Primary Primer: 3 questions for Olympia City Council candidates
The official Voters Guide to the Aug. 5 primary election has a lot of good information about the candidates for Thurston County races. But it doesn’t ask the candidates about some of the most pressing issues our communities are facing.
So, The Olympian reached out to candidates in contested primary races and asked some of those pointed questions. Below you’ll find the answers we received from the candidates for Olympia City Council.
The Aug. 5 primary will narrow the three races — for Positions 4, 6 and 7 — from three candidates each to two, and those two will face off in the November election.
The Olympian has posted similar stories on the Port of Olympia and Olympia and Tumwater school board primaries elsewhere on our website.
For more information about voting, visit the Thurston County election website. Ballot drop boxes are the most efficient way to return your ballot. There are 27 ballot drop boxes located across the county. Ballots must be deposited in the drop boxes by 8 p.m. April 5.
Olympia City Council Position 4
What do you think the city needs to do to address homelessness?
Michael Marstrom: No response
Wendy Carlson: Homelessness is the most urgent issue facing Olympia, and we need a compassionate and results-driven approach. That means investing in more transitional housing and permanent supportive housing, increasing access to mental health and addiction services, and ensuring coordination between local government, service providers, and nonprofits.
We also need to enforce a clear, consistent standard for public spaces to ensure they remain safe and accessible for everyone. No one should be forced to live on the street, and no neighborhood should bear the brunt of unmanaged encampments. We must work upstream — preventing homelessness by keeping people housed through rental assistance, tenant support, and outreach to those most at risk.
Clark Gilman: Homelessness, the challenge of desperately poor people without access to housing or healthcare, has divided our community. I see the question as how do we respond, not a question of whether to exile people from our town. I helped initiate and continue to support Olympia’s ongoing efforts to manage the issues of homelessness and poverty. We will manage the impacts of homelessness with the authority and resources available to our City. Yes, of course, to accountability and consequences. Unhoused people should face equal justice for misbehavior. Where there is a crime, our Public Safety system should intervene. But being poor and unhoused is not a crime and our legal system insists we assume positive intent. Olympia will continue to manage survival resources to those most vulnerable while increasing safety and comfort for all who share our public spaces. There is a powerful national effort aimed at dividing our communities into haves and have nots; an effort asking us to discard the poor, the disabled, and those who can’t access healthcare. Stand with me to challenge this blaming of the poor for problems in our economy. Look for the humanity and the potential in every person who calls Olympia home.
How will you help facilitate affordable housing in Olympia?
Michael Marstrom: No response
Wendy Carlson: Olympia needs more housing of all types, especially workforce and middle-income homes. I support zoning reforms that allow for townhomes, duplexes, and small apartments in more neighborhoods — particularly near transit and services.
I also believe the city must streamline permitting, reduce unnecessary fees, and partner with local builders and nonprofits to create more affordable units faster. We should prioritize infill and redevelopment in a way that maintains neighborhood character while expanding options for families, seniors, and essential workers. Housing affordability isn’t just a policy issue — it’s a moral imperative and economic necessity.
Clark Gilman: Access to affordable housing is best approached through investments and incentives to maintain and better use existing housing. I also see value in regulating the fairness and safety of rental housing. Social Housing — where the City develops, owns, and maintains mixed-income housing that is permanently affordable, owned as a public asset forever, and designed for people priced out of market-rate housing — holds promise. For now, partnering and investing in the maintenance and improvement of existing apartment complexes is probably the biggest bang for our affordable housing buck. Here’s the bitter pill borne out by our experience: Olympia has very limited influence on private developers’ decisions to build new apartments and houses in our City. The Multi Family Tax Exemption and other incentives, along with efforts to reduce regulations, unfairly cost taxpayers money and reduce protections for our people and environment without actually creating more housing. We may or may not need thousands more units to accommodate future growth. We face political economic uncertainty. We have enough empty bedrooms in Olympia today to house everyone in this town. We can better utilize the existing housing in Olympia. Housing provides shelter, a basic human need. Let’s work together to meet that need.
