the decision-making process, while the city evolve and grows responsibly.

Q: What do you think the city needs to do to address the increased traffic congestion and population growth that will accompany light rail arriving in Lynnwood in 2024?

Lashgari: The population growth is inevitable, and the growing pains will be felt in more traffic congestion. Achieving any goal requires resolve; our community needs to be patient while these road works are under construction to bring in to life the community’s vision. I trust by supporting the current strategic plan of the City of Lynnwood, we can manage to reach our goals. This requires determination and commitment by the City of Lynnwood employees and its residents, to ensure a smooth transition into the fulfilment of the current and future projects. I believe the City of Lynnwood is actively engaged in road construction and augmentation to provide more roads to address the increased traffic congestion in the coming years.

Q: What plans do you have for helping to ensure the financial stability of the town?

Lashgari: The City of Lynnwood has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for their comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Currently, Lynnwood is financially stable as stated by Mayor Nicola Smith in her 2019 State of the City address on June 13. I plan to continue to support the strategic plan of the City of Lynnwood and to support the leadership of our city in providing excellent transparency in the financial stability and economic success of Lynnwood.

Q: Where are your favorite places to spend time in Lynnwood?

Lashgari: My favorite places to spend time in Lynnwood are all of the city of Lynnwood. I enjoy living in Lynnwood, and love Lynnwood for its accessibility, culture and safety. From ample retail stores in Alderwood Mall to different grocery stores, restaurants, services, coffee shops to movie theatres and parks that are available for residents of Lynnwood to enjoy, work, play and live in a safe, welcoming city.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

Lashgari: Additionally, I am excited for the future of our city. I think the goals and projects of the City of Lynnwood are impressive and exciting. I am proud to call Lynnwood my home, and am proud to be part of this growth. I hope the residents of Lynnwood would vote for me and elect me as their City Councilor in position 4, where I can be more proactive and involved in the management of the growth of our city.

Where can readers go to learn more about your campaign?

Lashgari: You can learn more about me and my platform by visiting www.Lynnwoodforward.com.