The dust has settled and the November 2015 Bothell City Council Candidates have filed with the state and are getting ready for the coming elections.
In order to start the conversation concerning the upcoming elections, The Bothell Reporter has requested the same questions from each candidate. This is only the first of the coverage The Bothell Reporter will be giving during the City Council elections.
Today, we have a question and answer session with Nadia Mustafa, who is running for position 6 in the 2015 Bothell City Council Elections.
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[Deanna Isaacs] What is your background experience?
[Nadia Mustafa] I’m a community volunteer. I volunteer at Northshore senior center, Northshore school district, with friends of forest, a board member for a non-profit organization , Bothell library board member, engage in feeding the poor drive with HopeLink and a volunteer and a member of 1st LD Bothell. I participated in the 2013 Bothell city elections. I have a Bachelors in economics and I keenly follow the community issues.
[DI] What skills or experiences do you believe will help you on the council?
[NM] I come as an independent person with no hidden agenda, no real estate or developer interest and with no baggage. I am an easy-going, common sense and easily accessible person. My goal is to serve the community of Bothell and carry their voices to the city council.
[DI] What motivated you to run for city council?
[NM] The biggest motivation is to improve the lives of Bothell residents. I see chaos in planning, lack of priorities and failure to deliver. As a result, I can see it is affecting our daily lives like the traffic . I visualize that traffic concerns if not addressed will become safety concerns very soon. I want to bring a balance between developing new communities and providing adequate services to the Bothell residents.
[DI] Why run now, rather than in previous years? Or if you have previously run what made you decide to run this year versus other years?
[NM] My passion to serve the community has been constant from the beginning. And I ran for city council in 2013. Unfortunately, I did not receive sufficient votes. But it did not stop me from my passion to serve the community.
[DI] What issues are you concerned with the most?>
[NM] Lack of transparency in the city council and not hearing the city residents, ever increasing traffic congestion, a lack of Common sense economics by increasing loans to build millions of dollars worth of city council building, a lack of forum in improving recreation services and parks for kids resulting in substance abuse by our future generation and a lack of clarity in supporting the emergency services, for example if we are going regional or staying with current status.
[DI] What issues do you believe are of importance to Bothell?
[NM] Transparency, transportation, safety and the need for the tax money to be spent wisely for the people.
[DI] Why did you pick this position over other positions, open or otherwise?
[NM] I want Bothell city to flourish . I want the people to be happy and feel safe. Our tax payers to get the best services for themselves and their families. I think I can make a difference by representing them in the city council and be their voice.
[DI] Do you believe the people of Bothell will support you and why?
[NM] I am a common person from Bothell city who is raising her family here and shares the joy and pains of the residents. I believe that my platform speaks for the Bothell residents. My openness and availability in the past, now and in the future, will help their voice be heard in the city hall. I share the same hopes, aspirations and dreams for Bothell, like all our residents
[DI] What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing the Bothell city council?
[NM] I see the Bothell city council lack of transparency and engage the community in the city’s decisions is the biggest challenge in the city council. We need to get the conflict of interest out of the city council and focus on the needs of the Bothell residents.
[DI] What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming elections?
[NM] I’m looking forward to meeting the loving Bothell residents who have embraced me whole-heartedly and having intellectual exchanges of ideas with them and fellow contestants to improve Bothell. Win or lose, the upcoming election is just another way for me to express my never-ending love for this great city and I will continue to serve the community.
