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2026 State of the City Address

“Planting the Seeds of Auburn’s Future”

Hello, Auburn!

Thank you for being here tonight. It’s so wonderful to see so many familiar faces, and so many new ones, gathered tonight to talk about our city: where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going next.

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge and thank the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for allowing us to gather here this evening. We recognize that Auburn is located on the ancestral and contemporary lands of the Coast Salish peoples, and we are deeply grateful for the Tribe’s stewardship of this land and for our continued partnership. That relationship matters, not just in words, but in action, and I’ll speak more about that later this evening.

Tonight’s State of the City theme is “Planting the Seeds of Auburn’s Future.”

I chose that theme very intentionally – and as you can see on the tables in front of you, very literally. Yes, those are actual seeds in those packets and yes, you can begin planting them immediately. A big thank you to our City of Auburn horticulturists, who found us an amazing deal on those seeds – and in my favorite color.

Planting seeds like these Purple Coneflowers is not flashy, but it does take a bit of planning. You must find the right pot and soil or plot of land so that it can thrive. It takes patience – to borrow from an old proverb, “a watched plant doesn’t grow.” It takes care and stewardship – who here has a green thumb? If you didn’t raise your hand, don’t worry, mine’s sometimes not so green, either.

You know, we do not plant a seed today and expect a harvest tomorrow. And we certainly do not plant seeds only when conditions are perfect. We’d hardly ever plant if that were the case!

You plant them because you believe in the future.
You plant them knowing that some seasons will be hard.
And you plant them because growth does not happen by accident.

That’s exactly how Auburn approaches its work.

We don’t just plan for the good years.
We plan for the hard ones, too.

And this past year reminded us exactly why that matters.

Before we talk about policies or projects, or plans, or look back a bit to 2025 on where we’ve been, I want to start where I always believe we should start: with gratitude.

Thank you to our City Council, whose commitment to Auburn and thoughtful leadership continue to guide our work. I’m grateful for your partnership, your questions, your insight, your expertise, and as evidenced in our recent budget retreat, your shared dedication to and love for this community.

Thank you to Team Auburn, our city staff across every department. Whether you’re visible to the public every day or working behind the scenes, you show up with professionalism, compassion, and a deep sense of responsibility to the people we serve. You are all incredible and selfless public servants.

If you work for the City of Auburn, would you please stand to be recognized? Let’s give them a round of applause, please.

I also want to thank our volunteers, our regional partners, and the many organizations and individuals who work alongside the City every day. Auburn is stronger because of these partnerships, and not every city is fortunate enough to have them.

This past year also brought leadership transitions and organizational changes. I want to recognize staff who stepped into new roles, took on added responsibility, and showed calm leadership during high-pressure moments. That kind of commitment doesn’t always make headlines, but it makes all the difference.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love quotes. And I found this one to be truly relevant to our entire discussion tonight.

It’s an old Greek proverb, and it says: “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”

What defines Auburn isn’t just what we build – it’s how we build it, why we build it, and who, ultimately, will benefit from it being there.

It’s who shows up, especially when it matters most.

And this last year, Auburn really showed up.

Resilience: Prepared, Compassionate, Ready for What Comes Next

This past year, Auburn faced one of the most challenging moments in our city’s recent history.

The flooding we experienced was not theoretical. It was not abstract. It was real for families, for businesses, and for our entire community.

Rivers rose. Roads closed. Decisions had to be made quickly, sometimes hour by hour, sometimes minute by minute. You know a 2am phone call to the mayor is never going to be for good news.

And in those moments, Auburn did what Auburn does best.

We prepared.
We coordinated.
And we led with compassion.

Our response required a multi-day, multi-agency effort involving Public Works, Emergency Management, Parks, Arts & Recreation, Police, Communications, the Mayor’s Office - just about every department had people helping, and many regional partners as well.

It meant field crews monitoring river levels and reinforcing infrastructure at all times of the day and night. It meant emergency alerts going out across multiple, trusted platforms to keep residents informed. It meant opening the Auburn Community & Event Center as a regional shelter, literally in the middle of a Saturday night. We welcomed individuals young and old, families of all sizes and even beloved family pets into the shelter to provide food, safety, warmth, and dignity to those who needed it most.

Most importantly, it meant putting people before infrastructure.

This wasn’t just about water levels and sandbags.
It was about neighbors.
It was about families.
It was about making sure no one faced a crisis alone.

And while I never want to experience flooding like this again, I will forever be proud of how Auburn responded: with a plan, with clarity, and with coordination.

