After talking in depth with both candidates and watching the campaign messages unfold, I am endorsing John Marchione for another term as the mayor of Redmond. As a planning commissioner in the mid-2000s, there were numerous public hearings, with hundreds of citizens, over a year’s time, on the city’s very detailed comprehensive plan for growth. The key strategy of the plan is simple:

“Redmond is inside the urban growth boundary, when means we cannot stay rural or even small town. But we will not spread the enormous growth we are expecting (and cannot turn away) throughout the entire city. We will concentrate that growth in 2 urban centers  — Downtown and Overlake  —  so that we can preserve the wonderful single family neighborhoods that are the heart of Redmond.”

Our biggest challenges of traffic and growth do not stop at our city limits. John has been a strong voice in putting Redmond’s transit needs front and center while serving on the Sound Transit Board. He has also encouraged the council to be regional leaders in transit, smart growth, affordable housing and public safety. I will be voting for John on Nov. 3.

Kim Allen

Redmond City Council member