May 8, 2025
Tukwila City Councilmember, Kate Kruller announced her candidacy for election Tukwila City Council. She brings immense experience from her third, four-year term as a Tukwila City Councilmember. Kate currently serves on the Tukwila School Board. During her time there, during her tenure, the Tukwila School Board has marshalled the Tukwila School District from operating “in the red” financially, and with a status of “binding conditions” being invoked by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to making strategic changes and balancing financials that are in the black and working towards a 4-6% pad in funding reserves to address unanticipated or adverse economic influences! She is ready to bring that experience to the Tukwila City Council for similar results!
Kruller has lived and worked in Tukwila for decades and became a homeowner in the community in 1992. She brings with her a 30-plus year career, featuring broad experience in project management, management and executive leadership in Information Technology, currently working at King County Information Technology.
“My goal is to encourage responsible city budgets, continue to support reliable public safety and aid services, find ways to provide affordable housing and safe neighborhoods, and to work toward improved transportation options for Tukwila residents through good government, Kruller said.”
“During my time on the Tukwila City Council, key accomplishments include completing multiple major projects to create new affordable housing, a new King County Library, develop new fire stations, a justice center, and public works facility. I initiated the return to building City reserve funds back into the budget and retaining that sensible practice, strongly support moving toward authentic Priority-Based Budgeting, making more investments in our neighborhood streets, completing more sidewalk construction and pathways to our schools, installing flashing crosswalks, road cushions (speed bumps) and radar speed signs for traffic calming, just to name a few.”
Representing Tukwila regionally, and in collaboration with 38 other cities, Kruller has served you and brought the voice of Tukwila to regional levels as a member of the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee (PIC), is a voting member on the Puget Sound Regional Council – Transportation Policy Board, at the statewide level, she served on the Association of Washington Cities Federal Advocacy Committee and Puget Sound Partners/Ecosystem Coordination Board. Nationally, she was selected to serve on the Board of the National League of Cities (NLC), serve on the NLC Board Federal Advocacy Committee and became Chair of the NLC Transportation, Infrastructure and Services Committee. That opens up pathways to serving on the NLC Board again or joining one of its Advisory Committees. No other Tukwila City Councilmember has achieved advocating for Tukwila at this level.
Kate’s earned an Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership in a training program from the Association of Washington Cities and seeks opportunities to stay current on changes in laws, regulations and preemptions that impact municipalities. “You need to have a passion for continuous learning,” she said. “As a city leader, you process so much information it is vital to absorb as much current information as you can about legal standards, fiscal management, organizational management, resource management, community planning and development and effective local leadership as possible.”
Here at home, Kate continues to work shoulder-to-shoulder with neighbors in the community and has contributed through groups such as the President of Tukwila Children’s Foundation, King County Board member for the Salvation Army, active SeaTac-Tukwila Rotary Club member, contributor to the Tukwila Pantry Food Bank, is an Allentown Advocates supporter, volunteered at the Tukwila School Snack Pack Program, volunteering at Maverick Cares events, long-standing member of the Tukwila Historical Society, participates on Tukwila Emergency Communications Team (TEC Team), Community Emergency Response team (CERT), serves on the Friends of Duwamish working at the Duwamish Preserve, Friends of Tukwila Library, Defenders of North SeaTac Park, League of Quiet Skies supporter, and any effort that helps the Tukwila Pool be a sustainable and efficient aquatic center for the community. She is also a member of the Sierra Club, Cascade Bicycle Club and is the only Tukwila elected official that is a full-season Tukwila Seawolves Major League Rugby (MLR) team supporter (since its inaugural year)!
“I try to volunteer as much as possible, stay in touch with what’s happening in our neighborhoods, listen to people from all walks of life and improve things in the community whenever I get the opportunity,” Kruller said.
Being in touch and having a servant-leader spirit, is fundamental to what she believes qualifies her to run for Tukwila City Council. “I am devoted to representing what the people who live here in Tukwila want, and what makes sense for Tukwila.”
Paid for by Elect Kate4Tukwila Committee, P.O Box 69534, Tukwila, WA 98168
