Monthly Archives: May 2025

Governor Bob Ferguson blocked efforts to tax the rich, pushing Democrats to implement austerity cuts that included raising the cost of child care and cutting early learning. A weakened social safety net makes the state less prepared to weather further Trump chaos.

Seattle Councilmember Cathy Moore announced Friday that she is withdrawing her proposal weakening the City’s ethics rules, pledging to fine-tune the idea and bring it back. Collin Thrower lays out why she is on the wrong track.

Councilmember Maritza Rivera's last-minute proposal would require additional public outreach and documentation for light rail permit applications. The underlying bill had been intended to cut red rape. After pushback from Councilmembers Rinck and Strauss, the vote was delayed a week.

The idea of building affordable housing at Magnolia's former Army base has been in the works for two decades. With a key comment deadline passing this month, it's finally set to advance, but several major hurdles loom over the coming months.

Mayor Bruce Harrell’s $1.3 billion education levy is set to go to the ballot in November, but it could be weighed down by a controversial proposal to put police officers back in Seattle schools. Meanwhile, Harrell’s draft school safety plan has stalled out, which is drawing criticism from school board leaders that the City’s approach is ill-defined.

Important questions remain despite a newly unearthed report, including how police first obtained sensitive medical information, why the City’s inspector general continued to be directly involved, despite recusal due to conflict of interest, and why the Mayor’s Office opted to hire and accept the findings of another external consultant, following the original investigation’s sustained allegations.

The Urbanist will be co-hosting a Seattle candidate forum on June 4th in Beacon Hill along with allied housing and transportation organizations. It will be a fantastic chance to hear from candidates for Seattle Mayor and City Council. RSVP today!

Kenmore is considering a mandatory inclusionary zoning policy that would not be paired with funding or incentives — passing affordability costs onto homebuilders. But, in a shift away from the Planning Commission’s recommendation, the City Council directed staff to draft a policy that would encourage smaller, more affordable homes while requiring larger (typically pricier) new homes to include affordable units or pay a fee.