Redmond City Councilor Cat Zwicker announces run for mayor, seeking to unseat incumbent Ed Fitch
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Redmond City Councilor Cat Zwicker announced Thursday that she is running to be Redmond’s mayor, seeking to unseat incumbent Ed Fitch.
“As a local small business owner, active community volunteer, and Redmond resident for over 24 years, it has been an honor representing the community I know and love as a member on Council,” Zwicker said in a news release.
“Redmond is facing a fork in the road on multiple issues, including cannabis and psilocybin, and I believe the community should be part of the conversation. I am cautious when it comes to allowing drugs into our community, especially considering what an epic failure Measure 110 is and how difficult it made enforcement for public safety officers. Once you let the cat out of the bag per se, it’s difficult to walk it back.”
Redmond voters will vote this fall on whether to allow marijuana dispensaries in the city and also whether to extend a voter-imposed two-year ban on psilocybin facilities.
Less than three weeks before the August 27 candidate filing deadline, Zwicker and Fitch, along with fellow mayoral candidate Charles Baer, have completed the filing process, City Record Kelly Morse said. The mayor is currently a 2-year term.
Three city councilors are up for re-election to 4-year terms: Tobias Colvin, Clifford Evelyn and Shannon Wedding. All three have filed to run for re-election, along with two other challengers who have filed so far, Alan Lawyer and former councilor Jay Patrick.
As a current councilor, Zwicker says, “I opted to run for mayor because I see the opportunities for increased transparency, process improvements, and community collaboration that previous mayors did not. Our current City Council is active and engaged. We're doing a lot of things well, and with more transparency we can be better community partners and leaders. Community members, agency partners, City staff, and Council members should not be surprised by any agenda item. When we’re all prepared, we have better discussions, more productive meetings, and trust.”
Zwicker also said she wants to renew a focus on affordability for Redmond residents.
“When I was first appointed, and then elected to a full term on City Council, I spoke about our community being crushed by rising cost of gas, food, and housing prices. Today, inflation and the rising cost of everything, has only squeezed us tighter and tighter,” Zwicker said. “As a small business owner, active community volunteer serving on local non-profit boards, and as a real estate professional, I understand the skyrocketing cost of living is unsustainable for families and businesses alike. As I have on the City Council and Planning Commission, my top priority will continue to be to drive down housing prices by increasing supply and avoiding unnecessary red tape. The City of Redmond can’t fix inflation on its own, but we must do our part to help in those areas we can.”
