I am endorsing city council candidate Bill Ramos for many reasons, but his years of work on major transportation projects tops the list. We have local needs that must be locally funded, but most problem areas are highly impacted by regional traffic and will require county, state and federal funding to mitigate impacts.

The Talus developer significantly improved SR 900 and passed the costs onto the residents, but it is regional traffic avoiding I-405 that is taking much of the capacity. The Highlands developer spent millions on expansion of the Sunset Interchange and building Highlands Drive and the residents ended up paying the bill. The road is now serving much of the Sammamish Plateau and the Snoqualmie Valley.

Bill knows that the City Council has responsibility for many aspects of our lives. His commitment to public safety — police, fire and aid — are unmatched. He recognizes how we treasure our parks, open space and trails.

He understands how we have placed our future quality of life on the success of the Central Issaquah Plan and know he will support modification in a timely manner.

Financially the city will have to raise some money to catch up on some local needs, but working with the region will be the key to make sure the region recognizes their need to pay for their impacts.

Bill Ramos will be a tireless advocate for our city and deserves our support.

David Kappler, Issaquah