Do you support the proposal for a Workers’ Bill of Rights and a $20 minimum wage in Olympia?
Michael Marstrom: No response
Wendy Carlson: I support the core values behind the Workers’ Bill of Rights — fair pay, workplace dignity, and economic security — but I believe we need to get the details right. I have concerns about how a local-only $20 minimum wage might impact small businesses, nonprofits, and essential community services. We should explore phased approaches, regional coordination, and targeted support to minimize unintended consequences.
Olympia’s working families deserve a living wage, but they also deserve a local economy that’s strong and sustainable. I’m committed to listening to all stakeholders — workers and employers alike — and crafting policies that uplift our community by being fair to our workers and businesses.
Clark Gilman: I strongly support the Olympia Workers’ Bill of Rights including the phased-in increase in minimum wage that will be on November’s ballot. I know that consistent schedules and work rules are as important to hourly workers as the minimum wage. Thousands of Olympians signed the Workers’ Bill of Rights petition. The truth is the impacts of raising the minimum wage and of providing workers more predictable hours will increase costs for many businesses in our community. Similarly, increases in rent, power utilities, building materials, and grocery expenses increased the cost of operating a business in Olympia. If you’ve bought a carton of eggs, sheet of plywood or dine-in hamburger or pizza in the past five years, you have already experienced these higher prices. According to the National Restaurant Association, operating costs and menu prices have both risen about 30% from pre-COVID prices. Here’s my hope, borne out by my experience working in construction. Treating workers with respect doesn’t necessarily cost more. When an employer pays fairly and gives consistent hours, they get the best out of their workers. Economically secure, experienced and rested workers are more efficient and productive workers. Let’s pass the Workers’ Bill of Rights!
Olympia City Council Position 6
What do you think the city needs to do to address homelessness?
Dana Tan: No response
Justin Stang: We need to focus on helping people move into stable housing, not just manage the crisis indefinitely. In the short term, that means expanding access and capacity for emergency shelter and improving coordination among service providers to simplify the processes for those that are struggling to get help. Long-term, we need a balanced approach that includes building more affordable housing and expanding access to mental health and addiction services. We also need to hold service providers accountable. If organizations aren’t delivering results or using public resources effectively, we need the courage to redirect funding. Olympia deserves leadership that asks tough questions, challenges the status-quo, and prioritizes outcomes over intentions. The goal should always be to help people regain stability and dignity, not maintaining systems that keep them stuck.
Darleen Simkins: There is insufficient housing in the city and surrounding areas to support estimated population growth, and housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable. The 2024 Thurston County point in time homeless census found 952 people experiencing homelessness, with 334 living in vehicles or encampments not meant for human habitation. Also, many working families experience housing insecurity, essentially a paycheck away from losing their own housing.
The city needs to address barriers to affordable housing such as impact fees, zoning regulations, and permitting delays. Additionally, Olympia needs to partner with other public and nonprofit service providers in our region to ensure our lowest income neighbors remain housed in times of crisis and to help our unhoused neighbors secure safe and stable housing.
Robert Vanderpool: The Regional Housing Council consists of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston County. I currently represent the alternative for Olympia. The RHC manages, builds, and implements our current system with non-profit partners. This regional approach has been successful at Unity Commons, Sandy’s Flats, and in closing most of the Percival encampment. This regional approach is critical going forward. This year the RHC received less from the state than requested, while the terrible Grants Pass decision (allowing cities to ban homelessness) added an additional layer of complication. I believe going forward we have options: 1.) We need to examine our housing pipeline — see what has been successful for getting folks through our system and what hasn’t. We need to ensure with tight funding our current system can continue to reduce homelessness under changing conditions. 2.) HB 2015 allows local and county governments to establish more public safety dollars to hire more Crisis Response Units, staff housing projects, wrap around services, and more. The intersection between public safety and housing is critical to the safety of those who are and are not experiencing homelessness. 3.) I would expand the scope of the RHC, from regional policy (i.e. tenant protections) to a public housing developer.
