Angela Birney
Years on City Council: First time running for office
Position: 5

Why are you running for Redmond City Council?

I am running to bring a different perspective to the Redmond City Council. This is the city where we chose to live and raise our children. I have been active during that time volunteering throughout the community. Currently, I am the chair of the Redmond Parks and Trails Commission and I will bring my experiences from this and other professional and volunteer experiences to the council.

What does Redmond mean to you?

Redmond is my home. I have lived here for the last 17 years and have been pleased with the vision of the city to focus the growth within the urban centers. By doing this it has become a city that offers variety to its residents. Our longstanding neighborhoods offer a suburban life with single-family homes and wonderful neighborhood amenities.

Downtown and Overlake offer a different option for people wanting a more urban lifestyle. With the increased density in these areas, new businesses create a more vibrant experience for people who live and work in Redmond. My family used to go outside of the city for many of our errands and dining and now we have choices within Redmond.

Another facet that creates a wonderful sense of community are the city events held throughout the year. For instance, Redmond Lights is an opportunity to get outside in the winter and experience our community in a different way.

What are some of the issues in and around the city that you are most concerned about and why?

Transportation: The number of residents within our city has increased and the number of commuters that funnel through our neighborhoods has also increased beyond what our streets were designed for. It will be imperative to work with outside entities (King County, neighboring cities, Sound Transit, the state) to improve our connections — be it transit, light rail, improved infrastructure or other means. We also have work to do within the city to make our neighborhood streets safer.

Affordable Housing: This is also an issue throughout our area. As housing prices continue to climb and vacancy rates fall, it creates an environment that makes housing for renters much less affordable. The city already has an affordable-housing policy for development, but I would like to work to expand it. I think that there could be creative ways to improve housing options for a variety of citizens.

What are your goals for this upcoming term on council?

As I will be new to council I have a lot to learn. I have spent the last year attending most of the council meetings to begin to understand the scope of the work I will be involved in as a council member. I wanted to be as effective as I could be during the start of my term since the first year will be a budget year.

As a focus for the next four years I will be working to improve the communication between the city and its citizens. Currently, there are many ways to be involved in and find out what is going on with the city but as the city grows we need to find more creative ways to increase involvement and to educate throughout our diverse population.

I will continue to work on parks, trails and recreation opportunities throughout the city. The city has a long-range plan to replace many of the aging structures in the parks system. I will be an advocate for the improved facilities that a city of our size should have to serve its community.