Candidate Profile: Josh Amato, Sammamish City Council, Pos. 1

SAMMAMISH, WA — Voting is underway and the 2021 primary election is heating up in King County ahead of Election Day, Aug. 3. Nearly 650 candidates are seeking various offices in 2021, beating the previous record set in 2017. Out of that total, more than 200 candidates appear in the primary, which features all the races with three or more people seeking the same office.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles leading up to Election Day.

Candidate

Josh Amato

Age (as of Election Day)

32

Position Sought

Sammamish City Council Position 1

Party Affiliation

Non-Partisan

Family

Jessica Amato, wife.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Fife High School, some college

Occupation

Small Business Owner, 8 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Sammamish Planning Commission

Campaign website

JoshForSammamish.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Sammamish City Council to manage growth and stop the overdevelopment of our city, build our roads and infrastructure, improve public safety, and increase services for kids, teens, and seniors.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our city must prioritize managing growth and overdevelopment. Sammamish’s past failure to properly manage growth created problems in our infrastructure — roads, sewers, schools – that impact our day-to-day lives. Our roads are congested, unsafe for pedestrians, and deteriorating. Half our city is at sewer capacity, and our schools are overcrowded.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My experience, community involvement, and philosophy on government set me apart from other candidates.

Experience: I understand how city government works after beginning my career in IT at a small municipality and through my service as a Sammamish Planning Commissioner. As a Planning Commissioner, I have advocated policies to manage overdevelopment and improve our environment. I am also a small business owner and understand the challenges our Sammamish businesses face.

Community involvement: I am the Community Service Chair for Sammamish Rotary and a Board Member for the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Through my involvement, I’ve learned that staying active in the community and meeting with people is a critically important aspect of being a public servant.

Philosophy: I believe in the importance of compromise to make progress, keeping partisan politics out of local government, and ensuring city government focuses on delivering basic government service with excellence.

When Mitzi Johanknecht leaves office, what should the county look for in appointing a new sheriff?

I am very concerned about the Sheriff moving to an appointed position by the County Executive and the Seattle-centric King County Council’s new power to set the Sheriff’s Office policy. The Sheriff’s Office provides service to unincorporated King County and the cities, like Sammamish, which contract with them for police service — not Seattle. The County needs to appoint a Sheriff who will provide the type of service unincorporated King County and the contract cities want and need. I want a Sheriff who understands their role is public safety, first and foremost. I will be a strong advocate for those priorities with the County Council.

We are fortunate to live in a very safe city, but we don’t live in a vacuum and are not immune to the rising crime we see elsewhere in the Puget Sound. Ensuring Sammamish continues to be a safe place to live is very important, and we can’t become complacent. The Police Services Study commissioned by the city identified a lack of police coverage and a police force that is stretched too thin. We need to add more police officers and provide them with non-police resources — such as a mental health co-responder for some calls — to give support in areas where they are not experts. You can read my position on public safety on my website.

What are some of your priorities for a post-pandemic recovery?

Many recovery areas are outside the control of city governments and fall to our federal and state governments. However, I intend to focus on our youth mental health crisis, which only became worse while children were stuck at home during the pandemic. You can read more about my plan here.

What would you do in office to strengthen preparedness and response efforts for extreme heat and wildfire smoke events?

We must provide additional funding to prepare for natural disasters, such as forest fires or earthquakes. With few evacuation routes, we must have a solid plan and the resources in place to ensure the safety of our residents. The City Council has Emergency Management on its work plan this year. As your councilmember, I will ensure the plans created do not simply take up shelf space but rather are fully funded and implemented. One aspect of the plan needs to be creating a robust communication network to reach everyone in Sammamish, not just those on social media.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I would have liked to see more support going to brick-and-mortar businesses that had to continue to pay rent while few people were out shopping. I also would have liked to see our schools do a better job transitioning to remote learning. Our city includes three school districts as well as private schools. There were likely opportunities to ensure all children in Sammamish received the same or higher level of support.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The major aspects of my campaign are:
• Managing growth and stopping overdevelopment
• Building our roads and infrastructure
• Tackling the youth mental health crisis
• Providing recreational opportunities for kids, teens, and seniors
• Improving public safety and disaster preparedness

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have developed a track record as a Sammamish Planning Commissioner. I’ve championed development regulations to stop overdevelopment (https://joshforsammamish.com/2021/07/16/were-making-progress-on-ending-overdevelopment/), advocated for real penalties for developers who break the rules, and pushed for stronger environmental protections, as well as helped to pass and prioritize the Urban Forest Management Plan so we can begin to protect and strengthen our urban forest. I’m proud to have received the support of Planning Commission Chair Mark Baughman, Commissioner Seetharaman, and Commissioner Bresko — all have witnessed my contributions on the Planning Commission — as well as numerous residents.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

First, eat a slice of humble pie. It’s important to admit and own your mistakes, then learn from them. Second, be curious. You learn by listening, not by talking. Curiosity gives you the capacity to expand your knowledge and make better decisions.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I do not believe partisan politics has any business in local government. After all, potholes are not partisan. The decisions made by councilmembers involve understanding intricate details about city code, engineering best practices, budget priorities, transportation planning, and so on. I will do my homework and take my job representing your interests seriously. I will not make empty promises without plans to pay for them, and I will tell you the truth – even when unpopular. You will be able to pick up your phone, and I will show up to help you solve your problem. Give me a call at 253-722-9089.