Election 2025: Sam Doyle, candidate for Mountlake Terrace City Council Position 1

MLTnews is providing these Q&As with city council candidates appearing on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. See previous candidate Q&As on our Election 2025 page.

A Mountlake Terrace resident since 2012, Sam Doyle is a mom to three Edmonds School District students. Doyle has worked as an oncology ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner) for almost 20 years. She received a bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Colorado-Boulder and a Master of Nursing from the University of Washington-Seattle.

Could you provide an elevator pitch for your platform and explain why you are running for Council?

I am running to represent the people of Mountlake Terrace. As a city councilmember, I would listen to city residents and represent their voices, while advocating for their needs, not my own. I am a community-minded critical thinker with solid judgment, a strong voice, and a brave heart. I would do my best to serve this community with transparency, clear communication and steadfast commitment to the common good.

How do you plan to apply your personal experiences to improve the City of Mountlake Terrace?

I am very proud to be an oncology nurse practitioner, a public employee, and a parent of three current Edmonds School District students. I moved to Mountlake Terrace over a decade ago to find affordable housing for my young family, like many people here.  I spent part of my childhood in long term foster care, with financial support from a local foundation that filled in where the state could not. I understand real life issues like paying off student loans for years on end, looking for affordable housing, the challenge of finding affordable childcare, juggling bills, and so on. I have been an oncology ARNP for nearly 20 years and I have strengthened my people skills and critical thinking skills through this career; my job is my joy and it is an honor and a privilege every day to be trusted to make clinical decisions on behalf of and with my patients. I meet patients from all walks of life, and it is part of what I love about my job. I have learned so much from my patients and it is a privilege to serve them as they go through cancer treatment.

I think of city issues in a similar way to clinical problems–we must start with assessment and history taking (listening, researching, connecting with people) to fully understand an issue or problem– we cannot jump immediately to diagnosis, thinking we know the way. This is how I would approach City issues as well– ask questions, listen, think of the various underlying issues at play regarding the issue, research options,  then come to a plan of action with your patient (or city resident) to advocate for the best path. Also, just as in medicine, there are often many ways to reach a conclusion/decision/diagnosis. And sometimes you don’t get it right the first time, despite all of your efforts, and you must have the humility to acknowledge that and try again. With new information, often decisions can (and should) change.

If elected, what would be your priorities for city government spending? How would you balance the City’s unmet needs with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars?

My priorities would be funding services, events, and programs which provide for and support the most basic needs of people, then work from there. I would prioritize items that improve public safety, and by that I mean safety in a broad sense, not solely policing, which I also believe has an important role in the city. Contributors to public safety include affordable housing, mental health services, food insecurity, recreation opportunities, safe public gathering places, community events that build social cohesion and a sense of community, etc. To be a good steward of taxpayer dollars starts with asking the community what they need/expect from their city and in what ways they think the city can better serve the residents.

If elected, how do you plan to remain professional and productive even though your opinions/values may conflict with those held by other councilmembers? 

I am a level-headed, intentional, hard-working and rather unflappable person (ask my colleagues about this last one!). Every day I work with other clinicians who may have a different assessment/opinion of a clinical situation than I do, or whose personal values differ from mine. I also meet patients whose values may differ from mine — perhaps they have religious objections to blood transfusion, for example. These differences are to be expected and I welcome the opportunity to learn from someone else’s experiences, knowledge, and values. There is sometimes friction there, yes, but ultimately it is an opportunity for growth on both sides-these are not always comfortable moments but they are necessary for personal and professional growth.

When you are entrusted to make decisions on behalf of other people, one of the most important tasks is to center their experiences, voices and values, not solely your own. By keeping the focus on their experiences and needs and not exclusively your own, you also decrease the amount of interpersonal conflict on the team working to serve them. Ultimately, the council is a team and must work as such to best serve the city’s residents –work to keep those who you are representing and serving at the center of your work.

What sets you apart from other candidates and current councilmembers? 

