Monday, September 23
As Budget Cuts Loom, Mayor’s Staff Ballooned, Thanks to Workers On “Loan” From Other Departments
Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office has grown steadily despite the budget shortfall, thanks primarily to his practice of borrowing staff from other departments. These staff work in the mayor’s office, but are funded through other departments’ budgets, disguising the growth of Harrell’s office.
Seattle Nice: Social Housing vs. “Social Housing”
On this week’s Seattle Nice podcast, we debated the City Council’s decision to put a second measure on the February ballot to compete with the social housing initiative, which would provide around $50 million a year permanently affordable housing for people at a wide range of incomes. Sandeep says the alternative council’s proposal to allocate $10 million a year of existing money to traditional affordable housing is fiscally responsible, while I argue that it’s designed to kill social housing while keeping the amount Seattle spends on housing flat.
Tuesday, September 24
Council Committee Approves 24/7 Police Surveillance of Neighborhoods Across the City
Live police surveillance is on its way to neighborhoods across the city; this week, the council approved cameras in “hot spots” that overlap with the new “stay out” areas for drug users and sex workers, along with a “real time crime center” where police will monitor these cameras day and night. More than 40 years of studies have shown that CCTV cameras have no impact on violent crime, and are only marginally effective in solving car thefts when they are trained on parking lots.
Wednesday, September 25
Mayor Harrell released his budget plan this week, and—predictably—it avoids new taxes and tough decisions (like reducing the number of vacant but still funded police positions) by scooping up higher-than-anticipated JumpStart revenues and using them as an all-purpose funding source. I took a deep dive into the details of Harrell’s initial budget proposal, which now goes before a council that’s politically simpatico with the mayor.
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Thursday, September 26
New Agreement Redefines Power and Purpose of Regional Homelessness Authority
City officials have said it’s critical to change the King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s governance structure so elected officials have most of the power. But the changes the city and county adopted this week to an agreement that lays out the structure and purpose of the agency go far beyond governance, turning the KCRHA into a largely administrative entity that the city and county can leave or defund unilaterally.
Judge Dismisses Sheriff’s Lawsuit Over Burien’s Homelessness Policy
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the King County Sheriff’s Office challenging the city of Burien’s ban on sleeping outdoors, finding that the office—which provides police services to Burien through a contract—can’t prove they’ve been harmed by having to enforce a law they view as unconstitutional because they haven’t enforced the law.
Friday, September 27
PubliCola on News, Views, and Brews With Brian Callanan
I sat down with Brian Callanan—an Emmy Award-winning journalist whose job Harrell’s budget would eliminate, along with half the Seattle Channel’s staff—on his “News, Views, and Brews” podcast to discuss Harrell’s budget proposal.