By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Kiara Daniels was recently appointed Deputy Mayor of Tacoma by Mayor Victoria Woodards. Daniels, a proud Tacoma native and resident of Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, has served on the Tacoma City Council since her election in November 2021 and is assuming this new role with enthusiasm and a commitment to tackling the city’s challenges head-on.
“It feels really good,” Daniels said. “It feels like we are coming off a really rough year last year. We did a lot of work, and sometimes when you’re doing challenging work, you don’t really get to celebrate some wins. Last year, we rezoned our entire city, conducted a charter review, and passed a budget, which was one of the most difficult tasks we’ve done in a long time because we were in a deficit. It was a challenging year.”
“This appointment is really exciting and invigorating, coming into this year with this opportunity,” she added.
Daniels’ roots in Tacoma run deep. She graduated from Evergreen State College, where she earned her undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Inspired by her parents — who each worked more than 30 years with the State of Washington — Daniels has devoted her career to improving community access to education, affordable housing, and local business development.
“Evergreen is where I developed most of my passion and understanding of social justice work and why society is the way it is,” says Daniels. “My master’s program focused on how to navigate the political landscape and make the changes you want to see.”
Daniels views her role as Deputy Mayor as one of representation and service.
“My personal priorities are the same as they were before this appointment, but my top priority this year is really to be in service to our mayor,” she says. “That means running council meetings when she is not present, representing our city at events, meetings, and celebrations. If you know anything about our mayor, her presence in our community is top tier.”
Daniels also emphasized the importance of maintaining a visible and engaged government. According to Daniels, the mayor’s office is committed to be visible, present and responsive to the needs of the city, and it is now her job to be an extension of those efforts.
“The mayor’s office is committed to being present, and it’s really important that we have representation at everything happening in the city,” she said. “That’s my main priority—to represent the city of Tacoma, the mayor, and the council as a whole.”
“My job is to make sure that our council meetings run smoothly, that our community feels heard, and that whether the mayor is there or not, we have well-organized meetings where people can share their thoughts and be heard,” Daniels continued. “It’s also about ensuring we get the work done that needs to be done. That’s one of the major roles I play as Deputy Mayor.”
Service to the community has been a constant in Daniels’ life, and she sees it as a lifelong mission.
“There’s no future where I don’t serve the community in some way,” said Daniels. “I’ve been serving behind the scenes in several different roles, and it’s something I will do for the rest of my foreseeable future. I’m grateful to have people who push me and remind me why I do the work I do. This will not be the last time Tacoma sees me.”
As Deputy Mayor, Daniels also intends to continue focusing on key issues she has championed throughout her tenure on the city council, including issues around affordable housing and displacement.
“We have a displacement issue as well as a homelessness issue,” Daniels said. “I really want to continue the work I’ve been doing on housing supply, preservation, and displacement prevention. Those are very, very important to me.”
Economic development is also another point of emphasis for Daniels, who serves on the city’s Economic Development Committee.
“Economic development is huge,” she said. “Helping our community build financial stability is critical, and that includes everything from childcare to workforce development. There are so many different facets that can help our communities get through these hard times. Affordability is a major challenge everyone is dealing with right now.”
Daniels is also passionate about supporting Tacoma’s youth and strengthening ties between the city and its public schools, libraries, and parks.
“It’s important to ensure we have robust programming so that our young people feel supported,” she said. “I want them to live in a city where they can have fun and make their dreams come true.”
“These are the top priorities for me this year, and I’ll continue to work on them,” she said.
