Sammamish City Council chooses Amato as mayor, Debbie Treen as deputy

During the first city council meeting of the new year on Jan. 6, Sammamish City Council appointed Josh Amato as mayor in a 5-2 vote, and Debbie Treen as deputy mayor in a 4-3 vote. 

Both Amato and Debbie Treen are serving their first terms on city council. They were sworn into office earlier in the meeting.

For Sammamish, the roles of mayor and deputy mayor are ceremonial. Besides running council meetings and adding items to the agenda, these positions do not grant any additional powers. 

To be elected mayor or deputy mayor, a council member must be nominated for the position by a peer. The council then votes on each nominated member.

Councilmember Kent Treen, who is married to Debbie Treen, nominated Amato. 

“When I first announced my campaign for city council in 2021, I called Councilmember [Kent] Treen and we had a long talk. He has been a supporter of mine ever since,” said Amato in an email to the Sammamish Independent.  

Councilmember Amy Lam and Councilmember Pamela Stuart were the two council members who voted against Amato’s nomination. Nonetheless, the new mayor remains committed to building good relations with Lam and Stuart.

“I was proud to partner with Councilmember Stuart on a proposal to the full council in response to ICE, and then work with both Councilmembers Stuart and Lam to draft the Council’s statement. As mayor, my focus will be on bringing the council together to serve residents and helping each council member achieve wins that are important to them,” said Amato.

Using his office, Amato is committed to balancing the budget and improving infrastructure. 

“I’d like people to look back at my time as mayor as drama free. Where our council pushed projects forward that made the lives of our residents a little better and a little easier,” said Amato.

Debbie Treen was nominated by Councilmember Michael Boyer for the position of deputy mayor. Her selection passed by a tighter margin than Amato’s. Councilmembers Lam, Stuart, and O’Farrell voted against it. 

Debbie Treen previously served on Bothell City Council for six years. She spent two of those years, 1998 and 1999, as Bothell’s mayor. She did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Sammamish Independent.

Amato and Debbie Treen will serve as mayor and deputy mayor, respectively, until after the next election in 2027.