Recently, the Mayor and his staff have said that the City cannot allocate the $160 million in Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) funding that was previously attached to the development of a new North Police Precinct building to affordable housing. They’re wrong. On September 22, 2016, the Legislative Department’s Central Staff published a memo (summary here) which explains, at […]

Dear Sisters and Brothers, I sent the following press release tonight, in celebration of our victory, Blocking the Bunker! Congratulations to everyone who organized and fought for this big win, especially the activists with the #BlockTheBunker coalition! We will continue to organize to demand that $160 million be spent on affordable housing. In solidarity, Kshama   Councilmember […]

On September 12, 2016, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a resolution in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the nearly 200 allied tribes, numerous environmental organizations, and thousands of activists who have joined in the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. See my remarks below. Since April, despite a longstanding media blackout, we […]

On September 5, 2016, The Seattle Times reported about a glitch in the new billing system used by Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities which allowed customers to see other’s bills. Earlier today, Maura Brueger, the Director of Government & Legislative Affairs at Seattle City Light, sent the following Q&A to Councilmembers explaining the situation. The Q&A […]