Meet the Sammamish Council Candidates (Tuesday Evenings)
Meet Karthik Seetharaman, Debbie Treen & Josh Amato to share your concerns and hear our vision for Sammamish.
Location
Pagliacci Pizza
22830 Northeast 8th Street Sammamish, WA 98074Good to know
Highlights
- In person
About this event
Join us for a community conversation with Sammamish City Council candidates Karthik Seetharaman, Debbie Treen, and Josh Amato. This is your chance to meet the candidates, hear their vision for Sammamish, and share what matters most to you. There’s no stage and no speeches, just conversations about our city's future.
Whether you’re focused on parks, traffic, growth, safety, or the city budget, or anything else, we want to hear from you.
Karthik Seetharaman - Position 5
Karthik Seetharaman is a tech executive, immigrant, and father of three daughters running for Sammamish City Council. A former Planning Commissioner, he’s focused on protecting the community’s character while helping it grow responsibly.
Karthik leads global teams at Amazon, bringing real-world experience in managing budgets, solving complex problems, and building systems that scale. He’ll bring that same discipline to City Hall by focusing on fiscal responsibility, emergency readiness, and infrastructure.
He opposes high-rise towers and massive density increases in Town Center, and supports smarter development that fits Sammamish. He also believes new taxes should go to a public vote and supports creative, community-powered ideas like a teen-senior center, shared workspaces, and a botanical garden that boosts local pride and revenue.
Karthik’s campaign is about thoughtful leadership, smart planning, and building a Sammamish that works for every resident.
Debbie Treen - Position 7
Debbie Treen is a former Mayor, Chief Financial Officer and longtime public servant.
As Mayor of Bothell, Debbie led the city to restrict property tax increases to the cost of living, at a time when the State maximum was 6%. Under her leadership, the Wayne Golf Course and Centennial Park land were purchased using King and Snohomish County Conservation Futures funding. Prior to being elected, she co-chaired a statewide land-use planning initiative and helped shape Washington’s Growth Management Act.
She has over 15 years of experience as a Chief Financial Officer for nonprofits, publicly traded and private companies. In 2024 she retired from Cornish College of the Arts, after guiding the institution through economic shifts and budget challenges due to the pandemic.
She’s running for Sammamish City Council to address its serious budget and growth management issues with community-first values.
Josh Amato - Position 3
Josh Amato is a small business owner, nonprofit board member, former Sammamish Planning Commissioner, and active community volunteer.
As a business owner for over a decade, Josh knows how to manage tight budgets, set clear priorities, and deliver results. That experience shapes his approach to leadership: practical, accountable, and focused. On the Planning Commission, he prioritized protecting Sammamish’s tree canopy and ensuring that new development reflected community values, not developer profits.
Josh is running to restore focus at City Hall, rebuild public trust, and make local government work better for the people who live here. That starts with managing the budget responsibly, prioritizing infrastructure and emergency preparedness, and making sure every dollar delivers real value to residents.
Frequently asked questions
This is a chance to meet local candidates running for Sammamish City Council, ask questions, and share what matters most to you. Our goal is to have a great conversation and learn from residents so we can serve you better.
No. None of us currently serve on the Sammamish City Council. We’re running because we believe the city needs more focus, accountability, and follow-through. We believe Sammamish can do better for its residents and that positive change is possible.
Only Karthik Seetharaman’s race will appear on the August 5 primary ballot, because his race has more than two candidates. The general election is Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Ballots are mailed out in mid-October.
Anyone who lives in Sammamish or cares about its future. Whether you’re new to the area, a longtime resident, or just curious about local government, your voice matters and we want to hear from you.
You’ll hear directly from candidates about their vision for Sammamish, including priorities like city budgeting, emergency preparedness, infrastructure, public safety, and growth.
Both! There will be time for Q&A, small-group conversations, and informal chatting. You can ask a question, raise a concern, or just take it all in.
No, but RSVPs help us plan. Walk-ins are always welcome.
Yes! While it's geared toward adults, we know families are busy. Kids are welcome and are encouraged to participate.
Yes. This is part of an ongoing series to make local government more accessible. If you can’t make this one, we hope to see you at the next. Our weekly events on Tuesday evenings at Pagliacci and Sunday morning at Starbucks.
Each candidate will share ways to connect and learn more at the event. This is your chance to hear from them directly, in their own words. You can also visit their websites: VoteKarthik.com; Treen2025.com; JoshForSammamish.com
We are three community-minded candidates who each bring our own experience and ideas. We share a commitment to transparency, infrastructure fiscal responsibility, and listening to residents. We think its time for a change. Respectful debate is good. We won't always agree or vote the same way.