Janice Zahn’s deep involvement in her city and her experience as a manager at the Port of Seattle make her a good choice for Bellevue City Council.
JANICE Zahn has been demonstrating her commitment to the city of Bellevue for a long time, through volunteer work including four years on the Bellevue Transportation Commission. Voters should feel confident electing her to a seat on the Bellevue City Council.
The Times recommends:
Janice Zahn
Bellevue City Council, Position 5
Strengths: Zahn is knowledgeable about Bellevue issues and has the civic and professional experience to tackle them.
Zahn’s civic résumé is impressive. She is a graduate of Advance Bellevue, a local leadership development program. She has been both a PTA and Girl Scout leader. She helped develop Bellevue’s walking and biking plan aimed at making Bellevue a more pedestrian and bike friendly city."
Zahn, who immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong when she was 10, has two master’s degrees from the University of Washington in structural engineering and public administration. She has managed the Port of Seattle’s major public works construction department, with more than 50 employees and a $2 billion budget, for nearly a decade.
Her opponent for Position 5, business owner and former journalist Phillip Yin, is also a credible candidate dedicated to his community, but he has not been as involved in Bellevue civic life as a volunteer. He does have experience on a Sound Transit citizen oversight committee.
Zahn’s civic resume is impressive. She is a graduate of Advance Bellevue, a local leadership development program. She has been both a PTA and Girl Scout leader. She helped develop Bellevue’s walking and biking plan aimed at making Bellevue a more pedestrian and bike friendly city. She has volunteered with Bellevue nonprofits and has done other social-service work through her church.
Her experience on the Transportation Commission and her social-service volunteer work will help Zahn jump right into two of the city’s biggest challenges, housing affordability and traffic. She is well versed in local regulations and past council action and understands the levers government can use to manage growth and encourage positive action by local business.
Zahn understands that governments have a lot of choices when it comes to taxes and laws, but the challenge is to make sure choices lead to the best outcomes. This is where experience matters.
Bellevue voters should vote for experience and elect Zahn to the City Council.