In her annual State of the City address at the Muckleshoot Casino on Feb. 26, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus brought residents up to date on progress the city has made and will make in sectors ranging from policing and public safety to keeping the streets in good condition.

She led off with public safety.

Backus assured the packed house she understands why people are fed up with the recent rise in incidents of violent crime, such as murder, theft and kidnapping and no longer feel safe in their neighborhoods.

It is not the Auburn she knew as a girl, Backus said.

“I’ve lived in Auburn almost my entire life and it breaks my heart to see the types of crimes that are now commonplace,” Backus said. “It hurts my soul when I hear about mothers who have to worry about their kids walking home from school. I know you’re frustrated, too, and I understand why.”

She said the city is on the problem, and showing palpable progress.

Since 2019, Auburn has hired more than 80 new officers. And in the 2025 budget, the city council has approved the creation of 10 new officer positions, which will bring the total number of commissioned officer positions to 128.

It has emphasized stronger police enforcement, created new crime-fighting programs, and formed strong partnerships with neighboring cities.

This year and beyond, Backus said, Auburn police will lean into technology – “not just their great training and expertise,” by using of license plate recognition equipment.

The city has also fully staffed its legal department with 21 professionals, among them a new city attorney, a deputy attorney, and a senior staff attorney. In 2024 alone, those additions, she said, helped the city address more than 2,400 misdemeanor cases.

The city’s Community Court docket has helped hundreds of people find treatment for their addictions to avoid burdening them with a criminal record that would make landing a job or finding a house difficult.

Auburn has also led the way, Backus said, in mental health awareness and crisis preparedness. The city’s R.E.A.D.Y. program teaches people how to respond to mental health crises. bridging the gap until professionals arrive.

“Auburn is committed to ensuring that mental health is part of our public safety strategy – because true safety isn’t just about reducing crime, it’s about supporting one another in times of crisis,” Backus said.

That also means, she said, city oficials and residents supporting and hearing each other face-to-face via the “Safe Auburn: Community Conversations” initiative. The meetings began running in 2024 to bring residents, law enforcement, and community leaders together to address concerns and build trust.

“The feedback from these sessions is shaping policies and programs for the years ahead. If you haven’t had a chance to attend, there are more coming ” Backus said.

Infrastructure

Backus called 2024 “a remarkable year of transformation for infrastructure,” which has carried over into 2025 with the wind at its back.

In late 2024, the city completed the A Street Loop downtown, linking Division and A Street SE and providing a viable traffic alternative to the busy intersection at A and 3rd Street SE.

In 2024 the city also opened the Coal Creek Pedestrian Bridge, the Game Farm Park Bridge, or as Backus suggested “The Really Cool pedestrian bridge.” The bridge was built to carry a new water pipe to replace an old one but it serves double duty as a relaxing pedestrian bridge over the White River, linking Game Farm and Game Farm Wilderness park for the first time.

Last year, Backus said, the city completed a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to significantly reduce or eliminate the number of people who are seriously injured or killed while traveling on Auburn’s streets, no matter who they are or how they travel.

In 2024 the city updated its long-term plans, including its Transportation System Plan, “a blueprint for future mobility,” ensuring that Auburn grows in a way that is efficient, connected, and sustainable over the next 20 years.

The plan, Backus said, integrates streets, transit, active transportation, and freight movement into a multi modal network that enhances mobility, safety, and accessibility while supporting economic growth. Key projects include intersection improvements, street widening, and transit and bike infrastructure upgrades to reduce congestion.

As Auburn expands, Backus said, its infrastructure must keep pace, balancing housing, jobs, and transportation, with investments in public transit and connectivity that will enhance accessibility and economic opportunity.

Backus said the Auburn Airport is preparing for major growth. In 2024, the City finalized an agreement to develop the South Ramp, adding at least 35,000 square feet of new hangar space over the next five years. This is a crucial investment, as Auburn’s airport has one of the longest hangar wait lists in the region – some pilots waiting up to 15 years for a spot.

“The economic impact of this little general aviation airport is nothing small – it creates 232 jobs within the Puget Sound region and has an economic impact of $43.1 million per year. Not too shabby,” Backus said

Backus said public works crews have been busy across the city responding to tens of thousands of SeeClickFix requests made on the city’s app, regarding litter, graffiti, potholes, downed street signs, fallen trees, storm drainage, encampments and more..

