Politics and Government

As Seattle enters an era where fewer builders are lining up to build office towers and residential skyscrapers, the city's permit department is scrambling to catch up. Despite last-minute concerns raised Monday around a 18% permit fee increase, that change is poised to take effect next year.

While the Seattle City Council has recently stifled opportunity for public participation and dissent, Seattle Public Schools is even further along, having already adopted many of the same undemocratic practices now seen at City Hall.

Join The Urbanist for a Campaign Volunteer Training Session to support our endorsed candidates. We have two dates in August: one in Seattle and one in Redmond.

Governor Bob Ferguson should sign HB 1232 into law and immediately make use of the enforcement mechanisms it contains to stop unconstitutional detentions at ICE’s Tacoma Processing Center. The State should also impose fines on the for-profit corporate jailer to discourage the violations.

A recent poll found Seattle would support a $1.9 billion transportation levy focused on fix-it-first and safety investments, but the City's proposal currently sits at $1.45 billion.

The Seattle City Council is queuing up a debate on appropriate wages for service workers at smaller employers. At the behest of restaurant owners, Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth is seeking to cancel a scheduled minimum wage increase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfaCfLjpAHc This month's meetup featured Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce CEO Rachel Smith. The Urbanist discussed the state transportation package and other legislative priorities with...

As part of our endorsement process at The Urbanist, we ask candidates to complete a standard questionnaire to better understand and evaluate their positions...