That is what planting seeds of resilience looks like.

Tonight, I want to share a short video that captures those moments, not to relive the hardship, but to honor the work, the people, and the lessons that will continue to guide us forward.

What you just saw is Auburn at its best: prepared, compassionate, and committed.

And because of that preparation, we didn’t just respond.
We transitioned from response, to recovery, to rebuilding.

Those lessons continue to shape how we invest and prepare for whatever comes next.

Building: Investing Today in Auburn’s Tomorrow

Resilience isn’t just about emergency response.
It’s about what we build and how we build it, long before a crisis ever arrives.

Nowhere is that more visible than in downtown Auburn.

Over the past year, we’ve made significant progress on downtown infrastructure projects that may not always be glamorous, but they are absolutely essential.

On Main Street, we’ve been upgrading underground utilities that will serve Auburn for decades to come. These are long-term investments in reliability and future growth.

Above ground, we’re transforming how downtown looks, feels, and functions.

Improved walkability.
Better lighting.
More welcoming public spaces.
Plazas designed for people, not just cars.

And what’s been especially exciting to see is the energy from our local businesses.

Main Street improvements have sparked excitement and optimism in our City. We’ve seen that reflected in small business storytelling, community spotlights, and new commercial development, including recent projects at the IRG facility – some of you may be more familiar with the former owners – GSA - that bring jobs and economic activity to our city.

Behind the scenes, we are also investing in the systems that support public safety every day.

In 2025, we began construction on the expansion of our Maintenance and Operations facility, adding a new six-bay vehicle shop to support Auburn’s Police Assigned Vehicle Program.

This project ensures our officers have reliable, well-maintained vehicles, improving response times and safety across our city. It is being built by GenCap Construction, and is scheduled for completion very soon, with an investment of approximately $3.15 million dollars, funded through Real Estate Excise Taxes, utility funds, and equipment rental funds.

This project reflects our commitment to smart, responsible infrastructure that supports both efficiency and public safety.

We are also preparing for the redevelopment of that former GSA site into a new distribution center, and we’ll have much more to share on that in the future as the project comes to fruition.

This project will transform a long-underutilized property into a productive economic asset, strengthening our tax base and supporting future infrastructure investment. It reflects Auburn’s commitment to business-friendly development that brings jobs, revitalizes land, and strengthens our regional supply chain.

As this project moves forward, we look forward to welcoming new employment opportunities and continued private investment that supports our local workforce and economy.

All this work is deeply connected to Auburn’s Comprehensive Plan, a plan that isn’t just about zoning maps or technical language, but about how people live their daily lives.

That planning work has already produced real results.

In 2025 alone, Auburn issued permits for 60 new single-family homes, along with new accessory dwelling units that expand housing options in established neighborhoods.

And looking ahead, 2026 will be a major year for residential growth.

We are on track to create more than 300 new single-family residential lots, including major developments on Lea Hill, West Hill, and in Lakeland Hills. These projects will provide housing opportunities for families at every stage of life and help Auburn grow in a thoughtful, balanced way.

This is what intentional growth looks like: planning today for the homes and neighborhoods of tomorrow.

Nowhere is that more apparent than the Auburn Avenue Theater rebuild project, which will begin construction in just a few weeks.

And this project is about more than bricks and mortar.

The theater has long been a cultural anchor in our city. When I was a child, my parents would drop me off at the theater for the Saturday matinee to meet my friends and watch the latest movie. Through the decades it has always been a place for people to enjoy. Its rebuild represents a renewed commitment to arts, culture, and economic vitality.

Alongside the theater, we’re creating a new downtown park, a true community place that adds green space, supports public art, and brings people together in the heart of our city.

Thanks to Conservation Futures funding, we’ve preserved land for this purpose, ensuring that growth and green space move forward together.

I’m excited to share that we’ve officially selected both the artist and the public artwork for our new Auburn Avenue Theater and Downtown Park. After a thoughtful and competitive process that drew more than 60 applicants, Washington-based artist John Fleming was chosen. His piece, Gathering Tree, reflects Auburn’s natural beauty, cultural roots, and strong sense of community – designed as a welcoming place where people can gather, rest, and connect.

We’re now moving into final approval and fabrication, with installation timed alongside construction of the theater plaza and downtown park. This artwork will be one of the first things visitors see when they arrive, and I believe it will quickly become a signature feature of this new civic space. I can already hear “Meet me at the Gathering Tree” as friends and family convene for a new adventure, take selfies and have graduation photos taken.

