Lindsey Walsh
Candidate for Issaquah Mayor

votelindseywalsh.com

What motivates you to run for Issaquah Mayor, and what unique perspectives or priorities would you bring to the role?  

My deep commitment to Issaquah as a longtime resident, parent of two teenagers, and small business owner is what inspires me to serve as Mayor. I have no ambitions for higher public office, keeping my focus solely on making Issaquah a better place to live - protecting our beautiful hillsides, ensuring residents feel safe through emergency response investments, and promoting safe, walkable neighborhoods.

I've served on the Issaquah City Council since 2019 and as Council President for the last 3 years which makes me ready on day one to get to work for you. As Mayor, I will apply my experience to ensure Issaquah remains a vibrant, livable community where families can flourish, businesses can thrive, and our natural beauty is preserved for future generations. While others may talk about state budgets, I’ve delivered real results right here in Issaquah to improve your quality of life – safer neighborhoods, increased street and sidewalk maintenance, and local transit options – and I will continue to put you first as Mayor.

As our region continues to grow, how would you balance development with the long-term conservation of natural areas and trail corridors?

We have excellent examples right here in Issaquah of how we can accommodate additional neighbors in a way that actively preserves our open spaces and wildlife areas. One such example is the Issaquah Highlands which traded denser housing for acres of open space permanently protected. As housing options are added across the city today, we are still protecting the spaces beyond our Urban Growth Boundary and creating more walkable, vibrant neighborhoods. Within the city I am proud that we have some of the strongest critical area protections and recently worked to limit development on steep hillsides, further emphasizing the importance of our natural areas. It is in this context that I believe we can balance new homes with preservation and access to open spaces.

What steps would you take to ensure equitable access to trails, parks, and open spaces for all members of the community?

Issaquah has been developed over many decades, which means that neighborhoods have been built with differing access to parks, sidewalks, and open spaces. My goal on Council has been to explore ways to increase neighborhood equity, including long awaited updates to parks in the Squak Mountain and South Lake Sammamish neighborhoods. I’ve also advocated for sidewalks and shared pathways which safely connect residents to local trails, parks, and open spaces. For those looking to go further, I championed our Metro Flex program, Uber-like public transit vans, which can help those residents who cannot drive gain access to our many natural resources across the city.

How do you see outdoor recreation and public lands shaping the identity, livability, and quality of life in our region over the next decade?

Outdoor recreation, trails, and land preservation are a core part of what makes Issaquah so special. We’ve woven it into our Economic Development plans, including recruiting a future paragliding festival, as well as our Parks Strategic Plan, to emphasize that we must invest in our unique recreation opportunities, such as our abundant trail network. Issaquah is often nicknamed the “Trailhead City” for good reason, and it is up to us to sustain that connection to our trails and open spaces for the benefit of our residents and the wider region.

How would you approach partnerships with volunteer organizations like the Issaquah Alps Trails Club to support stewardship and land conservation?

We have a great history in the city of Issaquah of working with our long-time partners toward shared goals. I was proud to emphasize this partnership as a part of our Citywide Strategic Plan and look to continue these vital efforts in the future. My goal as Mayor is to ensure our staff is responsive to the needs of the community, and this includes long-time partners such as the Issaquah Alps Trails Club.

What do you view as the role of volunteer-driven projects on public lands, such as trail building, invasive species removal, signage, or habitat restoration? How do you think the city or state should support such efforts?

As someone who has volunteered for many projects led by Issaquah Forest Stewards, I very much appreciate the partnership between the city and community groups to help restore and maintain our open spaces and trails. As a city, we must support our partners with the necessary funding and coordination, which I believe includes strengthening our partnerships with formal agreements and ongoing funding.

How do you view the role of the Urban Forest Management Plan, and what are your priorities for its implementation and funding?

As IATC members know, Issaquah is extremely fortunate to include over 1,500 acres of open space. I was proud to add a Park Ranger and Urban Forest Supervisor to our staff in recognition of our need to steward and protect these open spaces. This also enabled our newly adopted Urban Forest Management Plan, which gives us clear directions on how to make progress, which projects will have the most impact, and the funding needs. My priorities within the plan are to use it as a road map to effectively maintain our open spaces for community use and strategically increase tree canopy cover to 55% citywide.

Given the increasing risk of wildfires in Western WA, what actions do you think the City of Issaquah should take to improve forest management to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires?

While overall tree canopy cover is important, I don’t want to “miss the forest for the trees” by focusing so much on tree counting that we fail to ensure a diversified, healthy forest. Particularly as we experience increasing impacts of climate change, I recognize that some tree removal is important for proactive maintenance, disease management, and to eliminate invasive species, thus reducing our wildfire vulnerability. This is the next step in proactive urban forest management and I commit to this important course of action as Mayor.

The Issaquah Alps Trails Club is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse candidates for political office at any level.