Bellevue had a strong year in 2014. Among many noteworthy events. Construction cranes returned to the city in a big way. We hired an outstanding new city manager in Brad Miyake. A long-standing dream was realized as the Bellevue Botanical Garden’s new visitor center opened to the public.

However, in many ways 2014 was a year of planning for the future. Early in the year, we at the city council set out a 20-year vision and an ambitious list of priorities to move the city toward that vision. We adopted a number of important plans, including a first-ever economic development plan and an update to our successful, but outdated, diversity plan. To cap off the year, the council adopted a two-year operating budget and a seven-year capital plan that promises to fund basic city services as well as innovative new services and projects.

If 2014 was a year of planning, then 2015 is set to be a year of putting plans into action. As mayor, my 2015 wish list includes:

A safe year for all in Bellevue

At the city, we know that a top priority for our residents, visitors and businesses is to keep our city safe. In the coming year, we will add positions in police and fire to meet our growing city’s public safety needs. With these new personnel, a new district court facility and new leadership, as we hire a police chief and fire chief, 2015 promises to be a year of increased focus on public safety.

Light at the end of the tunnel (so to speak)

Along with the rest of the Puget Sound area, Bellevue residents and workers struggle through some of the nation’s worst traffic congestion. In 2015, the city will be doing our part to make it easier to get around, making major transportation investments throughout our seven-year capital budget. We will complete new road projects like the Northeast Fourth Street extension to help relieve traffic within the city. And we will continue to keep pressure on the Legislature to complete critically needed upgrades to the state highway system, especially the completion of the SR 520 bridge replacement project and the expansion of I-405. Importantly, in 2015, we will complete negotiations and permitting for Sound Transit’s Link light rail extension – setting the stage for construction to begin in 2016.

Peace and enjoyment in our homes and neighborhoods.

Bellevue’s neighborhoods make our city the special place it is. In 2015, we will be re-instituting the popular Neighborhood Enhancement Program, providing funding for local improvement projects that are dreamed up and selected by neighbors. We will design the much-needed sidewalk on Newport Way, in Eastgate — one of our newest neighborhoods after annexation in 2012. We also will be responding to residents who feel their community is under stress, on a number of fronts by completing updated regulations for single-family room rentals, reviewing trends of “megahomes” in areas with traditionally smaller houses, and studying the city’s electrical needs so we can make sure that Puget Sound Energy provides an adequate supply of power for the future and appropriate protections for our neighborhoods.

Recreation and enrichment.

Bellevue takes pride in being “a city in a park,” with a nationally recognized parks and recreation system and a legacy of being an active city for all ages. In 2015, we look forward to the opening of the Bellevue Youth Theater in Crossroads Park. At Hidden Valley Park, we will open expanded and improved baseball fields alongside brand-new indoor basketball courts – all provided at great cost savings due to our strong partnership with the Bellevue Boys and Girls Clubs.

There is so much more. The possibilities in front of Bellevue as we move into a new year are truly exciting. With your continued support, and the hard work of all the people who work at the city, we will continue to make Bellevue the unique and wonderful place we call home.

Claudia Balducci is mayor of Bellevue.