Published February 26 2025
Applications for Position 5 seat due by March 7
Residents who have an interest in local government and serving their community are invited to apply for an upcoming opening on the City Council. Due to Councilmember Janice Zahn’s selection to serve in the State Legislature and her intent to resign her local council seat effective March 28, recruitment for Position 5 on the council is now open. The council plans to appoint someone to fill the seat through the November 2025 election.
To be eligible to serve on the council, applicants must be a registered voter, must reside in Bellevue and must have lived in Bellevue for at least a year. To apply, interested community members can submit a letter of interest and a resume. The letter (1,000-word limit) should respond to the following three questions:
- What is your vision for the community?
- Why do you want to serve on the Bellevue City Council?
- What do you see as the top priorities for the city and why?
Letters of interest and resumes should be submitted via email, mail or physically delivered to City Hall by 2 p.m., March 7:
- Email: cityclerk@bellevuewa.gov
- Mailing Address: Attn: Charmaine Arredondo, City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office, City of Bellevue, PO Box 90012, Bellevue, WA, 98009-9012
- Hand-delivered: first floor, Service First, 450 110th Ave. NE (Attn: City Clerk)
If selected as a finalist, the applicant may be asked to provide references.
On March 11, the council will review applications during an executive session, then deliberate on the selection of the finalists during open session. Tentatively, the council will interview finalists during the March 18 council meeting. Per the Revised Code of Washington, the council has until June 27 to fill the vacated seat.
Unlike other positions on the council, the term for the appointed councilmember (if they are not elected in the next General Election) will end when the November General Election is certified. The ballot for the 2025 General Election will include the position 5 seat, along with positions 2, 4 and 6, which were already up for re-election this year. The councilmember elected for Position 5 in this year’s race would then be sworn in once the election is certified by King County Elections and serve through the original term date of Dec. 31, 2027.
Councilmember Zahn was appointed by the King County Council to represent the 41st Legislative District in the State House of Representatives. The Position 5 seat will become available after her resignation becomes effective on March 28.
Bellevue operates under a council-manager form of government, with the council selecting a city manager who oversees all city operations. The council is made up of seven members elected at-large who serve staggered four-year terms. The councilmembers, in turn, select a mayor and deputy mayor from among themselves.
For more information, visit City Council.