An interview with Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson, federal cuts that could leave thousands homeless, the city council adopts a budget that pushes off hard choices, and much more.
Monday, November 17
Federal Funding Changes Could Make Thousands of People in Seattle Homeless
Changes to the type of homelessness programs the Department of Housing and Urban Development will fund could slash most federal funding for permanent housing in Seattle—a shift that will force the city and King County to come up with new funding sources or allow thousands of people to fall into homelessness starting next year. We took a deep dive into the local implications of the changes.
Seattle Nice: Did Katie Wilson Win or Did Bruce Harrell Lose?
On this week’s show, we debated how Katie Wilson won the mayor’s race, why she won it, and how incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell tried to keep her from winning it. We also discussed Harrell’s claims, during and after his concession speech, that there had been “anomalies” in King County Elections’ vote count and his insistence to the end that it’s “offensive” to ask whether he understands the affordability challenges Seattle residents face in 2025.
Tuesday, November 18
County Executive-Elect Zahilay’s Layoff Proposal Shocks Some Longtime Staff
Incoming King County Executive Girmay Zahilay is the first new executive in 16 years, and he’s shaking up the executive’s office and county departments, announcing around 100 layoffs last week. Some staff reported feeling shocked and demoralized by the changes, which Zahilay’s transition team says are a normal part of every election.
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Wednesday, November 19
The city council made a number of last-minute changes after mayor-elect Wilson was elected, including provisions designed to force the new mayor to preserve the encampment-sweeping Unified Care Team, which has swelled to 116 members. The budget also bans the city from spending money on harm reduction supplies for drug users (except needle exchange, which has reached a degree of cultural acceptance even among centrists), and requires incoming city attorney Erika Evans to preserve her predecessor Ann Davison’s approach to misdemeanor drug crimes.
Thursday, November 20
Seattle Nice Interviews Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson!
We had Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson on Seattle Nice this week for a wide-ranging interview about her priorities as mayor—as well as how she plans to deal with the massive budget deficits set up by Mayor Bruce Harrell and the city council and the constraints the council has placed on her administration.
Friday, November 21
The “audit the budget” cohort of councilmembers elected in 2023 haven’t cut spending as they promised during their campaigns. Instead, they’ve approved most of the new programs Mayor Harrell has proposed while adding their own. The result is a budget that plunges into nine-figure deficits starting in 2027, when incoming mayor Katie Wilson will have to figure out how to address the budget cliff her predecessor, and the council, kept pushing off.
In a packed Friday Afternoon Fizz, we reported on King County Regional Homelessness Authority CEO Kelly Kinnison’s visit, with The More We Love director Kristine Moreland, to learn about a Christian recovery program for homeless people in Baltimore; Mayor-Elect Wilson’s plans to simplify and reorgnize the mayor’s office; who will be the next City Council president; and my appearance on a recent episode of City Cast, the new podcast about Seattle.
