Victoria Woodards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Victoria Woodards
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| 39th Mayor of Tacoma | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2018 |
|
| Preceded by | Marilyn Strickland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 16, 1965 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
Victoria Woodards, born on July 16, 1965, is an American politician. She is currently the 39th Mayor of Tacoma, Washington. Before becoming mayor, she was a member of the Tacoma City Council for seven years. She belongs to the Democratic Party.
Early Life and Education
Victoria, also known as Vicky, Woodards was born in Riverside, California. Her parents were Cornelius and Valerie Woodards. Her family moved to London, England, and then settled in Tacoma, Washington. This was because her father served in the United States Air Force.
In high school, Woodards joined the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) at Lincoln High School in Tacoma. JROTC helps students learn leadership skills and about the military. She graduated from Lincoln in 1983. Soon after, she joined the United States Army.
Victoria went through basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey. She was then stationed at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma. She took classes at Pierce College for many years. She also took classes at City University. She was very close to earning her associate degree from Pierce College.
Starting a Career in Politics
Before working in politics, Woodards worked in business. She later got a job at the Tacoma Urban League. She said this job "changed her life." In 1997, she became an assistant to Harold Moss at the Urban League. She considers Moss her mentor, someone who guided her career.
In 2004, Woodards was chosen to be a parks commissioner. She served on the board for Metro Parks Tacoma. In 2009, she was elected to the Tacoma City Council. As a council member, she helped create the city's Office of Equity and Human Rights. This office works to make things fair for everyone.
Woodards became the president of the Tacoma Urban League in 2011. She held this position until March 2017. In 2014, she was elected chairwoman of the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health. In 2016, she wrote an article for The News Tribune. It was titled "Forget us vs. them; racial healing starts with me." In the article, she shared her thoughts on police actions at the time. She also wrote that people have "more in common than they think."
Personal Life
In 2014, Woodards' home caught fire. Her house was completely destroyed. Luckily, everyone in the home was safe, including her pet dog, Gimzo. Her friends started a fundraiser to help her after she lost everything.
Mayoral Campaigns
2017 Mayoral Campaign
The 2017 mayoral election was important for Tacoma. It was the first time in eight years that the mayor's seat was open. Woodards ran for mayor against Jim Merritt, a local architect. During the campaign, some of Woodards' supporters said she faced unfair criticism.
Woodards had strong support from Tacoma's outgoing mayor, Marilyn Strickland. She also had the support of the rest of the city council. Woodards said her main goals as mayor would be to improve public safety. She also wanted to help people experiencing homelessness and those with mental health issues. Another goal was to bring good-paying jobs to Tacoma.
Woodards won the election with 19,186 votes. Merritt received 16,090 votes. This election was the most expensive mayoral campaign in Tacoma's history.
2021 Mayoral Campaign
As the current mayor, Woodards ran for reelection in 2021. Her opponent was Steve Haverly. Woodards supported a plan called "Home in Tacoma." This plan would allow more multi-family housing in the city. Haverly did not support this plan. He wanted to focus on developing downtown Tacoma and keeping the neighborhoods' original feel.
The election happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Haverly said the city felt like a "ghost town" because many downtown businesses were closed. Woodards disagreed. She said the city had given loans and grants to many businesses to help them stay open. Woodards won reelection with 58% of the votes.
Mayoral Career
Victoria Woodards was first elected as mayor of Tacoma in 2017. She won a second term in 2021. She is part of the advisory board for the United States Conference of Mayors. She is also the vice-chair of their Committee on Jobs, Education, and the Workforce.
Programs and Initiatives
In 2021, Mayor Woodards and Deputy Mayor John Hines started "Tidy-Up Tacoma." This program helps clean up street waste and vandalism across the city. It encourages volunteers to work together to make Tacoma cleaner.
Woodards also started "Growing Resilience in Tacoma" (GRIT) in 2021. GRIT is a program that helps low-income residents in Tacoma. It is a guaranteed income program. Participants receive $500 a month for at least 12 months. The program started recruiting people in June and July 2021. GRIT was funded by both private and public money. It received $500,000 from a donation by Jack Dorsey to Mayors for Guaranteed Income. It also got $100,000 from United Way of Pierce County. The GRIT program opened applications again in March 2024. Its goal is to help people in poverty and provide resources.
In 2022, Woodards helped launch the "Safe Youth Campaign." This campaign focused on the increase of violence among young people in Tacoma.
Woodards also wrote an article with April Black, who leads the Tacoma Housing Authority. The article was in The News Tribune. It was titled "Tacoma is desperate for more affordable housing. To build it we need the state’s help." The article talked about what Woodards and the City Council have done to help with the high cost of living in Tacoma. It mentioned policies like "Home in Tacoma." This policy allows more than one home unit on single-family properties. However, Woodards asked for more financial help from the state to solve this problem.
Manuel Ellis Death
On March 3, 2020, Manuel Ellis, an unarmed Black man, died while with Tacoma police. In June 2020, a video of the event was released. Mayor Woodards asked the city manager to fire the officers involved. She also called for an immediate investigation. After an investigation, his death was ruled a homicide. In January 2024, the three officers involved were found not guilty. They later resigned and received a payment from the city.
Tacoma Police Chief Discussion
In October 2024, Mayor Woodards supported Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore. This was after he was placed on leave for using a city asset for personal reasons. Woodards thanked the community for their concern. She promised that the investigation would be open and clear.
Changes to the State of the City Address
The State of the City Address is usually a formal speech given by the mayor. It is given to the council, local leaders, and residents. In this speech, the mayor shares their plans for the city's future. They also talk about past achievements. In 2024, Woodards changed how the address was done. Instead of a formal speech, she invited residents to a local high school. There, she and other officials met directly with the public at "Feedback Stations." This allowed people to ask questions and share their concerns. Woodards said this new way helps them hear directly from residents.
Racism in City Meetings
In November 2023, during a city council meeting, some callers used hateful language. One caller used a racial slur against the mayor. Woodards calmly handled the situation. She thanked the caller for their question and muted their microphone. The council took a short break. They then voted to stop the public comment section early.
Involvement Outside Tacoma
As Tacoma's Mayor, Woodards has been involved in leadership at both local and national levels. In 2022, Woodards was elected President of the National League of Cities (NLC). The NLC is an organization for city, town, and village leaders.
Even though her term as NLC president was only one year, Woodards continued her work in Tacoma. She created the first Youth Commission for Tacoma. She also made Student Government Day bigger. In June 2024, Woodards traveled to China for a sister city summit. This event was organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Endorsements as Mayor
In October 2022, the Tacoma City Council voted to ban homeless camps. These camps were not allowed within 10 blocks of Tacoma's temporary homeless shelters. Woodards supported this rule. She said it was meant to "help people accept services that are offered."
In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Woodards first supported former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Later, she endorsed Joe Biden.
Controversy as Mayor
In 2022, it was reported that Woodards did not file her personal financial statements on time. This happened two years in a row. The Washington Public Disclosure Commission fined her $500 for this.
Awards
- 2021 Advocacy All-Star Award. This award was given by the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).
See also
- List of mayors of Tacoma, Washington
