A decade ago, Seattle was the place to go. Crime was low, and Amazon was beginning to transform downtown as part of a massive tech boom.

Now, it’s losing all that made it appealing. Crime is at record levels, Amazon has recently announced layoffs to its Seattle workers, and so many are dying from fentanyl overdoses that the county morgue is running out of space.

This isn’t the Seattle we used to know, and it’s not the one we want.

Thankfully, we have a real opportunity to revitalize the city.

Four city councilmembers, including Socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant, have announced they will not be running for reelection this year. This means we have a chance to elect four fresh, new candidates that share our vision for Seattle moving forward.

People came to Seattle years ago not just because it was one of the most beautiful cities in the country, but because it was clean, safe, affordable, and thriving. So much of what made it a wonderful place is being undone, in part due to terrible decisions made by City Hall in recent years. Ideologically-driven policies were implemented under the delusion that there would be no consequences, yet the effects are obvious to anyone who walks down the street.

 Seattle used to be where people came to escape bad cities. It has now become the city people are leaving.

With the right leadership, we can change that.

City voters have taken the first steps toward achieving that by electing City Attorney Ann Davison and City Councilmember Sara Nelson, who are working to restore common sense governance in City Hall. But they can’t do this by themselves. They need more like-minded individuals working alongside them and supporting their efforts.

Here are things that you can do:

• Run for local offices, such as school boards.
• Download the Find It, Fix It app on your smartphone to report illegal drug camps, needles, and graffiti.
• Provide public comment on city proposals.
• Share this post with your friends who you think need it.

With the right leadership, we can get the drug epidemic under control and along with it the homelessness crisis. We can restaff the Seattle police department so officers can restore public safety in areas devastated by crime. We can remove drug camps that are not only unsanitary, but are public eye sores that rob people of public spaces. We can make downtown Seattle a must-visit destination once more. We can work toward creating a city whose best days are still ahead, not behind.

None of this will be easy, but it is possible if those in charge make the right decisions. 

These are all things to think about as candidates enter city council races. This year will prove to be a decisive one in determining the long-term direction of Seattle. Voters have made it clear they’re not happy with the status quo, but they haven’t given up hope. Anyone running for city council needs to know what’s expected of them. The same old rhetoric and demagoguing won’t cut it. We need real solutions that deliver actual results.

 In the 2004 film Miracle about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, Coach Herb Brooks tells his players that “great moments are born from great opportunity.”

We too have a great opportunity. Now let’s make this a great moment.