(To download the SeeClickFixapp, go to the city page or or open your app store and search).

Backus said the the new app came in particularly handy during the intense windstorm that lashed the region late last year. Across the city, crews were quick to remove downed trees and work with Puget Sound Energy to restore power to thousands of residents.

The changing face of Auburn

In 2010, about 70% of Auburn’s population – 49,000 people – identified as white only. By 2023, that number had dropped to 53%, a 25% decrease in majority. Meanwhile, the city Hispanic, Asian, and Black populations grew by 40%, while households identifying as two or more races increased by 116% and Native American only households hovered at around 2.3%.

All of the growth Backus said, underlines the need for proper planning.

The Copper Creek Development on Lea Hill, she said, could bring more than 100 new homes to the area, and the redevelopment of the Segale gravel pit on Kersey Way could produce anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000 residential units, commercial spaces, and infrastructure.

Turning to the industrial and manufacturing sector, Backus announced that an international building products company is poised to occupy a new development spanning 50 acres at the Auburn 18 Business Park – the former GSA site. The company expects to bring a significant number of jobs to the City over multiple shifts per day. Construction should start in the second quarter of 2025.

And of course, she said, downtown Auburn is undergoing a transformation, with new mixed-use developments and a wave of new restaurants and businesses aimed making the city’s core a hub of activity and culture.

Auburn’s Parks, Arts & Recreation Department also had an outstanding 2024, and what’s what’s coming is only going to get better.

The department has expanded its youth and teen programs, including more than 50 summer camps, dance and STEAM classes, and innovative teen cooking courses. Special events like Petpalooza and the Veterans Parade drew strong attendance, while new facilities like the Cedar Lanes Pump Track and upgraded playgrounds elevated outdoor recreational opportunities.

Last year, athletic programs thrived, particularly youth soccer and volleyball, while pickleball’s popularity surged with hundreds of participants. Senior services expanded significantly, with with more than 43,000 visits to the Senior Center and new partnerships, events, and meals served.

The arts scene, Backus said flourished at the Postmark Center for the Arts, offering diverse events, new grants, and the “Second Saturdays” free program series. Major milestones included the conceptual design for a new Auburn Avenue Theater and expanded facilities for performing and visual arts. The Auburn Farmers Market achieved over $500,000 in sales, emphasizing local economic vitality and food access.

Backus said that Parks and Rec will build on this momentum by expanding bike programs, revitalizing some of city parks, and growing arts and culture initiatives.

She said the city is also “taking back downtown” with a few Friday night block-party events throughout the summer, with drinks, food, entertainment and fun.

Homelessness

Like any city, at its core, Backus continued, “Auburn is about people, but like most cities in the region, Auburn has a homelessness problem. I’ll be the first to admit it. But unlike some cities in our region, Auburn also has a homelessness solution that it employs every day.”

Last year, the city expanded its anti-homelessness department and renamed it the Human Services department. Besides Human Services Director Kent Hay, the department employs two full-time outreach workers; a peer-support specialist who works with clients addicted to opiates and manages the city’s clean and sober housing initiative; and a community development block grant coordinator, who oversees federal funds tied to housing repair.

This past year, the city contacted 472 homeless people, and housed 205. But that’s not the end of the story. It also works with clients who are ready for housing, ready for that next step, and who are ready to get out of homelessness.

Late last year, the city purchased the entire strip mall at 2814 Auburn Way N., where for years it’ s been operating the Auburn Resource Center. Construction is underway to open the floor plans in the resource center for shelter, and community court space, with the goal of integrating wrap-around services to the hundreds of clients the teams work with every year.

In partnership with the South Correctional Entity, or SCORE Jail, and King County District Court, the city has also opened its community court to allow in-custody hearings, meaning those in custody in SCORE can work on their addiction and better their lives.

Backus said Auburn’s future looks bright, with a revitalized growing downtown, more businesses on the way and transformed public spaces, including by 2028 or sooner she said, a new state-of-the-art theater in downtown.

“I am proud to stand here as your mayor, working alongside all of you to make Auburn a city we’re proud to call home. Together, we are building a shared future,” Backus said.