How will you help facilitate affordable housing in Olympia?
Dana Tan: No response
Justin Stang: The housing crisis demands bold, collaborative solutions. We need to bring together local government, nonprofits, small-scale builders, and larger developers to expand housing options across Olympia. That includes streamlining permitting, reviewing impact fees, and unlocking partnerships that deliver affordable units more efficiently. I fully embrace the State’s middle housing legislation and believe infill and ADUs are common sense ways to get started right away to add density and capacity. We also need to invite the community and neighborhood associations to participate in shaping the way we address the issue while honoring the aspects of our neighborhoods that make them special.
Darleen Simkins: I will support market rate and affordable housing along Olympia’s urban corridors.
I will also advocate for Rapid Rehousing, Housing First, and support for families to remain housed.
Rapid Rehousing is an intervention strategy focused on providing immediate access to housing, short term financial assistance, supportive services, and training and resources to enable individuals to maintain housing over time.
Housing First focuses on housing as a critical foundation for recovery rather than requiring recovery as a precondition for housing. This approach is proven to reduce shelter and emergency response costs compared to requiring individuals to be “housing ready” to receive services.
Supporting families to remain housed includes short-term financial assistance to keep families housed during short-term unexpected financial hardships. Homelessness creates significant trauma for individuals and families, and preventing homelessness is more cost-effective than addressing it after a family becomes homeless.
Affordable housing provision requires a multifaceted approach, and I would facilitate regional collaboration in each of these areas to address it.
Robert Vanderpool: This last year, I worked with housing staff to draft and pass the Affordable Housing Emergency Ordinance. This pilot program focuses on reducing the cost and timeline for below market rate affordable housing, I would call working class income housing. The core changes include faster permit approvals, waivers for many development fees, reduction in utility hook up costs, and more. The developer is then required to agree to a 25-year covenant on the property, capping the costs at 80%. Beyond this work, I plan on continuing work around the conditions that make housing unaffordable for many working class folks. The city can reduce arbitrary zoning barriers, speed up permit processes, get to yes on housing, and ultimately create conditions for small developers — four folks and a van — to be able to build housing. To get there we need to work with non-profit developers, small developers, land trusts, local banking, the Northwest Cooperative Development Center, and even consider creating a local public developer. We have to follow every avenue to meet our housing needs.
Do you support the proposal for a Workers’ Bill of Rights and a $20 minimum wage in Olympia?
Dana Tan: No response
Justin Stang: I am strongly pro-worker. At Hama Hama, I advocated for workers and we paid a living wage, added benefits, holiday pay, time off, translation services, counseling and more.
I support the spirit of the initiative, but cannot support it as currently written. There are many unanswered questions and I have concerns about the legality, implementation, and enforcement — all expenses that will be difficult for the city to absorb following multiple years with multi-million-dollar budget shortfalls. I’m also concerned about our small businesses and nonprofits and the impacts that this will have on their operations. Lasting, progressive policy requires broad community input and thoughtful design with key stakeholder engagement to address fairness and equity. Ultimately, I agree with the concerns raised by Mayor Payne and the majority of Council: we need more research, clarity, and community input before moving forward. We owe it to workers and the broader community to get this right.
Darleen Simkins: Yes, I support the Workers’ Bill of Rights and a $20 minimum wage in Olympia. According to the Department of Labor and Industries, Washington’s hourly minimum wage will be $17.28 per hour in 2026. This measure would increase the minimum hourly wage paid by large employers with more than 500 workers to $20 in 2026 (an additional $2.72 per hour), with an annual inflation adjustment starting in 2027. For employers with 16 to 500 workers, the initial minimum wage would be $18 (an additional 72 cents per hour), phased into the full increase in 2028. For those with 15 or fewer workers, it would essentially start at the state minimum wage phased into the full increase by 2032.
