Changes come to City Hall, false rumors about drug prosecutions proliferate, and much more in the first full week of the new year.
Monday, January 5
Katie Wilson Wants a City Where People Can Do More than Just Survive
As Katie Wilson takes office, we reflected on her inauguration—a hopeful event heavily attended by regular people—and her commitment to try to make Seattle a city where people can live full, creative lives, not just balance their budget ledgers.
Mayor Wilson’s Team Grows With Addition of High-Profile Reformers and Housing Leaders
Wilson continued to build out her team at city hall this week, hiring high-profile staffers including interim public safety and homelessness advisor Lisa Daugaard, who created the LEAD diversion program; public safety director Alison Holcomb, a longtime civil rights lawyer and advocate; and homelessness director Jon Grant, a staffer at LIHI who ran for city council and once led the Tenants Union.
Tuesday, January 6
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes told officers last week to begin referring most people caught using or possessing drugs in public to LEAD—a misstatement of a memo from new City Attorney Erika Evans, who told her own staff to consider all drug-related referrals from SPD for LEAD. Barnes later claimed that his memo about the “change” in policy did not reflect any policy change at all—but police union head Mike Solan had already sounded the alarm with right-wing media, which reported that Wilson had halted all arrests for drug offenses.
SPD Chief Barnes Hires Two Harrell Staffers to Executive Positions
With Wilson in office for less than a week, Barnes (a Bruce Harrell appointee Wilson chose to retain) announced he had hired two new staffers to replace two top civilian staff he fired last year. Both of the new staffers came directly from Harrell’s office. The two fired staffers, Rebecca Boatright and Brian Maxey, filed a tort claim against the city, alleging retaliation and discrimination.
Saka Hires Ex-Cop Who Ran for Council
City Councilmember Rob Saka, who has had trouble retaining staff, just hired Brendan Kolding—a former city council candidate who endorsed Saka’s opponent in 2023. Kolding, a former SPD lieutenant, resigned after an investigation concluded he had harassed a coworker and lied about it to the police chief.
Wednesday, January 7
New Year, New City Hall: Progressives Take Office, City Council Reorganizes
A week of inaugurations wrapped up in city council chambers on Tuesday with the swearing-in of new Seattle City Councilmember Dionne Foster, along with reelected Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, and the selection (which we previewed in a Fizz item in November) of District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth as the new city council president.
Thursday, January 8
Legislators Must Save Washington’s Talking Book and Braille Library
In a guest op/ed, Anna Zivarts, the author of When Driving Isn’t an Option, Steering Away from Car Dependency, urges state lawmakers to save a critical resource for blind and low-vision readers, and anyone who wants to read or write in braille.
Friday, January 9
Mayor Replaces More Harrell Department Heads
Mayor Wilson replaced two more Harrell-appointed leaders this week, removing the directors of the Office of Economic Development and the head of the city’s finance office. For the latter position, she picked Dwight Dively—a longtime city and county budget staffer who was hired away by former county executive Dow Constantine 15 years ago.
SPOG President Endorses Mini-Mike
After announcing that he won’t seek reelection, Seattle Police Officers Guild endorsed a candidate who sounds like a man after his own heart—Ken Loux, a 10-year SPD officer who says SPD is under siege by the left.
Tanya Woo, running for state legislature in the 37th District? Maybe—or so we hear!
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That Rob Saka just gets better and better as his term ages, doesn’t he? He truly is a fine wine.