Meet the candidates for Auburn City Council Pos. 6

In the Aug. 5 primary election, three candidates are vying for Auburn City Council Position 6: Lisa Stirgus, Cobi Clark and James Jeyaraj.

Jeyaraj did not respond by press time to the email with this questionnaire.

The top two finishers in the primary election will advance to the November general election. Below are the candidates’ responses to questions sent by the Auburn Reporter.

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Lisa Stirgus

Q: Why do you want to be a member of the Auburn City Council?

A: There are two main reasons I want to become a member of the City Council to which I applied and was appointed to fill a vacancy, and now want to stay on for a full, 4-year term.

First, my daughter. Like many young people, she became disillusioned by the growing political divide around 2016, and then beyond. I reminded her — and I still believe — that while we can’t fix everything, we can control how we show up in our own circles: our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and states. Real change doesn’t happen because of Washington, D.C., alone; it starts locally, one positive act at a time. Too often, we’re taught to vote for the office of president, but not how our local tax dollars impact the very street we live on. I saw this as a chance to show that I live what I preach.

Second, the hair salon I go to, Tre Sorelle. It may sound like a first-world problem, but it’s not. It’s two women who’ve run a small business in Auburn for more than 10 years. In early 2023, someone broke into the salon, which sustained more than $30,000 in damages. On top of that, the owners lost time and income navigating an overwhelming maze of reports, claims, and red tape. They pay high taxes, but when they needed support, they felt the city let them down. And they weren’t alone. I started hearing similar frustrations from other business owners about taxes, permitting, and feeling like the city didn’t have their backs.

I come from a family of small business owners, who gave everything to keep their doors open. I know the whatever-it-takes mentality and the heart you need to have to provide for your family and serve your community. I love small business, so I dug in. And yes, selfishly, I am running because I really want us to get and keep some amazing restaurants here in Auburn. I don’t think I’m alone on that one.

Q: What are the five greatest challenges the the city faces at this time, and what can you as one member of a body of seven, do to better the situation?

A: Public safety: People in Auburn need to feel safe, period. That means we need a fully-staffed, well-trained, and well-supported police department. But safety doesn’t stop at badges and patrol cars. It also means investing in youth violence prevention, mental health response, and community partnerships that actually reduce crime, not just react to it. Public safety isn’t political — it’s personal.

Infrastructure that works: Basic city services shouldn’t feel like a luxury. Our roads, sidewalks, parks, lighting, and stormwater systems need attention. Not later, now. I support targeted investments and smart grant strategies that help us get the most out of every tax dollar. You should be able to live, walk and drive in your town without dodging potholes or flooded curbs.

Economic vitality and business retention: As I shared in my reason for running, what I discovered talking to small business owners was eye-opening. It’s not that Auburn’s taxes are too high compared to nearby cities —it’s that our systems feel unclear, and trust has broken down. Business owners don’t feel like they’re getting support equal to what they’re putting in to the system. And yet, I know our city leaders do care. Both things can be true at the same time. That’s why we need to rebuild that broken relationship, to show our business community we hear them, we value them, and we’re ready to work with them to simplify systems, clear up processes, and create a culture of mutual respect and shared success.

Housing and community stability: We’re growing, but growth has to be responsible. I support a housing mix that factors in affordability, ownership opportunities, and solutions for people facing homelessness, while protecting the character of our neighborhoods. We need to ask hard questions about zoning, infrastructure readiness, and how we plan for population changes. Growth shouldn’t feel like it’s happening to people — it should feel like it’s happening with them.

Sustainability, Preparedness and Tribal Partnership: Our city has to be ready for wildfires, floods, power outages, and everything in between. We also have a responsibility to protect the land and water we live on, not just for today but also for future generations. That means investing in long-term sustainability efforts like upgrading stormwater systems, replacing lead pipes, and protecting our natural resources. And we don’t do those things alone. We share this land with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, a vital and valued partner in Auburn’s story. I believe it’s essential that we continue building a strong, respectful relationship with the Tribe, working together on environmental stewardship, emergency planning, and economic opportunity. Shared land means shared responsibility, and shared success.

I also believe that none of this happens in a vacuum. I may only be one of seven voices on the city council … but I see that as a strength. It’s important to listen to my fellow council members, to understand their perspectives, and to bring in what I’m hearing from the community, coupled with my real-life leadership experience in leading successful teams. Healthy debate, respectful disagreement, and collaborative problem-solving are what make business work, what makes government work. No one person has all the answers, but when we bring our lived experiences together, we make better decisions — the kind that move Auburn forward for most people, not merely a few. And as positive a person as I am, I don’t believe we can make everyone happy, but I do believe we can make decisions that benefit the “most” and then we can work through the rest one off.

Q: Given concerns about public safety and rising crime rates in Auburn involving teen violence, break-ins, shootings, etc., voiced in recent public forums, what would you do, indeed, what could you do, to make things better?

