The November 2015 Bothell City Council Candidates have filed with the state and are getting ready for the coming elections.

In order to start the conversation concerning the upcoming elections, The Bothell Reporter has requested the same questions from each candidate. This is only the first of the coverage The Bothell Reporter will be giving during the City Council elections.

Today, we have a question and answer session with Maryanna Price, who is running for the position 2 in the 2015 Bothell City Council Elections.

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[Deanna Isaacs] What is your background experience?

[Maryanna Price] I finished graduate school in 2013 and moved to Bothell find work and to be with my partner, already working at a Woodinville start-up. During undergrad and grad school, I volunteered with at-risk elementary-aged youth; founded and chaired two college clubs focused on education of and interest in endangered languages; managed scheduling for over 130 staff in a college bar; designed and implemented four foreign language curricula for English-speaking youth; and sat on numerous committees that worked with students and faculty around the institution to improve the experiences and outcomes for everyone involved. I split my leisure time between being a political junkie and cooking tasty, apolitical meals.

[DI] What skills or experiences do you believe will help you on the council?

[MP] Though this is my first run for political office, I’ve spent my life on the ground being involved with neighbors and community — I truly enjoy working with people. The committees I had the honor of participating on during my schooling (Equality & Welfare; Social & Cultural; Academic) showed me the way bureaucracies can succeed (or fail) depending on how they’re handled, with an increase in feedback and participation always leading us closer to success. I have a strong head for learning languages and , at present, I am studying King county’s most-spoken Non-English languages in order to better serve and interact with the population.

[DI] What motivated you to run for city council?

[MP] My first morning in Bothell, I decided that I was going to be involved in this sweet town any way I could. It began with going to city hall meetings and, after I found work that kept me from being home in time, watching the meetings online. Though I loved the accessibility and openness of the meetings being broadcast, I heard time and again in these broadcasts that people in Bothell felt ignored. As a councilwoman, I would lend people an ear and in turn give them a voice.

[DI] Why run now, rather than in previous years? (OR if you’ve previously run) What made you decide to run this year versus other years?

[MP] This is my first opportunity to see Bothell during a council election. I’m running now because the people have been very clear in expressing their frustrations with the city’s operations at present and I believe I have something new to offer.

[DI] What issues are you concerned with the most?

[MP] Every issue is connected, but the most immediately visible problem I see is traffic. New tolls will be pushing extra traffic onto the 522 in the near future and our growing population is going to be tapping that limited space as well. Keeping and increasing the community transit in and around Bothell is one key way to help limit the congestion.

[DI] What issues do you believe are of importance to Bothell?

[MP] I believe Bothell is concerned about many things. The new city hall, the traffic problems, our green spaces, our available housing, our crosswalks… The list goes on. I’ve spoken with several people already and they all have different perspectives, needs and priorities. Dwindling green space and swelling traffic are recurrent complaints I’ve heard, and these would be my top priorities as councilwoman.

[DI] Why did you pick this position over other positions, open or otherwise?

[MP] I picked position 2 because it is free of the high emotion of some of the other races, but no less important. I agree with the incumbent on several points, but am of the opinion that these positions should have new faces often to keep the integrity and flow of the office.

[DI] Do you believe the people of Bothell will support you and why?

[MP] I believe the people of Bothell will support me because I have a lot of energy and an eagerness to bring varied perspectives to the dais. I have strong competition and am looking forward to a hearty run.

[DI] What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing the Bothell City Council?

[MP] The Council is getting their long-term plans for the next several years put into place as part of a broader growth plan. As I see it, the #1 challenge is predicting how the needs of Bothell will change over the next six years. These plans are informed by solid research, but we can only guess how the town will expand. An informed, engaged Council and an interested public are the keys to growing together.

[DI] What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming election?

[MP] Getting the opportunity to meet with the people of Bothell as I campaign is definitely what I’m most enthusiastic about. The town meetings have been increasingly spirited since I first started attending them two years ago; it seems like the people are going to be just as enthralled by the election as the candidates. Regardless of the outcome, I’m confident that I’ll meet a lot of people I’m pleased to call neighbors.