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General Election
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Annexation

Successfully addressing the annexation and making services equitable across the entire city is the most important issue that we must undertake. It will take us nearly a decade to work through and achieve that balance throughout Kirkland, but we have already started. As a former neighborhood association chair of a recently annexed part of Kirkland, I know that it takes a long time and a lot of involvement by residents to get things integrated properly.

Kirkland annexed new residents equal to 2/3 it previous population. Now, the 12th most populace city, Kirkland is larger than the population of 26 of Washington’s counties. Like an adolescent growth spurt we have to be careful about HOW we handle our new size. We can’t retrench to bureaucracy as the answer to handling this, much larger challenge. It is imperative that we maintain our tradition of an understanding and responsive local government. There are NO 2nd-class residents of Kirkland!

      Kirkland’s city government must aim to be successful with ALL residents. 

  • Success requires that ALL residents feel they are being listened to respectfully. 
  • Success means ALL residents have a sense of empowerment, so they actually have a say in shaping the decisions of Kirkland. 
  • Success also means ALL residents view their local government as caring and responsive. 
This is one Kirkland. The city must go the extra mile to ensure that existing ways of doing business are reevaluated in light of the new context; and responsive, local government must be maintained with a much larger and more diverse citizenry.