The premier news source for Snohomish County

LYNNWOOD—Lynnwood Times Senior Reporter Kienan Briscoe hosted and moderated an in-person interview, and debate, with Lynnwood City Council Position 3 candidates Tyler Hall and Bryce Owings Tuesday, July 8, at Rosehill Community Center. Incumbent Joshua Binda did not reply to our several invitations to attend so did not participate. The full video of the interview is at the end of the article.

We began with candidate Tyler Hall, who has worked for nonprofits, small businesses, retail corporations, a local automotive manufacturer, and a local tech giant. His roles have included program management and systems software engineers to a barista and janitor. Tyler holds a JD from the University of Washington School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from California Polytechnic State University. He has civil and criminal legal work experience with the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office and the Seattle City Attorney’s Office.

Tyler seeks to be a champion for Lynnwood residents, to legislate for them on the “many problems” the city is facing, from rapid growth due to light rail, to climate change, to affordable housing for a diverse pool of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

“[The city’s growth] really needs to be planned in a very smart way with affordable housing and a real spectrum of housing opportunities for different income levels and different homeownership options,” said Hall. “And we need to have the same sort of spectrum for businesses where they can come in at different levels and survive. And we also have a real problem or a real risk with just kind of the changing climate that’s happening throughout the world.”

Our second Position 3 candidate, Bryce Owings, is a foreman, certified journeyman carpenter, and family man who served as the Political Action Committee Chair for the Carpenters Union Local 425 prior to running, shared that his priorities are managing the budget and public safety.

“There’s two ends to [public safety]. There’s reactionary. We need to make sure that the police have the support of the local government as well as enough funding to actually fully fill every role at the police station,” said Owings. “But that’s only going to be like a quick fix. A long fix is I want to work on the homeless issue, the drug addiction issue, as well as mental illness, get people into an assortment of programs that have stood the test of time and worked well. And when they get out, maybe bring them into the trade unions.”

The first Lynnwood specific issue involved the property tax increase approved with the approval of the biennium budget back in November. Each candidate was asked if they would have supported that property tax increase and why.

Hall answered first stating that, while he needed more information before making an informed decision on how we would’ve voted, he believes the city does have room for property tax increases to replace some of Lynnwood’s “aggressive sales tax.” He also proposed looking at alternative tax systems such as a “land value tax,” where the tax is contingent on the value of the land to incentivize development.

“Based on that, I would probably have debated it a little bit heavier to try and rethink what we’re doing with our property tax,” said Hall.

Owings answered next, stating that he would not have approved the property tax increase, believing there are “other ways to bring in money to the City of Lynnwood,” such as local priority hire language and large infrastructure projects, which would make work for Lynnwood residents, but also generate more sales tax.

“I believe in getting more money in the hands of the people, and that would trickle up into the government,” said Owings.

Both candidates supported the council’s unanimous approval of the Unified Development Code (UDC), which consolidated building regulations and increased density, while rejecting a fire sprinkler mandate. Owings endorsed zoning for density while protecting single-family neighborhoods, arguing that sprinklers add undue costs for young families.

“The home prices in Lynnwood are already outrageous,” said Owings.

Hall agreed, calling for more debate on fire safety and citing outdated building codes as a concern, especially with increasing wildfire risks.

The next question dealt with the Multifamily Housing Property Tax Exemption which was unanimously approved in April of 2024.

The council’s approval of an $6.4 million, eight-year Multifamily Housing Property Tax Exemption for the Enzo housing development drew skepticism from both candidates. Hall criticized such deals, arguing that cities are outmatched by corporations, leading to stalled projects.

“I think the city can’t really contract at the same level as these big corporations, so these deals tend to be bad for the city,” said Hall.  

Owings echoed this, pointing to exploited workers and subpar construction.

“It doesn’t benefit the citizens, and it doesn’t benefit the workers,” said Owings.

Steering into upcoming votes, particularly allowing recreational cannabis retailers to operate in the city, Owings backed “adults making adult choices” but emphasized child safety through strict regulations.

“As long as we put in the proper stipulations… I’m not against it,” said Owings.

Hall, initially in favor of retail cannabis stores, grew cautious after hearing concerns about child safety from Representative Lauren Davis at a recent City Council Meeting. He cited Montreal’s approach to making dispensaries unappealing to youth.

