Candidate Profile: James Alberson For Renton City Council, Pos. 1

RENTON, WA — Voting is underway and the 2021 primary election is heating up in King County ahead of Election Day, Aug. 3. Nearly 650 candidates are seeking various offices in 2021, beating the previous record set in 2017. Out of that total, more than 200 candidates appear in the primary, which features all the races with three or more people seeking the same office.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles leading up to Election Day.

Candidate

James Alberson

Age (as of Election Day)

53

Position Sought

Renton City Council Position 1

Party Affiliation

Non-Partisan Position

Family

Jessica (Wife), Stepdaughters - Hannah(22), Olivia(17), Sofia(16)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

MBA in Marketing from Purdue University

Occupation

Business Consultant (11 Years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.jamesalberson.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

To ensure that Renton's City Council remains one that makes common-sense decisions regarding the challenges facing the city today. It's important that the solutions we choose to address issues do not stem from a hard-core ideological standpoint, but are actually the best solutions that will keep the residents of Renton safe and provide sufficient opportunity to thrive.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Homelessness and related crime. I intend to focus on the development of a fully comprehensive program that incorporates supportive housing, proper treatment, and job training to help get as many people off of the street and positively contributing to the city and society. We must prevent the negative impact on business and residents through policy enforcement and opportunity creation.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Experience and a more balanced approach to addressing the challenges we face.

When Mitzi Johanknecht leaves office, what should the county look for in appointing a new sheriff?

What are some of your priorities for a post-pandemic recovery?

Building back the business community by design instead of by default. Purposeful identification of the kind of businesses that should start or relocate to Renton.

What would you do in office to strengthen preparedness and response efforts for extreme heat and wildfire smoke events?

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I believe they did a great job. I can't identify anything significant that should have been done differently.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Ensuring that any type of police reform does not include taking away resources (ie. money, personnel, etc) necessary to keep Renton citizens safe. Encouraging accountability and community policing to build relationships with the citizenry, while ensuring that law enforcement has what they need to do the job well. Adding on social services to enhance key interactions and solutions in special situations where these services are needed for effective resolution.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Board Chair of the Renton Chamber of Commerce; Renton Planning Commissioner; Problem-solving and strategic thinking as a business owner for over 11 years.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My father once told me that "People are either wind in your sail or an anchor on your tail." Don't listen to people who seek to tear you or others down as opposed to building you up. Even in opposition, you can be fair and respectful as you work towards the best possible solution for all involved.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I'm simply running to make a strong contribution to keep Renton a great place to live and thrive.

Here are a few helpful links to make sure your voice is heard:

• Find your nearest dropbox out of the dozens across the county using an up-to-date map.
• Verify your voter registration status or update your address.
• Learn more about the candidates and ballot measures in your town, including those that will appear only on November ballots.
• Monitor your ballot's status using King County's ballot tracker tool.