Politics and Government

Kirkland Councilmember Penny Sweet makes the case for why Shilpa Prem should be her successor on Council. The Urbanist Elections Committee agreed and endorsed Prem, too.

Neighborhood groups are pushing back on additional density in Wallingford, West Seattle, and Queen Anne. An amendment from Alexis Mercedes Rinck to restore eight growth centers dropped from the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan at an earlier stage is front-and-center.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Robart granted the motion to terminate Seattle’s consent decree, ending a saga of federal police oversight that began 15 years ago. Community safety advocates say issues remain at the Seattle Police Department and more reforms are needed.

A press event in Ballard Tuesday was intended to bolster support for getting Seattle's next two light rail lines across the finish line. But rhetoric won't change the dynamics on the Sound Transit board, which feature suburban leaders just as dug in to prioritize the spine from Tacoma to Everett.

King County is capping school impact fees on multifamily projects, hoping to lessen the burden on homebuilders. The move sparked a debate on how to help overcapacity school districts while avoid undue burdens on builders.

Bellingham is ranked the fourth most unaffordable housing market in the nation, but it doesn’t have to be this way. The city must embrace pro-housing policies: easing zoning restrictions, cutting red tape, and investing in mixed-income development, writes Bellingham City Council candidate Andrew Reding. 

Last week, Mayor Bruce Harrell cleared a hurdle standing in the way of King County's plan to build a crisis care center in Seattle, as he issued a letter of conditional support, outlining an acceptable launch plan from his perspective. The County now must work to meet his terms to open the Capitol Hill facility on time in 2027.

The progressives running for the four Burien City Council seats up this year have the upper hand based on primary results. Sam Méndez, Hugo Garcia, Sarah Moore, and Rocco DeVito will have to close the deal in November to flip the council.