City Councilwoman Linda Johnson announced she will seek a third term on the Maple Valley City Council.

The 68-year-old Council member stated she is running because, “I have a voice that needs to be heard on the Council, and so many citizens asked me to run again I couldn’t walk away.”

The councilwoman won her seat the first time in 2004. She currently serves on the Audit Committee and Emergency Operations Committee.

“I love this city,” Johnson said. “And there is so much that needs to be done.”

A couple of top-tier issues according to Johnson are transportation and the impact on the city from the two YarrowBay master planned developments, The Villages and Lawson Hills, in Black Diamond. The two projects would add about 6,000 residences to the city of Black Diamond.

The councilwoman also noted the Summit Place, also known as the Donut Hole property, should be annexed into the city.

The 156-acre site is surrounded by the city of Maple Valley but is owned by King County. A deal between YarrowBay and the county to purchase the property for $51 million fell through in February.

“The Donut Hole is going to be developed,” Johnson said. “It is time for the Donut Hole to be in the city.”

Johnson stated in her release announcing her candidacy she is committed to transparency in government and she does not represent any special interest but will be a “voice for all the citizens, from the youngest to the most mature.”

She also noted in her release she is against raising taxes.

“I would rather look for ways to bring efficiencies into the city operations and find ways to reduce spending,” Johnson wrote in her release. “I do not believe our city staff should shoulder the entire burden of balancing the budget, but feel it is important to balance the needs of the entire community.”