04.12.2024 - By Oregon Public Broadcasting
In her State of the City address last month, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle touted the city’s rapid growth and development since she was first elected to the city council more than a decade ago. But with that growth comes challenges for Washington’s fourth-largest city. In the past decade, homelessness has increased by more than 250%, prompting city officials to declare a state of emergency to streamline responding to this crisis. Last year, voters approved a new property tax levy that is expected to raise $100 million over 10 years to shore up the city’s Affordable Housing Fund. Meanwhile, hundreds of new housing units are being planned for the Heights District, a neighborhood redevelopment project in central Vancouver. Mayor McEnerny-Ogle joins us to talk about her vision for the city’s future, the challenges it faces and reflections on her past decade in city government.