Jay Arnold Announces Run for Kirkland City Council

Software engineer and Kirkland Planning Commission member Jay Arnold announced his candidacy for Kirkland City Council on Monday. He is running for the Position 1 seat to be vacated by outgoing Councilmember and Mayor Joan McBride.

“Kirkland is the best place to live, work, and raise a family in the Pacific Northwest,” Jay Arnold said in a press release. “To maintain that quality of life and be competitive with other cities, I will ensure that Kirkland is sustainable and strategic in our transportation, planning, budgets, and economic development. We need all pieces of the puzzle.”

Arnold said he has broad support, including early endorsements from former Mayor Dave Russell, former Councilmember Nona Ganz, Parks Board Chair Sue Keller, and state Reps. Roger Goodman and Cyrus Habib.

Arnold co-chaired the successful YES! for Great Kirkland Parks campaign. He currently is on the Planning Commission, serving as chair in 2011-12. Previously, Arnold served on the board of the Municipal League of King County, the Capital Finance Review Board, Futurewise, and Northwest SEED (Sustainable Energy for Economic Development). Arnold is currently the Secretary of his daughters’ elementary school parent-teacher group.

Professionally, Arnold is a software developer who was as a Group Manager at Microsoft and now works as the Technology Director for Fuse Washington, a progressive advocacy organization.

“In 2014 Kirkland will update our comprehensive plan, which details the long-term strategy for our city,” Arnold said in the release. “This is where transportation, economic development, parks and planning all come together. Yet almost half the city has no neighborhood plan. I will focus on business districts and economic development, while at the same time empowering neighborhoods to develop their vision for the future. We have to do both to keep Kirkland a great place to live and work in.”

Arnold first moved to Kirkland 23 years ago. He lives in the Norkirk neighborhood with his wife, Mary Beth Binns, and three daughters, who attend the Community School in Houghton.

--Information from the Jay Arnold campaign