Elections & Endorsements

With a 24% raise and backpay, Seattle police officers are collectively earning an extra $96 million in compensation from the City in 2024. City leaders hope to spur hiring, but the contract did little to increase police accountability and blew a bigger hole in the City's quarter-billion-dollar budget deficit.

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.

Touting her working class roots and policy chops, Alexis Mercedes Rinck is mounting a challenge against Councilmember Tanya Woo. She hopes to unite labor and progressives against the business-backed appointee.

City leaders are weighing laxer hiring standards rather than improving SPD's culture and accountability systems. But SPD's bad reputation could be the bigger drag on hiring – not to mention safety outcomes.

After her bill failed Tuesday, Councilmember Morales said: "My Connected Communities legislation would have produced more affordable housing, commercial affordability, and anti-displacement measures right now. I’m incredibly disappointed in its failure to pass today."

Chair Tammy Morales appeared flabbergasted as she initially failed to get a second to her motion to introduce her bill providing incentives for affordable housing.

Shaun Scott sat down with The Urbanist to make his case for the 43rd Legislative District seat and lay out his top priorities in office, which included funding affordable housing, grappling with Long Covid, and advancing civilian emergency response alternatives.

Mayor Harrell and the city council are contemplating budget cuts and raiding JumpStart payroll tax revenue to address a $230 million budget deficit. But nonprofit leaders are warning of the impact of reducing affordable housing funding.