Klahanie is going to be a great addition to Sammamish. The challenge for the current City of Sammamish is to stay a lean organization while growing to provide Sammamish-level services to Klahanie. Expanding sheriff services takes time. So does carefully assembling the rest of the team in Planning, Public Works, Parks, and Finance. January 1, 2016 is a more realistic goal to ramp up the staffing and services that this new larger city requires.

Sammamish staff have been assigned a full plate of projects that are important to existing residents and voters. Expanding Sammamish to include Klahanie must not reduce key city services or delay road, drainage, or park projects already tasked to staff for delivery this year and next.

The Sammamish City Council can get the annexation off to a fast start by redoubling their own efforts to gain state and regional support for the construction of the much needed Issaquah – Fall City Road and the Issaquah-Pine Lake Road. Existing Sammamish neighborhoods and the soon to be annexed Klahanie will greatly benefit.

I look forward to returning to serve on the Sammamish City Council helping to keep Sammamish a family friendly community even as we grow.

-Mark Cross, Sammamish