About Ryan Mello
Ryan was born in Kailua, Hawaii, and moved to Tacoma in 1997 to attend the University of Puget Sound. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and government. After college, Ryan went on to serve in several career roles that protect our quality of life, working farmlands and rural heritage. Ryan worked for Forterra, the local land trust, then went on to serve as the Executive Director of the Pierce Conservation District where he led a team of people across Pierce County that worked to improve water quality and habitat function for people, fish and wildlife, increase access to local, healthy food for all and expand sustainable agriculture practices. He was elected to Pierce County Council, where he is currently Chair of the Council. Ryan and his partner Sean live in downtown Tacoma, and enjoy hiking, supporting local sports teams and engaging in community service. Ryan is committed to:
* ensuring basic services are delivered effectively,
* everyone who needs a job has a good paying job with benefits,
* keeping the South Sound affordable for all income levels,
* providing efficient transportation solutions for our community, and;
* ensuring that our air, land and water is healthy for everyone to enjoy.
Economic Prosperity
A good economy is one where businesses can thrive and everyone has access to a good, family wage job to provide for their family and invest in their future. Ryan is committed to helping our small businesses thrive and keeping working-people employed. Ryan will also invest in affordable, quality childcare so parents can work while supporting their families. In a changing workplace with increased remote work and automation, Ryan will invest in people’s skills so they can compete in our changing economy. Ryan will protect good, family wage jobs and ensure people who work hard and play by the rules can earn a decent wage with benefits and be able to retire with dignity. Ryan is committed to:
* investing in more good paying, family-wage jobs in Pierce County.
* keeping property taxes lower and more manageable for people on fixed incomes.
* investing in better infrastructure – better streets, sidewalks, streetlights, calmer streets and parks – so residents and businesses alike can thrive.
Housing Affordability & Homelessness
Everyone has the right to live in a safe, clean and affordable home. More than 40% of people in Pierce County pay more than 30% of their monthly income on housing – that’s too much. Ryan supports appropriate incentives and mandates to build more housing and to keep it affordable, especially for those most in need.
Our seniors should not get priced out of the homes they have lived in for years simply for not affording the property taxes. Ryan will work for solutions to ensure we all have an affordable and quality place to live. As County Council Chair, Ryan led the way and passed the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act. This legislation will initially add 256 units of affordable housing in Spanaway and provide funding for thousands more affordable units across Pierce County in the coming years.
The rising cost of housing is also a significant contributing factor to the homelessness crisis in the county and around the nation. Ryan belives in policy and investment solutions that focus on the causes of homelessness, including mental health services and employment opportunities.
Conservation & Rural Support
For two decades, Ryan has worked to protect our environment and support our natural lands. As the Executive Director of the Pierce Conservation District, Ryan worked around the county focusing on conservation initiatives that protected our working farms and forests, worked to recover our salmon populations, improved our parks and much more.
Ryan will continue his longstanding efforts to recover the health of Puget Sound, protect our working farms and forests from sprawl, complete our trails to connect all of our communities, improve our parks and recreation facilities, and fight the climate crisis with urgency. He will:
* increase broadband access to all corners of our community.
* support family farms, forests and natural lands.
* protect and enhance our quality of life by supporting cleaner air and water, great parks, working lands, and preserving rural communities and their heritage.
To volunteer, donate, or endorse his campaign: https://www.ryanmello.com/