Redmond Mayor John Marchione first considered running for public office when he was coaching Little League baseball at Hartman Park.

The fields were having drainage problems, so he and seven other league managers got to talking and decided that one of them should run for City Council in order to get some money to fix the fields’ issues. It was decided that Marchione would be the one to run as he had seen his mother — who served as Redmond mayor from 1984-92 — run for office. Despite his family’s history in public office, Marchione said running for office was not something he planned on — especially while his kids were still in school.

“I did it anyway because the issue was there and the opportunity was pertinent,” said the lifelong Redmond resident.

That opportunity came when a council member at the time stepped down from their position.

Marchione served on Redmond City Council for one term, from 2004-7 and ran successfully for mayor in that final year. He began his first term in 2008 and is seeking a third term in the upcoming election.

SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES

Marchione — whose prior job before mayor was CFO at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue — first ran for mayor because he thought the city could be better managed financially and he did not think the city’s budgeting process at the time was transparent enough. He said the city had also fallen behind in its infrastructure — there had been no new roads in the city in 12 years at that point.

Prior to Marchione becoming mayor, he said the growth in Redmond was on the edge of the city and the downtown was hollow. In the last three years, he said, nine restaurants have opened in downtown, ranging from a sandwich shop to a steakhouse. Marchione said the restaurants would not want to open in downtown if the area was not interesting or attractive to them.

And while there have been successes during Marchione’s first two terms, there have also been challenges.

Marchione said in 2009 when the recession hit, they had to lay off 10 percent of city employees to meet the budget.

“It was the right thing to do, but it was a difficult thing to do,” he said.

Marchione said what he brings to the mayoral position is eight years of experience as mayor as well as 10 years as CFO. In addition, he has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington.

FINISHING WHAT HE STARTED

Marchione is seeking a third term because he wants to finish the investments in downtown that were started in his first two terms — specifically converting the one-way couplets in downtown to two-way streets. He also wants to help prepare Overlake for light rail when it comes to that neighborhood, slated for about eight years from now.

Another reason Marchione is running is because since he first entered office, he has worked to create a culture of customer service — something he learned while working at the Meydenbauer Center — at the city in which, as an organization, the city’s business processes are more aligned with the customers rather than the city bureaucracy. For example, he said, when someone comes in to fill out paperwork for any type of permit, they would only need to write their address on one piece of paperwork instead of three. So the city would be the one to duplicate that information and distribute it to the necessary departments and divisions — rather than the customer.

MANAGING GROWTH

If elected, Marchione said he would also work on increasing affordable housing in Redmond. He said part of managing growth well is providing housing for all levels. Redmond is a desirable place to live, Marchione said, and as a result, that drives competition and housing prices and rents higher.

Marchione said 10 percent of new housing is to be affordable — meaning the price of housing is 80 percent of the average income in King County. He added that low-income housing prices are 50 percent of the average income in the county. Marchione said the city works with A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) to find organizations to partner with to provide housing in this price range.

Marchione said his vision for Redmond is a city where people can live their entire lives. This means in addition to providing housing for all income levels, providing housing for all stages of life, as well.

It is also vital for the city to be part of the conversation on the regional level, Marchione said.

“We need to participate in regional transportation,” he said. “We need to participate in growth management, regional housing.”

HEALTHY COMPETITION

Marchione said the campaign trail has been going well and it has been a great chance to confirm the city is on the right track. He said having an opponent allows residents to focus on what their priorities for Redmond are and discuss what is important to them as they learn where the candidates stand on various issues.

To date, Marchione has been endorsed by the Cascade Bicycle Club, Affordable Housing Council, Seattle-King County Realtors, Eastside Business Alliance, Washington for Transportation and the Seattle Times.