Steve Fields has challenged John Marchione in the upcoming City of Redmond mayoral election. Marchione will be seeking his third term in the Nov. 3 general election.

Fields, a 62-year-old Redmond resident, told the Reporter that he is choosing to run because he has seen a lot of changes in the city and is concerned with the use of city money and how it is being managed.

He added that Redmond is starting to become too costly to live here, and if elected mayor, Fields said he wants to maintain the city’s livability as it grows.

“I love Redmond,” Fields said, adding that the city has been a great place for him and his family to live.

He said it would also be good to bring a new face and perspective into the picture. If elected, Fields said he wants the city government to be more effective and inclusive to include more citizen input as they have a stake in what happens in town.

“The current mayor talks about the importance of city government living within its means. But are city leaders making decisions that would allow small businesses, retirees and working families to live within their means?” he said in a press release. He added that parks and recreational facilities are deteriorating, and neighborhoods are being ignored while the city focuses its investment on downtown changes.

Currently, Fields is co-owner of Down Pour Coffee Bar in Redmond. According to his resume, he has also worked as a strategic adviser/business analyst for the City of Seattle. He has also held a number of positions with King County, including business and finance manager for the Public Health Department, project manager for the Department of Executive Services and budget manager for the Office of Management and Budget.

According to the press release, Fields is a government efficiency guru who designs and implements systems to bring public budgets under control, making them more transparent and understandable for the citizens they are meant to benefit.

During his “Field campaign,” he will meet with voters on their doorsteps.

“I’m ready to listen, something that’s become a lost political art,” he said in the press release. “I’m also ready to hear new ideas and build community engagement that’s real, not contrived meetings and overused ribbon-cutting ceremonies that lack spirit and authenticity.”

Fields is married to his coffee shop partner, Ronni Fields, and has lived in Redmond for almost 25 years. He has three children and is a local sports, tennis and health advocate and coached basketball, baseball and soccer in Redmond’s recreation leagues.