I am an assertive and thoughtful critical thinker with a brave heart, and I have a personal history that’s very different from other candidates and councilmembers; voices like mine haven’t been heard on this council before, and it’s time for new voices to be added to the group. I will work to represent and advocate for all residents regardless of income, citizenship status, social status, sexual orientation, gender, primary language. I have years of experience working with people from a variety of backgrounds, and I am comfortable in various settings. I will make decisions that always consider, protect and support marginalized populations in our community. I am also a foster care alumna and a proud member of the LBGTQIA+ community.

What’s something happening in Mountlake Terrace you don’t think is being addressed or talked about enough? How would you address it? 

A few things come to mind–the rec center replace vs repair debate which has been intermittent over the years, commercial development in the Town Center area, lack of affordable housing, lack of sidewalks in parts of the city, and food insecurity. They’re all important, but I would like to focus first on food insecurity–as this is a basic and fundamental human need. I would start with a citywide assessment of the problem to first see how many folks are affected–conversation with folks, if possible, not just statistics on SNAP usage, for example. I would like to partner city and nonprofit minds (residents included) to brainstorm about possible community-based solutions–both short term and long term. How can we better support our food bank? We already know that it’s had an  ~89% increase in clients in the last three years–what can the city do to help feed our neighbors? I would also look outside the city to see how comparable cities have worked to ameliorate this problem.  I’d like to discuss the rec center as well, and I am a proponent of replacing it and exploring various funding options including a property tax levy, partnerships, or bonds. It needs to be replaced, and it won’t get cheaper with time. It won’t be cheap, any way we do it, but this is a need for our growing community — it’s time.

What’s one issue or topic the Council has discussed recently that’s piqued your interest, and how would you address it? 

I was the first city resident to make a public comment in a council meeting regarding the MLT Police Department’s request for the purchase of a Flock Safety ALPR (automated license plate reader) surveillance system. I was disappointed to witness several councilmembers vote to approve the purchase, despite the clear opposition and well-substantiated arguments against the purchase by several city residents (who commented in person and in writing). A middle ground was even offered, to examine the contract and amend it carefully before proceeding with the purchase–this middle ground, suggested by myself in my first public comment and also extensively by Councilmember Murray, was disregarded.

The people of this city were publicly disrespected by this decision. At minimum, the purchase should have been delayed to allow for contract amendments that would have protected everyone’s privacy and to allow time for more research by the police department and the city–basing your vote solely off of a sales presentation is not due diligence. Unfortunately the contract was soon signed. I would continue to advocate to cancel the Flock contract and keep this out of our city. Crime rates do not justify the purchase, the general fund could surely use the price for other purchases, and the people of this city overwhelmingly have said ‘no’. It’s time to listen to the people. And we already learned about Flock Safety sharing with ICE, which in my opinion should have rushed the cancellation of the contract to the top of the Council’s “to do” list.

What do you think the Council should do to accommodate growth in Mountlake Terrace while keeping it an affordable and attractive place to live for current residents? 

Do you think the City is doing a good job of engaging all its constituents, including those from traditionally underserved communities? If not, how would you change that?

I think that the City is doing a pretty good job, with room for improvement of course. Not all folks are online on Facebook, Instagram, etc so I would advocate for regular “town hall” style meetings (like “Ask the City” but perhaps “Ask the Council” or “Ask the Mayor”, without the formality or pressure of making public (on the record) comments in a council meeting. Sometimes it’s just good to talk to people.  The City could improve engagement and reach on Instagram, as one example–especially since this is an easy way to increase engagement with our younger voters and residents. I think the city could do better having in person events that are welcoming to all constituents–at public venues like parks or the library. I will also point out that there should be an option for folks to request an interpreter if they wish to make a public comment at a council meeting–this is not available at the moment.

Doyle and her opponent in the Nov. 4 general election, Rick Ryan, will be participating in a Candidate Conversations event sponsored by MLTnews Wednesday, Oct. 1. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at the Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave. W. and the event starts at 6 p.m. Learn more here.