Cat Zwicker, Redmond City Councilor

11/04/2026

Congratulations to Redmond's newly elected Mayor and City Councilors.

Campaigning and governing are two very different responsibilities. Running for office requires conviction, endurance, and a willingness to put yourself before the public. Governing requires something different. It demands patience, humility, and the ability to listen to perspectives that may challenge your own assumptions.

The election is over, and the role has changed. You are no longer representing a campaign, a platform, or a group of supporters. You are now a voice for the entire community.

Listen broadly. Work the problem before accepting the answer. Be willing to challenge assumptions, including your own. Our responsibility is not to reflect only a portion of the community or our personal biases, but to ensure every resident has a voice in the conversation.

In the years ahead, Redmond will continue to grapple with housing availability, infrastructure capacity, growth, density, transportation, education, and the need for living-wage jobs. These issues are complex, often interconnected, and rarely solved by simple answers.

The community deserves leaders who listen first, ask thoughtful questions, and make decisions based on facts, evidence, and long-term outcomes.

Congratulations, and thank you for stepping forward to serve. I look forward to the work ahead.

Send a message to learn more

10/28/2026

The City of Redmond is in the process of a housing capacity analysis. We invite you to participate in this short survey whether you rent or own in Redmond to help us with this task!

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

10/06/2026

“Representing the People, Not the Pledge”
At last night’s Mayoral and Council Candidate Affordable Housing Forum in Redmond, candidates were asked at the end of the panel to take an “affordable housing pledge” and sign a display board indicating they had done so. Every candidate on stage declined.

That unified decision wasn’t about opposing affordable housing — in fact, each candidate spoke clearly about the need for housing options across all income levels. Their refusal was about something deeper and more important: protecting the integrity of public process.

Signing a pledge drafted by a single stakeholder group can unintentionally bind future elected officials to a predetermined policy position before they have access to staff analysis, legal review, public testimony, and the full range of community perspectives. The candidates chose not to bypass that process. They chose not to pre‑commit to any organization’s agenda. They chose to preserve their independence so they can represent all residents once in office.

In a time when trust in government is fragile, this kind of principled dissent matters. It shows a commitment to thoughtful engagement, transparent deliberation, and decisions grounded in community input — not pressure, optics, or pre‑signed promises.

Central Oregon Daily News, who filmed this event, didn’t highlight this moment, but I believe it deserves recognition. Last night, every candidate on that stage chose the people over the pledge, and the process over the pressure.

Send a message to learn more

09/12/2026

As community leaders and public safety providers, we carry a moral obligation that goes beyond policy. Our words, our tone, and the way we frame issues can either strengthen community trust or unintentionally create bias and stigma.

In local government, people look to us for clarity, fairness, and stability. That means being intentional — refusing to paint groups of people with broad strokes, refusing to use language that fuels fear or division, and refusing to let frustration turn into narratives that harm the very residents we’re here to serve.

Livability and safety depend on more than ordinances and operations. They depend on a culture where every person feels seen, respected, and treated as part of the community fabric. When leaders or public safety providers slip into stigmatizing language, even unintentionally, it shapes public perception in ways that can deepen inequity and erode trust.

I believe we owe our community better. We owe them accuracy, dignity, and a commitment to speak about challenges without dehumanizing the people experiencing them. That’s the standard I hold myself to, and the standard I expect in any public-facing role.

Because leadership isn’t just about what we decide — it’s about how we talk about the people who are impacted by those decisions.

Send a message to learn more

09/11/2026

On this September 11th, we honor the heroes, remember the victims, and hold close the families whose lives were forever changed. Their courage, sacrifice, and resilience continue to guide us.

09/10/2026

Thought for today:
Ethical leaders don’t manipulate facts to secure resources. They build funding paths through transparency, competence, and trust.
If someone is willing to fabricate, exaggerate, or strategically distort information to create a perception that unlocks funding, that is not a sign of strong ethics or trustworthy leadership. It signals:
-A willingness to trade long‑term credibility for short‑term gain
-A pattern of ends‑justify‑the‑means decision‑making
-A risk that the same behavior will surface in governance, partnerships, or public communication.

