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Sammamish council installs Karen Howe as mayor; Amy Lam named deputy mayor
Summary
At its first meeting of 2025 the Sammamish City Council accepted outgoing Mayor Kaylee Clark’s resignation as mayor for school reasons, elected Councilmember Karen Howe as mayor and selected Amy Lam as deputy mayor in voice votes.
Councilmembers on the Sammamish City Council voted to elevate Councilmember Karen Howe to mayor and to name Councilmember Amy Lam deputy mayor at the council’s first meeting of 2025.
The change followed an announcement from outgoing Mayor Kaylee Clark that she would step down from the mayoral role to focus on the final semester of law school. Councilmember Howe was nominated and confirmed by voice vote. Councilmember Lam was then nominated and confirmed as deputy mayor by voice vote.
Why it matters: The mayor and deputy mayor roles carry leadership duties for council meetings and representational responsibilities to regional bodies. The personnel change was handled on the council floor by nomination and voice vote; council members offered public thanks to Clark for her service before Howe assumed the chair.
Council members and staff who spoke during the transition praised Clark’s leadership. Councilmember Kent Treen, Councilmember Rosheen O’Farrell and others offered remarks of thanks before the vote. After the votes the meeting proceeded under Mayor Howe’s leadership.
The action needs no additional council ordinance; it was an internal reorganization of elected leadership confirmed by council vote.
The council also approved its meeting agenda and moved on to the regular agenda items.