The measure also requires large employers to provide predictable scheduling and basic safety planning for their employees.
This measure would improve the quality of life for Olympia’s lowest paid workers and their families, reducing their reliance on social services. It provides greater predictability in work scheduling, enabling care providers to more fully participate in the workforce. It improves outcomes for children as workers with irregular work shifts often have more difficulties arranging childcare and establishing stable family routines conducive to healthy child outcomes.
Robert Vanderpool: Yes, I support the Workers’ Bill of Rights, the $20 minimum wage, and studying labor policy in the City of Olympia. Many Olympians are only a few paychecks from losing their homes. It’s the folks in Section-8 housing, the veteran who has three jobs, and the family of four living in a one-bedroom apartment that deserve dignity in their lives. We have a responsibility in government to create stability in folks’ lives; add the cuts coming to federal programs and our local responsibilities have grown. I support and have worked to reduce the cost of housing, childcare, transportation, food security, and more, while also supporting policies that will create stability in employment — livable wages, increased benefits, fixed scheduling, full-time work, and more. The Workers’ Bill of Rights creates a framework for labor policy in the City of Olympia by creating labor standards. Olympia currently does policy work such as equity, housing, transportation, climate, and more. Labor is one of the few areas that we currently don’t work in but should. We have an Economic Director who works to implement the Olympia Strong Plan around economic resiliency. It would be a natural expansion to include a labor policy staff member.
Olympia City Council Position 7
What do you think the city needs to do to address homelessness?
Caleb Gieger: Homelessness is a complex issue rooted in a broader economic system where housing, healthcare, and basic needs have become unaffordable. While Olympia can’t solve it alone, there are three things we can do to meaningfully help our neighbors.
First, we need to fix the broken housing pipeline. When our community doesn’t have affordable housing, it’s easier to fall into homelessness and harder to get out of it. Fixing the pipeline means creating more housing options for those who are ready, like New Horizons and Sandy’s Flat. But then we also need to create upward mobility by building affordable working-class housing.
Second, we also need to raise wages. By raising the minimum wage, we can help folks afford the housing they already have and make it easier for those transitioning out of homelessness.
Finally, we must improve access to services. Locally, around 20% of unhoused residents struggle with mental health and addiction. About 30% are women, many of whom have left abusive relationships. We need to expand our Crisis Response Units, which provide referrals and transportation to services, and partner with nonprofits, regional partners, and the state to expand access to mental health, addiction, and domestic violence support services.
Paul Berendt: We can overcome homelessness in our community by embracing proven strategies and forging stronger regional partnerships. Olympia must continue expanding tiny home programs and shelter capacity while connecting people to mental health care, addiction recovery, and social services. In its recently passed “Big Bill,” the Congress reduced Medicaid payments which will harm Mental Health services, addiction services and general health care for the homeless, making these challenges greater. Coordination across detox services, mental health hospital beds, transitional housing, and counseling must be seamless so individuals get the care they need without falling through the cracks. Tiny homes, supported by local nonprofits, have demonstrated success and earned broad public support — this solution deserves continued investment.
Because homelessness transcends borders, we must elevate interjurisdictional cooperation to address root causes collectively. And to support our most vulnerable neighbors, the State must reform its mental health system and establish institutional housing for those who have severe mental illness and are unhoused. The Olympia City Council declared a Homelessness public health emergency in 2018 and an Affordable Housing emergency in 2024. It is time to take more substantive emergency actions related to the homeless in Downtown, the Jungle and on Percival Creek.
David Wenzel: No response
How will you help facilitate affordable housing in Olympia?