“I think it’s something we need to delicately walk,” said Hall.

Another contentious issue in the Lynnwood City Council as of late has been recodifying residency requirements for clarity and how that’s proven for elected officials.

Both candidates saw little need for recodifying residency requirements. Hall called existing statutes sufficient, stating, “This doesn’t feel like something that we need more laws to define.”

Owings suggested clarifying regulations to avoid disputes but opposed adding bureaucracy. “Just more clarification… so we don’t end up wasting taxpayers’ money,” he added.

Addressing a projected $4.3 million budget shortfall, Owings proposed boosting sales tax revenue by increasing local employment and exploring a higher minimum wage, citing Bellingham’s example.

“Money in the hands of the people is what’s going to fix a lot of issues,” said Owings noting that he knows, form experience, when people have more money they tend to spend it thus generating more revenue for the city.

Hall focused on immediate solutions like accessing opioid settlement funds and exploring local improvement districts and bond options, acknowledging Owings’ approach but noting its longer-term impact.

“I do think we would need the minds of the council to really figure out a good option,” said Hall. “I’d love to rethink taxes very heavily, but that’s not going to come into effect soon enough to really solve a budget shortfall. So I think we have to really dig into the RCWs and dig into what funds are available.”

Regarding public safety, both candidates praised Lynnwood’s police-community relations but saw room for improvement. Hall highlighted programs like “Cops vs. Kids,” advocating for non-confrontational police interactions.

“I would love to see more things like that where people see their police as people that really are there to protect the people of Lynnwood from harm,” said Hall. “Because so much of the criminal law is based on this is what society finds to be the most harmful. And I think we just need to make sure everyone knows that and is aware of that and has that relationship with police.”

Owings stressed staffing shortages and community outreach to the homeless, proposing partnerships with organizations like Union Gospel Mission.

“We need to make sure that we have enough manpower there,” said Owings.

In line with Lynnwood’s motto of “All Are Welcome,” both candidates were asked how they would ensure the city remains a safe, and equitable, city for all.

Hall, while believing that Lynnwood does a fairly good job at helping marginalized people feel welcome, explored the idea of proportional rank choice voting to have more representation in government.

“There’s a pool of candidates and you pick the four that you want in there. And then it’s ranked. So then potentially people that aren’t getting represented now could have a chance to be on the seat or have a voice on the council,” said Hall.

Owings agreed with Hall that Lynnwood is inclusive but believes there’s always room for improvement. He suggested the idea of “priority higher language” in high-end contracts that might help underrepresented people potentially land higher paying jobs.

“I do believe that we could work on it a little more. It’s having more variety in public leadership. And I think a lot of that is grassroots, if we just focused on that as a whole and getting more people from different backgrounds involved, we could see a change in that with some real work,” said Owings.

When it came to what each candidate believes is the city’s most important infrastructure project, Owings prioritized the light rail expansion, viewing it as an economic driver for local jobs. Hall, on the other hand, pointed to the Wastewater Treatment Plant and disaster preparedness, citing the 2021 heat dome as a ‘wake-up call.’

“Are we ready for that in the city of Lynnwood?” he asked, urging proactive planning.

Candidates were then asked what they would do, if elected, to preserve and enhance Lynnwood’s green spaces.

Owings called for cleaner, more accessible spaces, like the recently upgraded Scriber Lake Park, and more green areas near the city center.

“I don’t want to see it just turn into a concrete jungle,” said Owings.

Hall emphasized tree cover and native plants for mental health and climate resilience, noting that “green spaces are key to mental health.”

In closing, Tyler Hall and Bryce Owings presented distinct yet complementary visions for Lynnwood, with Hall leveraging legal expertise for policy innovation and Owings drawing on local roots and trade experience for community-focused solutions.

Hall underscored his legal expertise and ability to craft lasting solutions adding that he is “uniquely qualified through professional experience…to push the city forward.”

Owings highlighted his trade union ties, aiming to connect high schoolers with apprenticeships as a means to prevent youth violence and ensure a skilled workforce for a growing city.

The Primary Election ballot drop-boxes open July 17 with ballots due no later than 8 p.m. on August 5.

This article is a summary of a one-hour conversation with the two candidates. Be on the lookout for the full interview and debate posted to the Lynnwood Times and its social media accounts. 

Video Interview with Candidates

Author: Kienan Briscoe