A: Public safety is one of the biggest issues people in Auburn are talking about … and rightfully so. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes, schools, parks, and businesses. That starts with a fully staffed, well-trained police department, and a city that backs them with the right tools and support to respond effectively.

But I also believe safety has to start before the moment of crisis. I have deep respect for nonprofits — they do incredible work responding to harm and helping people recover. But I’ve also seen how much of our funding and effort is focused on fixing the problem after it’s already happened. That’s backwards.

We need to invest more in prevention. For me, that starts in our schools. I got pregnant at 15. Not because I was reckless or irresponsible … but because the topic was taboo in 1994. I didn’t learn how to navigate a relationship with my first boyfriend at school … and it was super embarrassing to talk to my parents. So, I made life-altering choices with a 15-year-old brain and no tools. That experience shaped my entire life… and it’s why I believe so strongly in giving kids the education, skills, and support they need early … age appropriate … but early, while also bringing the parents into the conversation. We need to help parents learn how to have those uncomfortable conversations, so their kids don’t have to learn from friends, TikTok, or trial and error.

We have to show up for our youth with mental health resources, real-life education, positive role models, and clear opportunities. It’s not just about keeping them busy … it’s about making sure they’re seen, supported, and equipped to make good choices … and it’s about helping parents’ parent.

This isn’t an either-or. It’s both. I believe in accountability and opportunity. Enforcement and prevention. Because if we really want a safer Auburn, we’ve got to address the roots — not just react to the branches.

Q: How would you help strike the necessary balance between Auburn’s simultaneous needs for growth and development and for preserving what’s best about the city?

A: Growth is happening, but it doesn’t have to mean losing who we are. I believe we can welcome new housing, businesses, and development, while still protecting the soul of this city. Roots! Multi-generational roots and the feeling of a community that cares and knows each other… is Auburn.

That starts with listening. Listening to residents who’ve been here 30 years, and to those who just bought their first home. We need to ask the right questions. Where are we building? Who is it for? What infrastructure is needed to support it? How do we grow without putting more pressure on schools, roads, and services?

I support a balanced approach… one that includes a mix of affordable housing, home-ownership opportunities, and small business space… while protecting neighborhood character and green spaces. You can call me Pollyanna, but I believe there are developers that can make money and help our city grow. Growth should add value, not take away from what people love about living in Auburn. And it should feel like something we’re building with the community… not something being pushed at or on them.

Q: What experience do you have dealing with large budgets?

A: I’ve led multi-million and billion-dollar budgets for more than 20 years — mostly in banking, then in nonprofit leadership. I’ve overseen teams of hundreds (as large as 475 and as small as 6) and have been responsible for making sure that every dollar aligned with strategy, service, and results. I know how to manage tight budgets, spot inefficiencies, and keep the focus on what really matters.

But to me, a budget isn’t just about math it’s about mission and values. I’ve spent my career showing executive teams that my people-first approach absolutely drives profit and revenue. The return isn’t always one-for-one, but it is sustainable, and it delivers. Our city budget should reflect what people want to see and feel in their everyday lives. Safe streets, clean spaces, thriving youth programs, great business success, affordable housing. That’s where real accountability lives.

And I don’t believe in doing it alone. Whether it’s collaborating with the Muckleshoot Tribe, small business owners, local nonprofits, our regional partners, King County, the State of Washington, and my fellow council members… the goal is always to make resources go further and work smarter. I bring business discipline and real-world empathy to budget conversations … because it’s not just about cutting or spending — it’s about delivering impact the community can trust, feel, and see. Budgets are moral documents. I don’t just manage numbers — I make them mean something.

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Cobi Clark

Q: Why do you want to be a member of the Auburn City Council?

A: I am a lifelong South Sound resident and a top 40 under 40 South Sound business professional. After delivering hundreds of homes to Washington State, I sold my construction business share to pursue a career in public service. In that pursuit, and in preparation for my role as a policy maker, I am completing a degree in Economics and Policy Analysis (2025). As part of my study, I was chosen to work for Senator Jeff Wilson during the 2025 legislative session, where I conducted policy research and analysis for the Senator.

I aim to bring my experience as a housing producer to the City of Auburn to help foster the production of quality housing and home-buying opportunities in our community. I also expect to bring my experience as a policy analyst, by listening to each Auburn resident and crafting policy that will best meet the needs of the community without undermining the freedom and autonomy of the individual. My commitment to the community is that I will always listen twice and speak once. In consideration of that commitment, I have prepared a community survey highlighting a collection of policy ideas, please consider taking a look and responding to the survey so that we may align our policy goals. The survey and more information may be found at www.cobiclark.com.

