City Council Adopts ‘Tacoma 2035’
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On December 16, the City Council adopted Resolution 41822, the Tacoma 2035 strategic framework, developed by the City of Tacoma's Center for Strategic Priorities to build on lessons from the previous Tacoma 2025 strategic plan. It aligns City work under four core values and six goal areas.

At the heart of the Tacoma 2035 strategic framework is a new, aspirational vision statement for Tacoma's future: "Tacoma is safe, housed, connected, working, sustainable, and thriving." This vision is supported by a focused mission statement regarding the City's role: "The City of Tacoma provides high-quality municipal services to enhance the lives of all Tacoma community members."

To achieve this vision and mission, within the Tacoma 2035 strategic framework, all City of Tacoma programs and policies will be driven by four core values:
  • Belief & Trust: Ensuring all City efforts serve the community with integrity, respect, dignity, and excellence
  • Fiscal Responsibility: Making the financial health of the City a key consideration in all decisions
  • Access, Opportunity & Belonging: Providing services that support all Tacoma community members in pursuing their goals and reaching their full potential
  • Resilience: Maintaining continuity and effectiveness of City systems through all shocks and stresses, such as climate or financial challenges

The six goal areas referenced within the Tacoma 2035 strategic framework build off the existing City Council priorities:
  • Community Safety:  This goal area addresses safety needs by going beyond traditional police and fire services, while still including those critical departments. It focuses on aligning City work in support of creating safe places and neighborhoods, supporting specific populations, responding with care, and supporting community repair and healing.
  • Housing & Homelessness: This goal area addresses the full spectrum of housing needs, from funding for immediate shelter, to various supports for affordable housing developers, to zoning for more housing types. It focuses on aligning City work in support of creating more homes for more people, keeping people in their homes and communities, and making homelessness a rare, brief and one-time occurrence for people.
  • Transportation & Mobility: This goal area addresses the need to create a multimodal Tacoma with high-quality, functional roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, and intersections. It focuses on aligning City work in support of "15-minute neighborhoods" where community members can easily access their daily needs. It also focuses on achieving zero traffic deaths and injuries.
  • Jobs & Economy: This goal area addresses how the City supports workers and businesses already in Tacoma and brings more jobs and businesses to Tacoma in the future. It focuses on aligning City work around investing in workforce development, increasing livable wage jobs, and supporting businesses to help them thrive.
  • Climate & Environment: This goal area addresses how the City adapts to and mitigates the effects of climate change and protects Tacoma's environment through its solid waste, stormwater and wastewater utilities. It focuses on aligning City work around protecting the health of the Puget Sound, managing waste, reducing urban heat islands, adapting to sea-level rise, and reducing air pollutants.
  • Placemaking & Experiences: This goal area addresses how the City contributes to what makes Tacoma unique – including historic buildings, libraries, art, iconic venues, and support for many events and festivals. It focuses on cultivating a creative artistic eco-system, providing welcoming spaces, increasing events access throughout Tacoma, and celebrating Tacoma's unique history across cultures and communities.

Details on the Tacoma 2035 strategic framework are available here.

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Quotes from Mayor and Council

Mayor Victoria Woodards

"Tacoma 2035 reflects the best of who we are and who we aspire to be as a city. It is the product of years of community conversations, lived experience, and hard-won lessons about what it truly takes to build a thriving, equitable, and connected Tacoma. This strategic framework offers a broad, forward-looking vision where everyone can see their priorities reflected – from housing, economic opportunity, climate resilience, or our shared commitment to public safety."

Deputy Mayor Kiara Daniels

"I am glad to see housing and homelessness identified as one of the six goal areas in our Tacoma 2035 strategic framework. I believe that if we cannot meet the housing needs of our community, we will struggle to meet all our other objectives and provide our residents with the future they deserve. We have an excellent roadmap for the next ten years in hand now, and I have no doubt that Tacoma can bring this vision to life."

District 1 Council Member John Hines

"The Tacoma 2035 plan helps us stay focused on what matters most to our community, but that is only the first step. I really appreciate the effort that went into hearing from residents, what they care about and what concerns them. Now, I'm looking forward to taking what we've learned and turning it into real action. This is our chance to deliver clear, meaningful results that people can see and feel. When we listen and follow through, we build trust. That's what this plan is all about, making a difference and showing that city government works for the people."

District 2 Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh

"It is exciting to see this plan place such a strong emphasis on the environment. Adding a strong focus on the environment reflects what our community has consistently told us matters most. When we set our strategic priorities, we are defining a vision of Tacoma as a place with a healthy environment, long term sustainability, and resilience for future generations, and I appreciate the care, effort, and listening that staff brought to this work."

District 3 Council Member Jamika Scott

"We have a lot of hard work going on at the City, and we need a unifying vision to ensure that all our efforts reinforce and are guided by our core values. I appreciate Tacoma 2035 because it outlines a set of values that truly reflect our community and what they want to see from their local government during the next ten years. I continue to be proud that we remain a city that is dedicated to nurturing respect and supporting the well-being of every person who calls Tacoma home."

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District 5 Council Member Joe Bushnell

"This strategic framework was built through sustained and inclusive community engagement, and the perspectives shared by Tacoma residents shaped every step of the process. Having a clear plan allows us to stay aligned with those voices, hold ourselves accountable, and move Tacoma forward in a way that honors community values while responding to new challenges and opportunities."

At-Large Council Member Kristina Walker

"We make better decisions when we are guided by our values, and Tacoma 2035 is our roadmap for to aligning the City's work with what matters most to our community. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I am proud of the values and goals that we are prioritizing. I believe the City is ready to build on the progress we've been making and bring to life a future where all our residents are thriving."

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