“I take this oath in gratitude and service, inspired by the kind of city I want for my grandchildren,” declared District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) City Councilmember Lisa Herbold this afternoon, right after taking the oath to start her second term. Her grandchildren, Jamaya and Jamil, were right there with her – Jamaya administered the oath, and Jamil fastened the customary pin. You can see Herbold’s oath and speech starting at 10:45 into the official Seattle Channel video:
Councilmember Herbold said her priorities, as set by District 1 voters, include fighting homelessness by doubling the investment in permanent supportive housing, progressive taxation including the high-earners’ income tax “in order to make property taxes, sales taxes, and taxes on small businesses less regressive.” Since Herbold will be chairing the committee overseeing public safety, it’s also notable that she listed as a priority that “We’re going to get back in full compliance with, and out from under, the consent decree, ensure constitutional policing, while also meeting our goals for Seattle Police Department staffing.” She also vowed to “increase access to transit, make all transportation options safer, and work to deliver Sound Transit 3 on time, and to mitigate disruption of D-1 neighborhoods.” Supporting “truly transit-oriented development” in The Junction and Delridge was on her priority list too. She promised to continue “truly superior constituent services,” too. After listing priorities, she declared that her November victory was a result of “people power,” saying that, “If we continue to mobilize like we have, our voices will change the status quo, wherever and whenever change is most needed.”
Herbold will serve as acting council president for part of this month, once the new president, Councilmember Lorena González (a West Seattleite who holds citywide Position 9 and is midway through her 4-year term) goes on maternity leave; councilmembers serve monthly rotations as president pro tem, and this year, Herbold is up first. González’s unanimous election as council president makes her the first Latinx person to serve in that role (more on that here); she became the council’s first Latinx member in 2015.
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