Name: Patsy Bonincontri

Age: 51

Marital status: Married

Number of children: 2

Occupation: Architect/Project Manager

Years lived in Bellevue: 17

Top three endorsements: Women’s political Caucus, Cascade bicycle Club, Washington conservation voters

What is the most pressing issue in Bellevue, and how would you deal with it?

The most pressing issue in Bellevue is affordable housing. For Bellevue to prosper, we need residents to put down roots and help build a world class city. Affordable housing is the barrier for many even though they like the school district for their children, the park system for their family and the central location for employment opportunities. The obvious solution is to build more affordable housing, which I have helped craft in the Bel-Red plan. But providing incentives only goes so far. Other choices that I am working on include expanding transit access so that households can spend less on transportation and more on housing; providing flexibility in our codes for re-use or mixed use residential projects such as work/live units and conversions of industrial buildings; allowing accessory dwelling units in single family neighborhoods.

What makes you the better choice for the council than your opponent?

I am a better choice than my opponent because I carried with me a diverse cultural and life experience background; a balanced outlook in business development and quality of life in neighborhoods; a tested set of skills in integrating complex systems for a harmonious outcome; a passion for building a better future for the city; a proven ability to work with multiple groups and most important of all:

I don’t have the political baggage of multiple business interests that have made significant investments in my campaign and thus can and will keep an open mind when it comes to making the best decisions for Bellevue.