Bellevue City Councilmember John Chelminiak officially announced his campaign for re-election Friday. Chelminiak is seeking his third term on the Bellevue City Council.

“The best is still ahead for Bellevue,” Chelminiak said in a statement announcing his campaign. “The past eight years, we have put in place solid plans to guide the city forward in a financially responsible and sustainable way. I want to see those plans become reality.”

Chelminiak is one of four council members up for reelection this fall. Grant Degginger, Claudia Balducci and Jennifer Robertson have all declared an intention to run for another term.

Chelminiak is one of three supporters on the council of Sound Transit’s preferred light-rail alternative. He wants to make sure the project gets done, and costs don’t continue to bloat, making a downtown tunnel even more difficult.

“We need to be working to close the funding gap, not make it bigger,” said Chelminiak. “The time has come to make tough decisions, and I’m prepared to do that.”

He and his wife, Lynn Semler, reside in Bellevue’s Vuecrest neighborhood near downtown.  He has enjoyed a career in media, government, and public affairs. He currently is the owner of a small business specializing in public affairs and strategic communication. He has been the chief of staff of the King and Snohomish County Councils.  And he worked ten years as a reporter and editor at KIRO Radio.

For more information, visit Chelminiak’s website. He is also on twitter (@John4Bellevue) and Facebook (Friends of John Chelminiak).