In 1999, Bellevue staff adopted a mission statement and core values to help guide how we do our work. In 2024, we updated our core values to include diversity, equity and inclusion as one. The City Council Vision is the community vision that defines what that work is.
Mission
Provide exceptional customer service, uphold the public interest and advance the community vision.
Vision
Be a collaborative and innovative organization that is future-focused and committed to excellence.
Core Values
The six core values or principles that guide our individual actions, our interactions and our decision-making at the City of Bellevue are:
Exceptional Public Service
We deliver outstanding service to the customer.
We are committed to exceptional service for all of our customers. We demonstrate quality, caring and sensitivity in every process, service and product we deliver. We value the contributions of residents and partners. Our community can expect open, fair, consistent and responsive service.
Strategies:
- Provide high quality services and products effectively and efficiently.
- Provide the staffing and resources to enable quality levels of service.
- Emphasize collaboration and teamwork.
- Maintain effective public information processes.
- Provide easy access to city services and products.
- Use public involvement to connect with the community.
- Deliver services in partnership with community organizations and residents.
- View customer feedback as essential.
- Ensure accountability by reporting on performance.
- Recognize the ethnic, economic and cultural diversity of the community and provide alternative service modes to meet the differing needs of our residents.
Stewardship
We preserve and enhance the community’s environmental, financial, human and physical resources.
We provide diligent and visionary management of all of the community’s resources: environmental, financial, human and physical. We accept the responsibility for enhancing and preserving our resources and for balancing competing needs. We value the public trust and recognize that today’s decisions will determine tomorrow’s community.
Strategies:
- Protect the environment and long-term community interests.
- Utilize proactive planning as an important community development resource.
- Continually explore whether community resources are being used appropriately and whether future resources are being enhanced.
- Use technology as appropriate to achieve the community’s goals.
- Communicate openly about resource issues.
- Fix rules and policies that don’t work.
- Develop mechanisms to make decisions when resource conflicts arise.
- Provide adequate resources into the future to maintain and operate existing community facilities and assets.
- Embrace improvement and work smarter.
- Be a regional player.
Commitment to Employees
We value all employees and their contributions, and treat each other with caring and respect.
The city invests in its employees and continually demonstrates how valuable each person is to the organization. We encourage and reward employee growth and development. We treat each other equitably and with caring, respect and trust. We recognize each other’s contributions. We build on our commonalities and our differences. We believe that investing in employees fosters good government and quality public services.
Strategies:
- Foster an organizational culture that attracts, nurtures and retains quality employees.
- Hire employees who will live the core values.
- Maintain staff resources to meet workload demands.
- Provide the appropriate resources for employees to do a quality job.
- Train employees to enhance personal and professional growth.
- Enhance opportunities for internal promotion.
- Foster open and honest interaction and communication among and between the City Council, Leadership Team, management and staff.
- Constantly recognize each other’s contributions.
- Assume the best of others.
- Conduct performance evaluations that are honest, fair, consistent, relevant and timely.
- Publicize good work that the city and employees are doing.
- Listen to and act on concerns and input voiced by employees.
- Increase opportunities for celebration.
- Recognize the need for balance between work and personal life.
Integrity
We are trustworthy, truthful and ethical.
Our leadership is centered on sound principles. We behave ethically, honestly and fairly. We perform our work with steadfastness to truth, responsibility and open communication. We adhere to visible values that are consistent throughout the organization.
Strategies:
- Live the city’s core values.
- Use core values to guide decisions.
- Contribute to an environment that is safe for open and honest dialogue.
- Receive open and honest communication in a positive way.
- Give each other positive feedback.
- Say what you do; do what you say.
- Set clear expectations and send clear messages.
- Solicit and welcome clarifying questions.
- Give a consistent message to all audiences.
- Take the risk to be honest.
- Admit and take responsibility for mistakes.
- Take responsibility to be part of the solution.
- Commit to consensus decisions.
- Measure how well the organization is implementing its core values.
Innovation
We encourage and reward creative ideas and solutions.
We encourage and reward proactive, creative problem solving, planning and service delivery. We continue our tradition of leadership. We are empowered to explore new ideas and introduce cutting-edge solutions. We support taking reasonable risks in order to find better ways to deliver our services.
Strategies:
- Provide a free and open environment to brainstorm, incubate and hatch new ideas.
- Provide a supportive means of evaluating new ideas for implementation.
- Empower employees to have more ownership of their work.
- Collaborate within and outside the work group and department to plan, problem-solve and create.
- Focus on the work, not the “turf,” and be interdisciplinary in working together.
- Involve those who should be involved.
- Recognize that a diverse workforce enhances creativity.
- Review city systems and processes to remove barriers to innovation and creativity.
- Reward employees for innovative ideas that are implemented.
- Accept risks and learn from our failures.
- Glean innovative ideas from other organizations
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We create an inclusive and equitable community where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to thrive.
We create an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging, and experiences equitable treatment. We value the unique perspectives, backgrounds and identities of all individuals, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to thrive and contribute to our community. We promote inclusivity, respect and fairness in every aspect of our operations, services and interactions.
Strategies:
- Cultivate a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the community we serve.
- Establish policies and practices that eliminate bias, discrimination and barriers to access.
- Provide education and training to employees, promoting awareness, understanding and actions that foster a work environment of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Contribute to an environment that is safe for open and honest dialogue.
- Actively seek and incorporate feedback from diverse perspectives to shape city services and initiatives.
- Collaborate with community organizations and leaders to address systemic inequities and promote social justice.
- Tailor services to effectively meet the unique needs of the whole community, considering ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds.
- Ensure equitable distribution of resources and opportunities across neighborhoods and demographics.
- Foster partnerships with underrepresented groups to enhance their participation and representation in decision-making processes.