Redmond City Council member Hank Myers announced his re-election bid Tuesday afternoon, becoming the third rookie incumbent on council with plans for second term.
“I really enjoy what I am doing,” said Myers, a longtime transportation consultant who filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) for City Council Pos. 1. “Every week, someone says thanks. I don’t find this job thankless. I really find it really rewarding. … The feedback I am getting is that I’ve been a productive council member.”
Myers joins Hank Margeson (Pos. 3) and David Carson (Pos. 7) as first-term council members who have filed with the PDC for re-election.
“Your freshman term, you learn a lot,” Myers said. “You find out how effective you can be. Both Hank Margeson and David Carson have shown they are effective legislators.”
Myers, who has lived in Redmond the last 35 years, ran unopposed in 2007 after his opponent withdrew from race. As of Wednesday morning, Myers — along with Margeson and Carson — do not have any challengers for this year’s re-election races.
If re-elected, Myers said he will continue to help keep the city fiscally responsible, adopting a budget that does not increase taxes.
“Every dollar we take out in taxes, it comes out of our residents’ pockets,” he said. “I’m going to be very cognizant of that. I want to make sure we are very frugal in our spending and do what it takes to not raise taxes.”
Former Redmond City Council President Arnie Tomac endorsed Myers’ re-election bid, pointing to the council member’s efforts to promote transparency and community involvement.
“People increasingly feel detached from government,” Tomac said in a press release. “Hank is an active and accessible councilmember. He works hard to make sure the public is involved in helping build Redmond’s future.”
The city council’s other race this year is for Pos. 5, occupied by longtime council member and current president, Richard Cole, who announced he plans to retire at the end of this term.
Joel Wright, a Microsoft Corp. accountant, and Tom Flynn, a city planning commissioner and compliance manager for Puget Sound Energy, have both said they will run for Cole’s open seat.
Mayor John Marchione, who is completing his first term as the city’s CEO, also announced his plans for re-election last month and as of Wednesday morning does not have any challengers.
