North Bend mayor announces re-election bid during State of City address

Published 3:38 pm Wednesday, April 26, 2023

North Bend Mayor Rob McFarland announced Wednesday, April 26, that he will seek re-election to a second term in office.

McFarland publicly announced his candidacy to members of the SnoValley Chamber of Commerce at the conclusion of his yearly State of the City Address.

“I have one more announcement I’d like to make,” McFarland told business, political, school and tribal leaders as he closed his 30-minute speech inside the Snoqualmie Casino ballroom.

“As I reflect on the challenging start to my first term – in what turned out to be a global pandemic – I’m proud of the decisions that were made and the work that was done,” McFarland said. “And there’s more to do.

“So with that I am formally announcing that I will be seeking a second term.”

First taking office in January of 2020 – only a month before Washington had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 – McFarland’s term as mayor was marked by both unprecedented economic conditions and a rapidly changing city.

“Folks were scared. I was scared. Not only for potential illness, or worse, but what this could do to our community and our local businesses,” McFarland said of the pandemic during a speech earlier this year. “To be frank, it was an incredibly challenging start to my term.”

Upon election, McFarland, a 25-year resident of the city, succeeded Ken Hearing and became the city’s first new mayor in nearly two decades.

Alongside the uncertainty of the pandemic, the city has spearheaded several significant projects under McFarland’s administration.

The city changed its municipal code to pave the way for a six-story hotel in the outlet mall, approved the installation of a sewer system in the Meadowbrook neighborhood and have added over 400 units of multi-family housing since 2020.

The city is also on the precipice of closing a long coveted deal with the Sallal Water Association. Negotiations between Sallal and the city have been happening on-and-off for nearly two decades.

“The number one priority of my administration was to end the North Bend-Sallal dispute,” McFarland said during his speech Wednesday (April 26). “It is truly historic for our community.”

McFarland, a business and real estate consultant, holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resources and a masters in public administration. He has also previously held seats on North Bend’s planning and parks commissions.

It is unclear yet whether McFarland will face any challengers. Candidate filing in King County will not open until early May. Election day will be held Nov. 7.