1. Town Center Expansion

I am firmly against the expansion of the Town Center to 4,000 units. The Comprehensive Plan approved in January 2025 already accounts for the affordable housing Sammamish is required to build, based on the original plan of 2,000 units. Doubling the size is not about meeting affordable housing needs, it’s about increasing the developer’s profits, and that profit comes at the direct expense of our quality of life. 

Expanding to 4,000 units would mean:

1. More traffic on already congested roads. 

2. Overcrowding in schools, forcing kids into longer commutes outside the plateau.

3. A significant impact to our lakes and critical areas

We, as residents, should not have to sacrifice our livability and environment just to ensure a developer makes millions more. Sammamish deserves thoughtful and balanced growth. 

2. Responsible Use of Taxpayer Dollars

I believe taxpayer dollars should directly benefit residents. Sammamish residents deserve better stewardship of their tax dollars. Unfortunately, the current council has not upheld this responsibility. For example:

1. Diverted $11 million of taxpayer funds to build infrastructure in the Town Center, something the developer is responsible for.

2. Imposed a new 6% utility tax on residents, starting January 2026.

3. Adopted “in-lieu” fees on home expansions over 1,500 square feet, despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation against it.

4. Increased fees for youth leagues to use city-owned fields, driving many leagues off the plateau.

5. Privatized Inglewood streets, requiring residents to maintain them while still paying the same property tax as before.
   
   

As a council member, I will prioritize investments that strengthen our neighborhoods, parks, and streets, while ensuring fiscal responsibility and accountability in every decision. Some of the initiatives I would like to implement are

1. Determine avenues to reduce and eventually eliminate the utility tax

2. Leverage impact fees more effectively.

3. Maximize usage of State and Federal grants to build and maintain infrastructure.

4. Develop partnerships with private entities.

3. Bringing Services to Sammamish

Sammamish should be a place where families don’t need to leave the plateau to find connection, learning, and entertainment. While we may not attract big-box retail, we can create something even more meaningful - spaces that serve our community.

I envision Sammamish as a city where:

1. Kids can take lessons and join activities close to home

2. Residents, including teens and seniors ,have safe and  welcoming places to gather

3. Performances, cultural events, and community programs thrive right here

4. Our highschoolers volunteer with senior citizens and experience inter-generational connects that our teens and seniors are often missing out on.

We already have spaces, like the CWU campus, that could be reimagined as vibrant community hubs. With creativity and collaboration, we can bring services and opportunities to Sammamish that reflect who we are as a community.

4. Emergency Preparedness

The November 2024 bomb cyclone exposed just how unprepared Sammamish is for a real emergency. Power was out for days (and in some cases, over a week), fallen trees blocked major roads, and traffic was gridlocked with all signals down. Residents were left to fend for themselves and many families had no choice but to seek hotel rooms outside the city.

Yet, the current council claims it would take just five hours to evacuate Sammamish in the event of an emergency,  an unrealistic assumption that ignores:

1. Blocked or impassable roads during storms or earthquakes.

2. Children stranded in schools while parents are at work in Seattle, Bellevue, or Redmond.

3. Seniors and people with disabilities who require extra assistance.
   
   

We cannot gamble with residents’ safety. I will work with disaster planning experts and advocate for:

1. A realistic evacuation plan based on worst-case scenarios and  not best-case models.

2. Emergency shelters and warming centers on the plateau, so families aren’t forced out in crisis.

3. Family reunification planning through schools and regional employers.

4. Resilient infrastructure, including backup power for signals and clear emergency routes.

5. Clear communication to residents, so every household knows what to do.

6. Establishment of a task force to support residents and expedite permits to rebuild homes that have been damaged.

Sammamish families deserve the peace of mind that comes with true preparedness.