Kevin Wallace

1. What area of Bellevue should the city focus more on and why?

Over the next four years I want to build on our council collaboration and use it as a tool not just to benefit Bellevue, but to benefit the region. As Eastside cities continue to recover from the recession, we have an amazing opportunity to work together to enhance our position regionally. Together, we can create economic and social prosperity that will allow us to continue advancing the quality of our communities by investing in public safety, transportation, parks, arts, human services, and economic development.

2. What social services do you think are lacking in the city and how would you work to bring them here?

Bellevue and the Eastside as a whole are blessed with many dedicated and well-run nonprofit organizations that provide social services to those in need in our community. As liaison to Bellevue’s Human Services Commission I have considerable first-hand experience with Bellevue’s efforts to address the ever growing social service needs in our city. Bellevue’s staff and commissioners do an amazing job in allocating grant funds to these organizations in a thoughtful, comprehensive manner. But city government cannot provide for all of the social service needs on its own. I encourage everyone to review the city’s Human Services Needs Assessment (available at bellevuewa.gov), to learn more about the nonprofit organizations to which the city provides grants, and to provide your time, talent and/or treasure to support one or more of these wonderful organizations.

3. How has your involvement with the city prepared you to serve on the city council?

There could be no better preparation for the next four years on the council than serving the city over the last four. I drew on my experience as a long-term resident and civic leader to enable me to guide this city through the most difficult recession it has ever faced and balance the budget without raising tax rates. As a key leader on the light rail negotiating team, I negotiated the most stringent neighborhood protections to which Sound Transit has ever agreed; and a light rail alignment that is grade separated and will save Bellevue tens of millions, but at the same time provide quality light rail to Bellevue. The alignment was unanimously approved by the City Council and Sound Transit and I am proud of the role I played in delivering a solution to this incredibly challenging project.