Send a message to learn more

06/24/2026

After much reflection, I’ve decided that I will not be seeking reelection at the end of my current term on the Redmond City Council.
Serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the progress we have made together—from expanding housing options and safe parking to advancing childcare access, infrastructure, and long-term investments in Redmond’s future.
This decision comes from a place of honesty about my family, business, and personal responsibilities, and from a deep respect for what public service requires. I remain fully committed to serving through the end of my term and will continue to approach every decision with Redmond’s long-term well-being at the center.
Thank you to everyone who has trusted me, challenged me, worked beside me, and stayed engaged in the hard, important work of building a stronger community. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Redmond.

Send a message to learn more

03/26/2026

Growing pains for sure. Please be patient and mindful of the crews in this area.

Multi-Phase Closure for SW Veterans Way Begins March 30

The City of Redmond will begin a multi phase closure of SW Veterans Way near SE 1st Street & SW Lake Road on March 30, 2026. The closure is needed to construct a new roundabout connecting SW Veterans Way, SE 1st Street, the newly aligned SE Airport Way and its northern extension to OR 126.

A temporary access road will be provided to maintain local access. Flaggers will be used to support traffic management during active construction. To reduce daytime disruptions, night work will take place May 11–22, 2026. Immediately before the roundabout opens to traffic, a full weekend closure will occur on June 6–7, 2026 to complete final paving and tie in work.

This project is part of the City’s Eastside Arterial Project and will improve long term traffic flow and connectivity on Redmond’s east side.

The roundabout is tentatively scheduled for completion in the fall of 2026.

Construction updates, detour information, and phase schedules will be shared as work progresses. For more information about the Eastside Arterial Project please visit the website at www.redmondoregon.gov/eastsidearterial.

03/25/2026

I am grateful for our community members who stepped up to make these donations possible and the efforts of our Community Partner NeighborImpact! The need is still there so please keep helping these hardworking men and women as best you can!

When paychecks stop, the impact is immediate— our community steps up.

NeighborImpact provided more than $5,000 in gift cards to help local TSA officers and their families keep groceries on the table and everyday essentials within reach while pay remains disrupted.

At Redmond Municipal Airport, TSA officers continue reporting to work without pay due to a partial federal government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security. This disruption puts real pressure on basic needs like food, gas, and housing.

In response, RDMRedmondAirport is hosting a community donation drive, collecting nonperishable food, household essentials, and gift cards to support staff during this time. NeighborImpact contributed 70 gift cards valued at $75 each—one for every TSA employee affected.

NeighborImpact is grateful to Jersey Boys Pizzeria for hosting a fundraiser day in support of this effort, and to the community members who made targeted gifts to help purchase the gift cards. We’re proud to stand with our neighbors and support the people who keep our community moving. Jersey Boys Pizzeria

12/24/2025

A Holiday Message and Grace for the Past Year~

This year has been a lesson in grace — the kind we give, the kind we receive, and the kind we learn to extend to ourselves. Between the demands of public service, the constant motion of business, and the quiet, sacred responsibility of caring for family, especially my mom, I’ve been reminded again and again that strength doesn’t always look like momentum. Sometimes it looks like patience, presence, and choosing to keep showing up.

In politics, this year asked for resilience and clarity. It pushed me to listen more deeply, speak more intentionally, and stay rooted in the values that brought me into public service in the first place: community, accountability, and the belief that we can build something better together.

In business, it was a year of adapting, refining, and finding opportunity in unexpected places. I’m grateful for the clients, colleagues, and partners who trusted me to help them navigate complexity with honesty and creativity.

And at home, caring for my mom has been both grounding and humbling. It’s a reminder that the most important work we do is often the quietest — the kind that doesn’t show up in headlines or reports, but shapes who we are.

As we look toward the coming year, I’m carrying forward gratitude for the people who have walked alongside me, challenged me, supported me, and believed in the work. I’m hopeful for a year of deeper connection, clearer purpose, and continued service — in community, in business, and in family.

Wishing you a season filled with warmth, rest, and the kind of peace that lasts long after the holidays end. Here’s to grace behind us, hope ahead of us, and the good we’ll build together in the year to come.

Cat Zwicker