Erik Larson

Occupation: Environmental Engineer, Mayor of Aberdeen

Relevant experience: Currently serve as Mayor of Aberdeen, Board Member of the Grays Harbor YMCA, Background in Engineering and Public Infrastructure

1. Homelessness in Aberdeen has been a divisive issue lately, especially over what the city should do with the homeless population on the Chehalis riverfront. How would you envision addressing the city’s homelessness issue if elected? What would be your priorities?

Homelessness is a difficult issue for our community, our state, and our country. Currently, Grays Harbor County receives all funding for addressing homelessness and addiction, and manages the programs and services targeted at addressing these issues. While the City of Aberdeen needs to continue to support their efforts to address the causes of homelessness, we need to take a serious look at how we are managing the symptoms of homelessness – specifically impacts to public health and safety. Our priorities need to focus on providing a safe, secure place for those who are truly suffering, while targeting those who seek to harm others, reducing theft and violence.

2. Unlike larger Washington cities, Aberdeen seems to be aging and losing its younger population after high school. What are your ideas to attract businesses or get more energy going to develop the city and help it grow economically?

With all due respect, I do not believe the basis of this question can be supported by the data. The City of Aberdeen, like many rural timber communities, suffered greatly from the collapse of the timber industry and this had generational impacts on our population and economy – but more recently the trend has been much more positive. Our economy and property values have seen growth of about 8 to 10% annually and there have been many skilled young people moving in to our community to fill jobs created by new industry and the retirement of older generations. But even with this recent growth, we need to continue to invest in our community and infrastructure to allow the growth to continue. We need to build the North Shore Levee to take the burden of flood insurance off homeowners and businesses, provide separation of the rail and highway in East Aberdeen to increase capacity of our ports and reduce congestion, and reduce blight to create opportunities for private investment and innovation to grow and diversify our economy.

3. The Gateway Center has been in the works for many years and might reach the point where it’s ready for construction soon. What are your plans for the project or do you have any ideas of how it would best be used?

The Gateway Center will be ready for construction before the end of this year, with site prep and foundation work potentially starting soon as well. It will serve as the new home of Greater Grays Harbor, the Associate Economic Development Organization which works as our local representative for the State Department of Commerce. In addition, it will co-locate several business development programs like the Small Business Development Center, and provide the infrastructure for other programs through the Department of Commerce to support our economy. The new facility will welcome visitors to our community as they come over the Wishkah Street Bridge and be a symbol of the future progress of not just the City of Aberdeen, but all of Grays Harbor.