Public art tells our story and brings energy and meaning to the places we share, and I’m proud of the collaboration that brought us here.

Tonight, we want to give you a first look at what’s coming, through visuals that show not just where we are today, but where we’re headed.

This is what intentional growth looks like.
This is what planning ahead looks like.
And this is how we plant seeds that will benefit Auburn for generations.

Caring: Supporting Stability, Dignity and Opportunity

As we invest in infrastructure and economic development, we never lose sight of one essential truth: Public safety, public health, and housing stability are inseparable.

You cannot address one without addressing the others.

That’s why Auburn continues to invest in people, not just systems.

One of the most important steps forward this past year has been the expansion and integration of the Auburn Resource Center. What began as a single point of access or entry has grown into a more unified, wraparound model of care, connecting people to housing navigation, mental health services, employment support, and basic needs under one roof.

This approach works because it meets people where they are.

It recognizes dignity.
It values early intervention.
And it focuses on long-term stability, not just short-term fixes.

Our Human Services team, alongside community partners, continues to lead this work with compassion and professionalism. Auburn is increasingly recognized as a regional model for how cities can approach housing stability and mental health support in a coordinated, effective way. Kudos to Team Auburn for their courage, dedication, and insight.

We are also proud to partner with Valley Regional Fire Authority for the Community Assistance, Referrals, Education and Services or VRFA CARES program to assess the needs of those in our community.

One of our strongest partners in this work is the Mental Health Housing Foundation, which provides stable, supportive housing for people living with serious mental health challenges, including right here in Auburn.

Their work is made possible through funding from King County and the State of Washington, combined with strong local partnerships. That collaboration matters. It means Auburn residents are benefiting from regional and state investment, while still receiving care that is rooted in our community.

When government, nonprofits, and local leaders work together like this, we create pathways out of crisis and into stability. And that is exactly what this partnership delivers, not just housing, but hope, dignity, accountability, and long-term independence.

Emphasis on the long-term, because youth mental health and prevention are also a critical part of this work. In 2024 and 2025, the City of Auburn relaunched its “We are R.E.A.D.Y.” campaign alongside Auburn’s Blue-Ribbon Committee, Wellpoint, and the Auburn School District. Mental health matters, especially youth mental health, and early intervention and tool-building are the best solutions we have.

Programs like Alcoholics and Addicts Helping Alcoholics and Addicts, or AAHAA, also provide young people with connection, creativity, and support before challenges become crises. These spaces matter. They save lives. And they strengthen the entire community.

Tonight, I want to share a video that puts faces and voices to this work, showing what it truly means to meet people where they are.

What you just saw is Auburn’s heart.

This work isn’t about numbers on a spreadsheet, though data and outcomes matter.
It’s about dignity.
It’s about belonging.
It’s about mattering.
And it’s about understanding that when we help people thrive, the entire community becomes safer and stronger.

Connecting: Creating Belonging through Community and Culture

Community doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s built -- intentionally, joyfully -- and together.

Over the past year, Auburn has seen incredible growth in community-building events and cultural celebrations.

From “Party on the Plaza” and “Food Truck Tuesday,” to Juneteenth, Hispanic Heritage Month, National Night Out, and multicultural celebrations across the city, Auburn continues to make space for connection.

Through grant funding and partnerships, we’ve expanded arts programming at the Postmark Center for the Arts, bringing creativity and culture to the forefront of downtown life.

We’re also planting seeds of connection early, through preschool recreation programs, indoor play spaces, and classes that help young families build community from the very beginning.

Each summer for the past two years, alongside our partners at Cycle Therapy, we’ve invited hundreds of families to ride for free at Cedar Lanes Bike Park. That’s right – it’s completely free, no bike or helmet needed – we’ve got those for you. We even have instructors on hand to help anyone learn how to ride a bike. We’re continuing the program this summer and we hope to see thousands of you out on the track.

I took my turn out there a little over a year ago, and while it’s fun and challenging, I don’t recommend riding in heels like I did!

Our Parks Horticulture program, in partnership with students from Auburn Mountainview and Auburn High Schools, is another example of how we connect education, stewardship, and community pride.

Let’s take a look.

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Goodness, well, in Auburn we do keep it real!

OK, back to it - when we talk about connection, we also mean the physical connection.

Last year marked major progress on trail and pedestrian connections across Auburn and that will continue into 2026 and beyond.