In the broadest sense, there seems to be a collective renegotiation of our social contract right now, and I don’t like the way that it is going. I think there is far more the local council can do to protect fundamental American values in the face of a world that seems to have forgotten what those values even are. There is a saying attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville, a French diplomat who studied American government and society in the 19th Century to help develop his own government in the aftermath of the French revolution:“When an American comes to a river they need to cross, they build a bridge. When a Frenchman comes to a river he needs to cross, he calls his king.” I seem to be living in a city that forces us to call the proverbial king every time something needs to get done, and like a king often refuses to do it unless the task affords some benefit to itself. In just one example of many, I called the permitting department to ask if there was a process I could follow to install speedbumps just outside of the elementary school zone in my neighborhood. High school students come racing through the neighborhood putting children’s lives at risk, and the police don’t have the ability to show up when the speeding occurs (it’d be over by the time the police arrived), but due to frequent complaints, the city performed a traffic study. The permit technician very kindly and professionally informed me that 85% of the people driving that road follow the law, and that was a very high success rate relative to more needy parts of the city. Moreover, they stated, there is no process I could follow to make improvements to the road myself, so there was just nothing that could be done. I appreciate that in the utilitarian calculus of the city, an 85% success rate may look good, but from where I stand, I see about 1 in 10 cars threatening to kill a child. I didn’t call to ask to spend someone else’s money to improve my neighborhood, I called to spend my own money to improve my neighborhood, and the city said no. We are not Frenchman; while there may be great benefit to having a city that maintains the roads in a utilitarian fashion, that should not come at the expense of the individual’s right to improve their communities themselves and protect their own children. A permitting process could be established to allow for private investment into public infrastructure at virtually no expense to the city, our children would be safer for it, but this is just one small step to unwind what seems to be a persistent erosion of our right to self-sufficiency and autonomy.

Q: What are the five greatest challenges the city faces at this time, and what would you do as one member of a council of seven to make things better?

A: One, housing; two, upholding the rule of law and defending civil rights/ three, economic development; four, infrastructure; and five, education. As a member of the council, I would advance zoning reforms and advocate for local control rather than state control of land use. I would help facilitate the creation of Auburn’s own court system in support of law enforcement and propose the establishment of a community gun range where residents can learn from our local peace officers how to safely own and operate a firearm, and when they can and can’t use a weapon. I would streamline business permitting with new systems and technology. Finally, I would support systems to induce private investment into public infrastructure, allowing wealthier residents to improve their communities rather than forcing them to. I do not think there is much I can do as a council member to support education directly, it would be higher priority on my list if I could, but that is the scope of the local school board. What I think can be done at the council level is supporting early learning with childcare vouchers, childcare and education are both critical to economic development, but rather than proposing new taxes to fund vouchers, I would propose utilizing increased tax revenue from growth to gradually roll out vouchers over time.

A: Police cannot be everywhere all the time all at once. A police force is an incredible tool for responding to crime and serving justice on behalf of the courts, but it is unrealistic to expect that it can directly prevent crime before it happens 100% of the time, and we all know that when seconds count police are minutes away. In keeping with my previous responses, we need to ensure that every individual has the tools they need to defend themselves and the training to do so safely and professionally. Creating a local gun range serves a dual purpose: it ensures safe, lawful, and responsible gun ownership and usage, but it also allows our local police to interact with people in the community who own guns and creates a welcoming low-pressure environment to ensure those guns are possessed legally and will be used lawfully. This space would also provide an opportunity to teach people about safe weapons storage, how to talk with their children about gun safety, and what it means to live in a society governed by rule of law.

Q: How would you help strike the necessary balance between Auburn’s simultaneous need for growth and development and for preserving what’s best about the city?

A: I do not believe it is the role of government to tell people what they can and can’t do with their own land. It is the role of government to make sure that what people do with their land does not directly materially harm other people in the community. While it may be appropriate to prevent a polluting industrial building from going into a residential neighborhood, it isn’t appropriate for the city to tell landowners they can’t build in the name of architectural uniformity, or neighborhood character. If someone wishes to live in a community frozen in time, there is a mechanism for that, it’s a homeowner’s association. The governments job is to protect life, liberty, and property, growth occurs as a natural consequence of free land use in response to market demands. In fewer words, zoning should be restrictive, not prescriptive; I am here to support growth, we cannot keep living in this world where homeless people are dying on the street so that the rest of us can live in an unchanging city. Cities are supposed to be dynamic.

Q: What experience do you have dealing with large budgets?

A: I have more than a decade of experience creating, administering, and working within large budgets, upwards of $80 million at any one time between multiple projects. I have done this as a property manager, a real estate developer, a project manager, and a mid-sized business owner, all with direct decision-making authority. Also, having worked for the Washington State Senate, I got the opportunity to work with the state budget, albeit without decision-making authority. While the city budget is larger than $80 million, I expect my experience will be transferable.

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James Jeyaraj did not respond by press time to the email with this questionnaire.