By The Herald Editorial Board
In addition to a mayor’s race, Lynnwood voters are considering candidates for four city council races, two of which will require a primary contest on Aug. 5 to set the November ballot.
Position 1
The incumbent, Derica Escamilla, was appointed to the council a year ago this month to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of two-term council member Shirley Sutton.
Escamilla, an environmental scientists and former manager for a civil engineering firm, is challenged by Dio Boucsieguez, a 10-year resident of Lynnwood and small business owner, and Brandon Kimmell, also a 10-year resident and owner of a protective services company.
Boucsieguez did not respond to a request for a joint interview with the board. Kimmell, likewise, initially expressed interest but was unable to attend a scheduled interview and did not respond to requests to reschedule.
Prior to her appointment to the council, Escamilla, who has lived in Lynnwood since 2008, has been active in Lynnwood, serving on the Lynnwood Economic Development Advisory Board and the Lynnwood Neighborhood Co-design Committee. She also has been active with the parent-staff organization at her children’s school and as a youth basketball coach for boys and girls teams.
Escamilla said she intends to continue her work of the last year regarding affordable housing, economic development and mental health services as well as its budget and city taxes. Escamilla noted that as covid-era grants have ended, residents may notice a cut in some city staff positions. The council, she said, will have to communicate with residents to explain those cuts.
She also has helped with the recent creation of a youth commission that will work closely with the council on the issues of the area’s youths, including gang violence, homelessness and mental health.
Regarding community safety, Escamilla said she intends to focus on firearm safety, addressing the easy accessibility of guns for young people, turning to the city’s youths for their guidance through the youth commission.
“We’ve had three youths die at the hands of guns this year in the city of Lynnwood, and every single one has been for a different reason. What are we doing? What are we not doing?” she asked.
In a year on the council, she has demonstrated skills in building working relationships throughout the community and drawing from past work to address issues.
Voters should retain Escamilla on the Lynnwood council.
Position 3
Josh Binda, the first-term incumbent council member, is challenged by Bryce Owings, a lifelong Lynnwood resident and union carpenter, and Tyler Hall, who has worked with nonprofits, small businesses and in tech and recently completed his law degree at University of Washington and is preparing to take the bar exam.
Owings said he intended to draw on personal experience in his work with the council, including struggles with addiction and homelessness, his recovery through a six-month program and his work with his union in communication and as treasurer.
Owings said he would focus attention on help for the homeless to expand programs beyond the city’s current offerings; on youth violence and career education with an emphasis on training and apprenticeships in trades and suggests working with local unions to offer such programs; and on housing affordability and ownership of property as key to building equity for families. Owings also said he hoped to be another voice for the city’s residents and offer more opportunities for citizens to share their concerns and opinions.
Hall said his studies and recent work in law, including criminal and civil work for the Seattle city attorney and Snohomish prosecuting attorney’s office, have developed his interest in the ability of local and municipal government to develop novel solutions.
Hall said he hoped to build a Lynnwood that is vibrant for all, particularly by recognizing and adapting to the changes that Sound Transit’s Link light rail system already is bringing to the city. He also wants to focus on maintaining and supporting the city’s “third places” for residents, including parks, the rec center and senior center. Hall also wants a greater city focus on the city’s responses to climate change, such as providing cooling shelters during heat events; and on safety, from crime but also from overzealous federal law enforcement, protecting residents’ rights to equal protection and due process.
Binda, born in Providence, R.I., is the son of Liberian immigrants, who moved to the U.S. in the 1990s. The family moved to Lynnwood in 2013. He was elected to the council in 2021, and is believed to be the youngest African American elected to office in the state. Binda earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from WGU and aerospace engineering certification from Sno-Isle Tech. He also is self-employed as a motivational speaker and author.
Binda said he would continue his focus from his first term on affordability of housing, food, health care, transportation and child care, noting his testimony before the Legislature regarding housing security and rapid rehousing and his support for funding for the Lynnwood food bank, a childcare program and the recreation center. Binda said he’s been an advocate for public safety through preventive measures of support for mental health and support services, a gun buyback program and anti-graffiti program.
Each of the three candidates demonstrated a strong understanding of the main issues facing Lynnwood, including the responses to growth, public safety needs, balancing the city’s tax and other revenues with providing public services; and also were in general agreement regarding its challenges.
Binda’s first term has not been without controversy — not all of it of his creation — and he has admitted mistakes, in particular violations of ethics rules in 2023 regarding the use of public resources for his business, including use of his public email for private contracts and filming of a promotional video in the council’s chambers, as well as campaign violations.
Binda survived a recall campaign that failed for a lack of signatures, and more recently this spring, following an allegation questioning his Lynnwood residency, the county auditor’s office found insufficient evidence to support the allegation, clearing him to file for reelection.
“A lot of things have come out that I either have made a mistake on, or something has happened,” he said in an interview with the board. “I feel like I’ve addressed those to my community, and I’ve handled it, and I’ve resolved it and I’ve shown that I’ve been able to move forward and continue doing the work.”
Indeed, more recently, it appears that Binda and the rest of the council have settled into a calmer working relationship that has allowed it to address the city’s needs with fewer distractions.
Binda’s youth hasn’t always served him or the council, but he appears to have learned from his mistakes, taken criticisms to heart and continues to provide a model of public service, particularly among his generation of Lynnwood residents who need encouragement to participate in local decisions.
Voters can feel confident in the election of any of three in representing the needs of residents. Binda, after a tumultuous first term, warrants reelection.
Update: Following an allegation that Binda had falsely claimed in his county voters’ guide statement to have a degree from Western Governors University, an accredited online degree program, The Herald asked Binda for details on the degree. Binda produced screen shots of completed coursework showing he had satisfied graduation requirements but does not yet have the degree credentials, pending graduation. While the statement in the guide implies Binda has a degree, the editorial board is satisfied he has earned the credential. A clearer explanation in his statement could have avoided the allegation.
Election info
Along with editorial board’s endorsements, voters also are directed to their local voters’ pamphlet, the state’s online voters guide at www.vote.wa.gov and a series of recorded candidate forums available at the website of the Snohomish County League of Women Voters at lwvsnoho.org/candidate_forums.
The county voters’ pamphlet is available online at tinyurl.com/SnoCoVotePrimary25.
Ballots will be mailed July 17, and can be returned by mail or placed in one of several county election office drop boxes. Ballots must be postmarked or placed in a drop box before 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5. A list of locations for official drop boxes is available at tinyurl.com/SnoCoElexBox.
More information on voting, registering to vote and the primary and general elections is available at tinyurl.com/ElexSnoCo.
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