We completed the beautiful and multi-functional White River Pedestrian Bridge in late 2024, continued construction on R Street and the R Street Trail, and advanced design work for future connections along East Valley Highway and Lake Tapps Parkway.

These projects represent more than five million dollars in community investment and are part of our broader commitment to healthy living and alternative transportation.

In 2024, our City Council adopted a multimodal transportation plan focused on creating real, usable connections, not just lines on a map. These trails help residents safely walk, bike, and move between neighborhoods, schools, parks, and businesses.

They strengthen health, reduce congestion, and build community, one connection at a time.

Sidewalk access is another critical part of that connection.

Today, Auburn Way North and South now have continuous sidewalks for more than six miles, from Chinook Elementary to the northern city limits.

This achievement reflects significant investment and strong partnership, including collaboration with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Together, we’ve worked to improve pedestrian safety along this corridor and continue extending these connections to our southern city limits.

These improvements were made possible through grant funding and regional partnerships, and once again they demonstrate what we can accomplish when we work together.

We know safe sidewalks mean safer students, safer seniors, and safer neighborhoods, and that benefits everyone.

These projects promote healthy living, accessibility, and a sense of belonging, because everyone deserves to feel connected to their city.

And when we talk about connection, we’re also talking about our kids and the partnerships that help them succeed.

One of the strongest relationships in our community is between the City of Auburn and the Auburn School District. We work side by side to support students, families, and educators, because when our schools are strong, our entire city is stronger.

During the flooding, we had amazing educators and administrators visiting the emergency shelter to check on students and their families. One principal spent the entire first night that the shelter was open with us – just so his students could see a familiar face when they arrived.

Thanks to the support of our community, voters passed a capital levy that is now helping fund important safety and security upgrades at our schools. Construction on these projects begins this summer, and they reflect our shared commitment to providing safe, welcoming learning environments for every student.

Auburn’s students also continue to rise to the challenge.

Our schools offer outstanding career and technical education programs, strong music and theater opportunities, and rigorous academics. We are seeing record numbers of students taking Advanced Placement courses -- and succeeding in them -- preparing for college, for careers, and for leadership.

Through our strategic planning process, we also identified financial literacy as a critical need. Today, Auburn students receive age-appropriate financial education from elementary school through high school, helping them build skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

And we are grateful for partners like the Auburn Public Schools Foundation, whose incredible work was featured in Auburn Magazine last year. Their support helps fund classroom projects, field trips, and basic student needs, ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.

This is what planting seeds for the future looks like: strong partnerships, strong celebrations and connections, and strong opportunities for every person in Auburn.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate some of the connection that defines our city.

This is Auburn:

Vibrant.

Welcoming.

And full of life.

Trusting: Safety Built on Accountability and Partnerships

Public safety remains one of the most important responsibilities of local government, and one of the areas where trust matters most.

Over the past year, Auburn has seen continued reductions in violent crime, even as challenges persist across the region. We now have the largest police staffing level in Auburn’s history, with 122 out of our 128 positions filled, allowing us to invest in proactive policing, community engagement, and officer wellness.

Through targeted enforcement and regionwide coordination, we’ve seen violent crime reduce significantly. Since 2020 through the end of 2025, Auburn has experienced a 57% reduction in homicides, a 50% reduction in robberies, and a 41% reduction in aggravated assaults.

Property crime is also down. In that same period, there have been 23% fewer burglaries, 72% fewer fraud or forgery crimes, 35% fewer vehicle thefts, and 65% fewer thefts from vehicles.

But staffing and a reduction in crime alone isn’t enough. Not for Auburn.

That’s why in 2024 and 2025, we held Community Safety Town Halls, creating space for honest conversation, feedback, and accountability. Those conversations matter, and they lead to real policy decisions. Those meetings will continue in the future to ensure we’re hearing from you about what matters.

We’ve also invested in technology, like body cameras and Flock cameras, with clear guardrails, transparency, and oversight. Technology must support safety without compromising trust.

Youth crime prevention remains a priority, and we continue to collaborate with King County partners to address root causes and provide pathways to success.

For the past two years we’ve proudly partnered with King County Public Health through the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention to give away hundreds of free firearm storage or gun lock boxes on both National Gun Violence Awareness Day and our annual Veterans Parade – we’re told the Auburn events gave away the most lock boxes and in the shortest amount of time in the program’s history at a municipal event. Auburn, I am proud of your for doing your part and your commitment to gun violence prevention.

Another major milestone ahead is the return of Municipal Court operations to Auburn.