Caleb Gieger: Olympia must continue to work regionally and make it easier and cheaper to build housing for all incomes, but especially for working families and people on fixed incomes. Olympia must continue working through the Thurston Regional Housing Council to directly develop affordable housing. That’s why I support using TRHC to build mixed-income, below-market, public housing. We also need to make it easier and cheaper to build. That means reforming our local zoning and permitting policies to reduce barriers to development, without sacrificing our environment or thoughtful community planning. Some examples include rethinking arbitrary setbacks and height restrictions, allowing greater flexibility for lot splitting, and creating streamlined processes for smaller developers. Finally, let’s empower local contractors and developers. Right now, many smaller developers face challenges accessing capital for modest-scale projects. I’d like to explore using Olympia’s strong bond rating to provide these developers access to financing that they normally would not have through traditional banking. This could stimulate local construction, create jobs, and increase the supply of affordable homes throughout our city. By taking these steps, we can support both immediate needs and long-term solutions — building a more inclusive and sustainable housing system for everyone in Olympia.
Paul Berendt: Every decision I make on the council will be made through the lens of: How does this affect housing affordability? I believe Olympia must prioritize low-income and senior housing by identifying unused public properties and partnering with nonprofit agencies to build targeted projects. Each housing type — market rate, single-family, workforce, senior, transitional, and public — requires distinct approaches, and the city’s current tools are limited. We must be intentional with strategies that stretch our capabilities. Several ideas deserve action or deeper consideration: Transit Oriented Development, right-sizing parking for affordability, subdivision reform, and more condo construction. We should streamline the permitting process — especially for middle housing. Public investment should focus on senior, workforce, and low-income housing. To address long-term need, we can create a regional land bank using surplus public land, foreclosures, and tax-delinquent properties for development. Allowing modular and prefabricated construction can lower costs and speed timelines. Rezoning underused commercial sites — like parking lots and vacant retail spaces — for housing must also be explored. Every step must be strategic, equitable, and designed to lower costs and meet Olympia’s growing housing challenges. We can’t solve everything at once, but we can build the foundation — brick by brick.
David Wenzel: No response
Do you support the proposal for a Workers’ Bill of Rights and a $20 minimum wage in Olympia?
Caleb Gieger: Yes. Raising the minimum wage and lowering housing costs are essential to addressing our region’s affordability crisis. The barista at your favorite coffee shop, the mechanic changing your tires, and the person bagging your groceries deserve to live in the city where they work. A higher minimum wage helps them do that. I understand the concerns for Olympia’s small businesses. They are what make our community unique. However, study after study — and real-world examples from Renton, Tukwila, Burien, and Everett — show that raising wages does not lead to job loss. Rather, it leads to higher employee retention and allows those same employees to spend more locally. The WBOR accounts for business size by tiering wage increases. For small businesses, the increase over the state minimum is modest: only 34 cents the first year, and 50 cents annually thereafter. This is a balanced, thoughtful step toward economic justice.
Paul Berendt: In my campaign, I’ve found the majority of Olympia citizens are distressed by increasing rents, mortgages, food costs and general cost increases. Olympia is growing less affordable. For that reason, I support the Workers Bill of Rights and its phased minimum wage increase, which responds to rising housing and food costs impacting our community. Upon passage, large employers (500+ employees) will raise minimum wages to $20/hr in January, while small employers begin at $17/hr, with scheduled annual increases narrowing the gap over time. This gradual implementation helps nonprofits and small businesses adapt while encouraging broader regional wage reform. The bill also includes critical workplace protections — like fair scheduling, two-week advance notice of shifts, and prioritizing additional work hours for current employees. These reforms create stability and respect workers’ time. I support the safety standards outlined in the bill and the creation of enforcement mechanisms to ensure accountability and compliance. Together, these changes reflect our values of fairness, dignity, and economic justice. I also support Olympia businesses that will have to pay for the wage increase. We need to increase other support to local small and mid-sized businesses so they can thrive alongside these changes that impact them.
David Wenzel: No response