LFP Mayor's Corner - A Busy Year Ahead

Tom French, Mayor-Elect
City of Lake Forest Park

To the Citizens of Lake Forest Park

It is an honor and a privilege to have been selected by the people to be the 10th mayor of Lake Forest Park. 

Having served the City for 12 years as a Council Member and in leadership positions as Deputy Mayor as well as Budget and Finance Chair, I am excited to lead the Executive Branch beginning in the new year. 

With an excellent leadership team and staff, the City is well positioned to take on the challenges that 2024 and beyond present.

We have an outstanding incoming City Council that brings a wealth of differing skills and abilities to the policy-making side of our government. 

Our community is very fortunate to have neighbors who are willing to share their time in the service of the City. 

I look forward to working very closely with whomever they choose to lead the Council as Deputy Mayor and Council Vice Chair.

The year ahead is a busy one, with a lot on all of our collective plates:

• The Planning Commission will be considering the state-mandated Comprehensive Plan update with many opportunities for public input on the topic.
• The Administration will be working to greatly improve communication with Sound Transit to ensure that Lake Forest Park receives a project that is commensurate with the environment and character of our community.
• The Climate Action Committee will continue their good work on the Climate Action Plan, which will be presented to Council in the first quarter of 2024. The community will be asked to weigh in on this project at a variety of times throughout the year.
• The Tree Board will continue its good work helping our community protect our most valuable resource - our natural environment. The Administration will be doing all it can to support the charge of our arborist.
• 2024 is also a Budget year in which the Administration will bring a two-year budget proposal to Council for consideration. There will be a variety of opportunities to express your thoughts and opinions during the budget process which begins in early summer.
• The Council and Administration will continue to work collectively on improvements to make our roads safer for all. Lowered speed limits, improvements to pedestrian and multi-modal facilities are all important aspects of this work. The Council has made great progress on this topic and now it is time to find the funding for implementing a variety of safety improvements.

A wise friend of mine recently said that a new year is a great time to reimagine what is possible. I am hugely optimistic about the new year, and I couldn’t agree more.

With respect and appreciation,
Mayor-elect Tom French