I love living in Bellevue, and as one who is interested in how the city of Bellevue is managed, I had the privilege of participating in the first annual Bellevue Essentials leadership class. This eight-week class provided a general overview of nearly every aspect of how the city is run, and in my opinion, Bellevue is a well-run city.

During the eight sessions, city staff, along with neighborhood liaisons, elected officials and community leaders, covered topics such as history and demographics, neighborhoods and parks, planning, finance and budgeting, transportation and traffic, utilities, and economic development. Every presenter was well prepared, engaged in the process, and very professional. It was a thoroughly enjoyable eight weeks, and highly informative.

The 2nd annual Bellevue Essentials is coming up again in September, and is open to anyone who lives and works in Bellevue. Applications are being accepted now through July 15. Contact Julie Ellenhorn jellenhorn@bellevuewa.gov. for more information.

For those with an interest in how a city government operates, I simply cannot recommend this class more. In fact, I’d do it all over again if I could.

Debra Kumar, Bellevue