After Bob Sternoff resigned from his Position 2 seat on the Kirkland City Council in March, the council was forced to make a quick decision to appoint a new council member by April 16.

Jon Pascal is one of 17 candidates vying for the seat.

Background: Pascal, 38, lives in the Finn Hill neighborhood and has lived in Kirkland for 12 years. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree of science in Forestry and a master’s degree of science in Engineering at the University of Washington.

He is currently the principal at Transpo Group in Kirkland.

King County Councilmembers Jane Hague and Rob Dembowski have recently endorsed Pascal for position 2.

Experience: Pascal is a local business owner, vice chair of the Kirkland Planning Commission, on the board of directors of the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance and was the Transportation Commissioner for nine years. As a board of director member with the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance, Pascal chairs the policy committee.

Reason for running: Pascal cares about the Kirkland community and says he has the expertise, passion and energy to make a positive impact. Because he is a Finn Hill resident, he believes he will bring a different perspective to the Council and because of his background, he believes he can assist in citywide planning and transportation projects, which are currently on the Council’s agenda.

Top issues facing the city: Pascal wants to improve the sustainability of Kirkland’s budget by fostering a pro-small business climate in Kirkland as well as refocus on Kirkland’s transportation system to address traffic and safety issues.

In addition to engaging in Kirkland’s neighborhoods to make proactive land use decisions, Pascal also hopes for a transformation of the Totem Lake neighborhood by continuing to deliver projects funded through the street and parks levies.

For more information, visit Pascal’s Facebook page.