Sammamish Mayor Tom Odell Announces Run for City Council Re-Election

Mayor Tom Odell announced Wednesday that he will run for a second four-year term on the Sammamish City Council.

First elected to the Council in November, 2009, Tom Odell has served the City of Sammamish as a Councilmember, Deputy Mayor, and for the past sixteen months as Mayor.

Odell said he remains totally committed to give the substantial amount of time this job requires, and wants to continue as a "positive change" on the Council and pledges to continue to advocate for Sammamish’s interests in regional political arenas.

"I want to continue to give back to the community that I have been a part of for over 20 years" Odell said. "I want to help ensure Sammamish stays a great place to live for future generations." 

A resident since 1989, Tom and his wife Ruth live in the Heritage Hills neighborhood in the northern portion of the city.

His priorities, Odell said, “will be to continue to listen to Sammamish residents, strongly advocate for things that will bring real quality of life improvements to our families, protect our finances, and which maintain and improve community services and city infrastructure.”

Since Odell was elected to his first term on the Council, Sammamish has moved forward with a long-needed Community Center, has tripled the funding for street maintenance, and has laid the groundwork for a new town center among other accomplishments, stated an election press release.

Sammamish continues as one of the very few cities in our state with a AAA bond rating and virtually no long-term debt, according to the election announcement, and he stated that no property tax rate increases have been approved during Odell’s tenure on the Sammamish City Council. 

Odell said he will emphasize thoughtful and financially viable growth that will provide additional amenities and residential options for our residents, that reduces travel off of the plateau, and that both protects the environment and maintains the original character of Sammamish.

He also represents the city on several regional, county, and national government organizations. He also served the city as a Director on the Eastside Fire and Rescue Board for three years.  In addition, he has been a member of the SAMMI Awards Foundation board for two years and has recently been asked to join the Lake Washington School Foundation Advisory Board.  A long-time sports fisherman and conservationist, Odell has been active in the effort to restore the Lake Sammamish Kokanee salmon.

An 18 year veteran of the airline industry after graduating with an MBA from the U. of Minnesota, Odell has extensive experience in airline route and hub development, aircraft evaluation, fleet and market planning, and financial management. He retired in 1989 after a second 18 year career with The Boeing Company where he was a regional marketing director for European and Asian commercial airline accounts and also acted as an internal airline consultant.

"My extensive international travels have given me a very unique perspective on what makes a great city and why Sammamish is such a wonderful place to live," he said. "I am dedicated to keeping it that way while at the same time continuing to improve services and amenities for our residents."

Odell’s wife Ruth, a recently retired teacher with the Lake Washington School District on the plateau, continues her passion for teaching as a private tutor.  Their two adult children, Annie and David, are both graduates of Eastlake High School and the University of Puget Sound.