This transition follows extensive review and planning, including a comprehensive analysis by the National Center for State Courts. Their work confirmed that Auburn is ready to bring court services back under local leadership, improving accountability, coordination, and community trust.

Over the next year, we will continue preparing for this transition so that, in January of 2027, Auburn launches a municipal court that reflects our values of fairness, problem-solving, accountability and public safety. We should be bringing a presiding judge candidate forward to your city council in the near future for their confirmation of my appointment.

Traffic and roadway safety are also critical components of public safety.

Through our Target Zero vision, photo enforcement, and neighborhood traffic programs, we’re working to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on our roads.

That work is guided by Auburn’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, a data-driven blueprint adopted by your city council in 2024 to reduce serious injuries and traffic fatalities across our community.

The plan analyzes crash trends from 2018 to 2022 and identifies safety emphasis corridors where nearly 60 percent of serious crashes have occurred. It helps us focus resources where they will save the most lives.

Through this work, Auburn is fully committed to our Target Zero goal, working toward a future where no one is seriously injured or killed on our streets.

One part of this effort is our use of traffic safety photo enforcement in key corridors. These cameras are not about punishment. They are about prevention. They encourage safer driving behavior and reduce excessive speeding so that everyone, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and families, can travel more safely.

This is what responsible public safety looks like: using data, technology, compassion, and education to prevent tragedy before it happens.

Public safety is about more than enforcement.
It’s about relationships.
It’s about listening.
And it’s about trust that has been earned through dialogue and face-to-face conversations.

Let’s hear more about that.

When listening leads to action, trust grows, safety grows, and security flourishes.

Accountability and partnerships benefit everyone in the city, and it’s how wellbeing grows organically.

Growing: Aligning Today’s Work with Tomorrow’s Vision

As we look ahead, it’s clear that Auburn’s strength comes from alignment.

Flood response showed our resilience.
Human services reflect our compassion.
Infrastructure investments demonstrate foresight.
Community and culture create belonging.

And none of this happens without a strong, supported workforce.

Over the past year, we’ve strengthened labor agreements, advanced market-based classification updates, expanded recruitment outreach, and invested in leadership development and training across the organization.

We’ve modernized processes, improved onboarding, expanded accessibility, and enhanced emergency preparedness, because taking care of our employees means taking better care of our community.

Those seed packets in front of you, they’re a symbol, a reminder that growth takes time, it takes care, and most of all, it takes participation. A plant, just like a city, cannot grow without a little help.

The future of Auburn isn’t built by one person, one department, or one election.
It’s built together, by residents, by businesses, by partners, and by staff who believe in this city.

I invite you to take those seeds home, and to remember that the work we do today shapes the Auburn of tomorrow.

If you do choose to plant them, we want to hear about it! Post a photo to Facebook or Instagram and tag us @cityofauburnwa, or use “hash tag PlantingAuburn,” and we’ll feature you in a future weekly newsletter or social post. I can’t wait to see the photos you submit.

Flourishing: Carrying Auburn Forward

This journey began for me when I was appointed to fill my mentor Jeanne Barber’s City Council position in July of 2003 and then elected as your City of Auburn mayor in 2013. Over the past 23 years in elected leadership, through appointments, elections, challenges, and triumphs, I have seen Auburn grow, adapt, and persevere.

We’ve faced pandemics, fires, floods, and moments that tested us.
And every time, Auburn emerged stronger.

I want to thank my many friends, supporters, and family members who have stood with me, in public and in private, through the good days and the hard ones. We’ve shared joy and victories, and we’ve shed a few tears in times of tragedy.

Thank you to my fellow mayors who joined us tonight – Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone, Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell and Tukwila Mayor Tom McLeod. There aren’t that many of us that do these jobs, so I always appreciate your friendship and support. South King County rocks!

To Tamie, Melissa, Jason and Jonathan, you are amazing! Thank you for all that you do to make this State of the City a reality! From the invitations, to the videos, to the seed packets, speech, floral decorations and more! You work so hard to make this look effortless.

To my family: my late parents Cecil and Mary, who instilled in me a strong work ethic and morals, my brother Gary, my sister-in-law Chris, my daughter Lucky, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law Macee, and my husband Kemon, thank you for your love, patience, and unwavering support. You have always made me a better human.

And to each of you in the audience tonight:
I am proud to be your mayor.
I am grateful to serve this city.
And I am excited for what the next four years will bring.

Together, we will continue planting the seeds of Auburn’s future and watching it flourish.

Thank you, Auburn.