BY EMILEE MAE STRUSS
Mayor-elect Ned Burns attributes his winning of the Bellevue mayoral election to consistent door knocking, social media ads and a willingness to step into new leadership roles.
“I made it to almost every house during the campaign,” Burns said. “And I would ask the residents two questions: What do you think the city is doing well and what do you think the city could do better?”
Burns won the Bellevue mayoral election with 618 votes against Hailey Police Officer Jared Murphy’s 200 votes. Burns has been involved in the Bellevue City Council for almost one year and says his motivation to run for mayor didn’t begin with himself.
“I was encouraged by a lot of people at the start,” Burns said, “and so I told them I’d review the budget process and see if I thought I could do it.”
Burns got involved with the city after his wife, Sara Burns, served on city council from 2012 to 2014. He also says that city council president Kathryn Goldman was a huge cheerleader for him and he is proud to serve with the diligent team they have.
“The staff work so hard with the resources they have,” Burns said. “They don’t get thanked enough for the effort they’re putting in.”
Burns is most excited moving forward about accomplishing the things that the citizens really want. He hasn’t wasted any time and is already plowing ground with a grant to improve Pine Street in Bellevue.
He is also working on a second grant for a safer route to school that will provide a pedestrian/bike path from Riverside mobile home park to Highway 75, where kids travel to get on the bus for school.
“These developments are absolutely critical,” Burns said. “If we can get some more housing, I think people will want to create businesses in the town they live in.”
Burns assures citizens that these plans will be very incremental—five-, 10-, 20- or even 25-year plans. As a Realtor, Burns is on the front lines of the housing market and shared that only two new homes were built in Bellevue last year. He seeks to ease citizens’ concerns about Bellevue growing too quickly and plans to build the city beginning with safer roads and safer routes.
During an interview, Burns said that his main motivation for running in the 2018 election was his own hopes for Bellevue.
“I’ve got an idea of what Bellevue will look like when I’m 65 [years old], and if I can get some of those things started, such as residential growth and roads paved, then I believe I can leave the city in an even better place than I found it,” Burns said.
Burns says that Chris Koch, previous mayor of Bellevue, has built great momentum and Burns only hopes to continue those efforts.
For more information on the results of the 2018 election, visit co.blaine.id.us/196/Elections.