- Why Are You Running for Sammamish City Council?
- What Does “A City Government That Works” Mean and How Would It Change What the Council Is Doing Today?
- Do You Support the 6% Utility Tax? If Not, How Would You Fund Essential Services?
- What’s Your Position on the Town Center? Should We Allow Taller Buildings and More Density?
- How Will You Ensure Sammamish Is Prepared for Wildfires, Earthquakes, or Other Emergencies?
- How Would You Prioritize the City Budget and Make Sure Spending Reflects Community Values?
- How Will You Preserve the Character of Sammamish While Managing Growth and Development Pressure?
- What’s Your Plan to Reduce Traffic and Improve Infrastructure?
- How Will You Make City Government More Transparent and Accountable to Residents?
Why are you running for Sammamish City Council?
My wife and I chose to build our lives in Sammamish because we love this city. We walk our dogs at Soaring Eagle, fish at Beaver Lake, and volunteer with the local Rotary. Our neighbors support each other, like during the Bomb Cyclone, and it’s that sense of community that makes Sammamish so special. But from countless conversations, I know people feel like city government isn’t working the way it should. I’m running to change that. Sammamish deserves a council that listens, leads, and gets stuff done. I want to build a city government that works, for you.
What Does “A City Government That Works” Mean and How Would It Change What the Council Is Doing Today?
It means doing what local government is supposed to do and doing it well. That includes managing the budget responsibly, preparing for emergencies, improving infrastructure, and listening to residents. The city’s work plan includes more than 100 items that ballooned the budget and put us in deficit, resulting in new and higher taxes. Yet, many core needs still aren’t addressed. I want to refocus our efforts, deliver meaningful progress, and make sure city government is truly working for the people who live here.
Do You Support the 6% Utility Tax? If Not, How Would You Fund Essential Services?
No. The utility tax was passed without a clear plan for how the money would be used, and it hits families hard, especially during a time of rising costs. I’m not opposed to taxes when they’re needed and transparent, but this new tax missed the mark. I believe we can fully fund essential services with the revenue the city already collects, as long as we set clear priorities. Progress doesn’t happen without priorities. The community should have a voice in how discretionary dollars are spent and if they want tax increases to fund those. For more details on my budget plans, click here.
What’s Your Position on the Town Center? Should We Allow Taller Buildings and More Density?
The original Town Center plan called for a walkable, livable area with about 2,000 homes, a vibrant commercial space, and a green spine. That’s a vision I support. But this year, the council considered raising the building height to 15 stories and doubling the number of units to 4,000. While the height proposal was dropped after community pushback, the 4,000-unit upzone proposal remains. I’m opposed to that scale of density. The city needs to keep its promise to residents. I support building a vibrant town center while ensuring our infrastructure, traffic, schools, and emergency planning are addressed as it is being built so the impact doesn’t fall on residents. For more details on my plans for balanced growth, click here.
How Will You Ensure Sammamish Is Prepared for Wildfires, Earthquakes, or Other Emergencies?
We’ve seen how unprepared the city is, especially when storms knock out power or block roads. During the Bomb Cyclone, too many residents effectively heard “not our problem” when they reached out for help. I believe the city should have stepped in to coordinate with utilities and support residents, not passed the buck. Emergency preparedness is a core responsibility of local government. I’ll push for stronger plans, better communication, and a clear partnership with neighboring cities and service providers. In a real emergency, we can’t afford confusion. We need coordination, leadership, and action. For more details on my plans to improve emergency readiness, click here.
How Would You Prioritize the City Budget and Make Sure Spending Reflects Community Values?
The City Council has a priority problem. The council’s work plan includes over 100 active items with only 30% labeled as “Mandatory” or “Critical” and even some of those are arguably neither.
I support a clear and transparent system that categorizes every city expense into:
- Must-Fund: Core services like police, fire, roads, keeping parks open, and emergency response.
- Should-Fund: Programs that reflect long-term goals or community priorities, like parks improvements, increased service levels, and so on. These come second, after core needs are met.
- Nice-to-Fund: New initiatives or quality-of-life programs that should only move forward if we’ve stabilized the budget or residents support raising new revenue to pay for them.
To build trust and bring more voices into the process, I’ll also support a Citizen Budget Review Committee made up of Sammamish residents with civic or financial experience. This group would meet quarterly, review city spending, and give public input on future decisions. Budgeting should be transparent, accountable, and community-centered. For more details on my budget plans, click here.
How Will You Preserve the Character of Sammamish While Managing Growth and Development Pressure?
I support balanced growth that reflects the values of our community. That means protecting our environment, investing in infrastructure, and respecting the character of existing neighborhoods. Growth doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We can guide it in a way that reflects our community’s values and protects what makes Sammamish special. That starts with enforcing zoning rules, setting clear expectations for developers, and making sure residents have a meaningful voice in the process. If we try to shut everything down, we risk costly legal challenges. But if we lead with clarity and accountability, we can shape growth in a way that works for Sammamish. For more details on my plans for balanced growth, click here.
What’s Your Plan to Reduce Traffic and Improve Infrastructure?
I’ll focus on high-impact projects that address traffic bottlenecks and improve safety, especially along key corridors like 228th, Sahalee Way, and Issaquah-Fall City Road/Duthie Hill Road leading to Trossachs. We need to stop spending money on endless planning and start building the projects that have been promised for years. That includes road improvements, safer walking and biking routes, and emergency access.
How Will You Make City Government More Transparent and Accountable to Residents?
Transparency should be part of how we operate, every step of the way. I’ll push for public dashboards to track city spending, project timelines, and performance outcomes. Where applicable, diversity and environmental metrics should be included. Councilmembers should get regular reports on resident feedback and respond to it. And, we need to show up: at community events, in neighborhoods, and online forums. When people raise concerns, whether it’s a missed road repair or a delay in city response, they deserve a council that demands accountability. As your councilmember, I’ll be someone you can count on to roll up my sleeves, dig into the issue, and work to find real solutions. Trust is built through presence, follow-through, and action.