ELECTION 2013: Kelly Maloney will run for city council seat

Kelly Maloney has announced her candidacy for Federal Way City Council position two. Maloney is running to retain the seat after she was appointed to fill a vacancy in January.

May 10, 2013 6:48 pm
Kelly Maloney
Kelly Maloney

Mirror staff reports:

Kelly Maloney has announced her candidacy for Federal Way City Council position two. Maloney is running to retain the seat after she was appointed to fill a vacancy in January.

According to a news release, Maloney said a “strategic plan aimed at economic development, a college satellite campus, and rebranding are key to turning the city around.” She is working to recruit a private, four-year college to the city, which could attract students and professors to the downtown area, thereby increasing the tax base and sparking development.

“I believe fundamentally re-imagining the downtown core and also rebranding the city will help all residents,” she said in a news release.

As a first-time public officeholder, Maloney is also the director of marketing for Orion Industries. She has worked on economic development projects with the city, including a recent TV commercial. To learn more, email retainkelly@kellymaloney.com or visit kellymaloney.com.

So far, Mark Koppang has filed to run for position two. Koppang and Maloney were among 20 applicants for the two council seats vacated in January by Linda Kochmar and Roger Freeman, who were elected to the state House. Maloney and Diana Noble-Gulliford were selected for the two positions.

Filing deadline for candidates is May 13-17.

In other council election news:

• Federal Way Mayor Skip Priest and Deputy Mayor Jim Ferrell will face off for the mayor’s job. So far, Priest and Ferrell are the only two candidates to enter the mayor race.

• For city council position six, Martin Moore and Ryan Miller have declared their candidacies. Diana Noble-Gulliford was appointed to the seat in January and has not yet announced whether she will run to keep the seat.

• Jeanne Burbidge has announced her bid for re-election to position four. She was first elected in 1997, and served as appointed mayor during her second term in 2002.

• South King Fire and Rescue Commissioner Bill Gates announced his bid for re-election for position one. He was first elected to the board in 2001 and was re-elected in 2007.