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West Seattle politics 2254 results

SUNDAY PREVIEW: West Seattle Indivisible’s two-part meeting

The leaders of West Seattle Indivisible say their membership is continuing to grow, so they’ve announced a two-part meeting for tomorrow (Sunday, March 23):

West Seattle Indivisible Meeting
Sunday, March 23
South Seattle College CAB cafeteria [campus map]
Newcomers: 1:30-3:20
General Meeting (newcomers welcome!) 3-4:30
Use north entrance
Free parking in North Lot
Free, but donations are needed and welcome

VIDEO: Here’s what happened when City Council Transportation Committee heard/talked about West Seattle (and Ballard) light rail

(If you’re having trouble seeing the video, go here)

That’s the Seattle Channel recording of the meeting during which the City Council’s Transportation Committee, chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, got an update on the Sound Transit projects intended to bring light rail to West Seattle in 2032 and Ballard in 2039. Briefers were two managers from Sound Transit and members of the city team that’s involved with various aspects of the projects (one noted that more than 20 city departments are involved in one way or another).

Toplines included Saka saying he had sent a letter to Sound Transit yesterday (we requested a copy and just received it) but also describing himself as a “proud and enthusiastic supporter” of the projects. Minutes later in the public-comment section, Jordan Crawley of the Alki Beach Academy day care/preschool, one of the dozens of West Seattle businesses facing displacement because of the project, told the council that while their predecessors had worked closely with him and others, these councilmembers didn’t seem interested: “We don’t need letters of support or kind words, we need action.” (Crawley also clarified that he too supports the projects, but businesses facing displacement need more championing from the city.)

When Sound Transit’s Brad Owen and Jason Hampton led their briefing (here’s the slide deck), money was a big part of the discussion. Saka asked them to clearly state the current estimated cost for the West Seattle extension (around $7 billion) compared to the previous estimate ($4 billion). What share of that cost would the city have to foot? Saka asked. The ST reps said the city’s contribution was primarily two-fold – the plan to speed up permitting would save time, and time is money for ST; there had been talk (as reported a few years back) of “third-party funding” to help cover the costs of preferred plans – for example, tunneling into The Junction rather than elevated. What would that look like? they were asked. “Various” possibilities was the answer – some of which “might require voter approval.” All this is expected to come into clearer view this fall.

The city team (here’s their slide deck), in addition to noting the breadth of city involvement, gave some West Seattle examples of what they’re involved with, such as planning Pigeon Point environmental mitigation (the preferred alternative for the light-rail-only Duwamish River bridge would cut into the forested face of the point).

SUPPLEMENTAL READING: City Council central staff’s memo for today’s meeting delves more deeply into some of the issues.

VIDEO: From transit safety to international angst, here’s what the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce heard from King County Executive Dow Constantine

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Whether he is or isn’t Sound Transit‘s next CEO, King County Executive Dow Constantine didn’t say much about ST when he spoke to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce this past Thursday.

Not that they asked him to – the announced theme was “King County Conversations,” and it was likely the last time Constantine would speak to the group as County Executive, a job he’s leaving after four 4-year terms. Here’s our video of what he said, after the Chamber’s executive director Rachel Porter introduced him; our summary follows:

He opened with some personal info, as if he were a new arrival introducing himself for the first time, rather than a quarter-century-plus veteran of elected office. He noted his dietary discipline (vegan, as was the lunch buffet catered by Peninsula Soul Food), his first job (Alki Spud), his daughter and parents’ ages (10 and nineties), among other datapoints. And he noted that he’s served as county executive through “global financial meltdowns, the pandemic, three governors, four presidential administrations, seven (Seattle) mayors … It’s been an interesting experience … the challenges we face are significant and often daunting.” Those challenges are ever-changing, he added.

First one he addressed was public safety, particularly on transit.

Read More

WEEK AHEAD: Q&A with local legislators during ‘telephone town hall’ Monday night

State legislators are in the second half of a session with some huge decisions yet to be made, and you have the chance tomorrow night to hear updates from local legislators as well as ask questions and offer comments about what they should do. The three legislators who represent the 34th District – including West Seattle, White Center, and Vashon/Maury Islands – are having a “telephone town hall” tomorrow night (Monday, March 17). This is an audio-only event, 6-7 pm, with State Senator Emily Alvarado and State House Representatives Joe Fitzgibbon (who is also House Majority Leader) and Brianna Thomas. Many phones in the district should ring right at 6 pm with the invitation to join the meeting; if you don’t get the call, or if you just want to proactively call in anyway, at 6 pm call 855-756-7520 and enter 120781# when prompted for the extension number. (You’ll also find that info in our calendar listing for the “telephone town hall.”)

VIDEO: Candidates and a tribute @ 34th District Democrats

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

What the feds won’t do – any more – the locals are going to have to.

That theme emerged in a variety of ways at Wednesday night’s meeting of our area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, facilitated by the group’s chair Jordan Crawley.

First, the pre-meeting presentation featured the local resistance group West Seattle Indivisible. Then, our area’s County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda touted local government’s support for areas hit by the federal budget ax – housing, worker protections, equity:

Two of Mosqueda’s fellow County Councilmembers spoke too, but in a different capacity – as candidates to succeed King County Executive Dow Constantine, who is not running for re-election. This wasn’t a formal candidate forum; 34th DD meetings often offer the microphone to candidates who want to make their pitch.

First was Councilmember Claudia Balducci from the Eastside, who declared, “I fundamentally believe in the powe of government, especially local government, to make lives better,” before decrying the federal slashing of services and spending. “We can’t do everything, but we can protect the people most at risk,” she said, adding that local government needs to “stand up for our values,” so if the president, for example, threatens to take away funding unless those values are cast aside, go ahead and dare him.

Balducci, a Sound Transit board member, noted that she might be “most famous for fighting and winning the battle of light rail” on the Eastside, and declared, “I can’t wait to push to get light rail to West Seattle!” (That was greeted by a whoop.)

Next was County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay, whose district is in South King County. He declared the KC Executive position to be the “single most important and powerful local office in the entire state of Washington.” He also said he’s running because of the potential of our region, which welcomed Zahilay and his family as refugees from Sudan when he was three years old. He then listed challenges – opportunities on the decline, the Trump Administration “threaten(ing) every value we have,” the housing shortage – and proclaimed that the next County Executive “has to ensure that King County is a beacon of hope and opportunity for the entire nation.”

Balducci and Zahilay were the only two County Executive candidates on Wednesday night’s agenda, but not the only candidates – five others running for election or re-election took the microphone too. Two were Port of Seattle Commissioners running for re-election – and they too spoke about defiance of D.C. Position 1 incumbent Ryan Calkins said that after “mourn(ing) a bit” following the November election, “we doubled down” on commitments such as green energy:

Position 3 incumbent Port Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed also observed that “local elected officials must hold the line” during “unprecedented times”:

Three City of Seattle candidates followed, starting with mayoral hopeful Ry Anderson. They warned of the dangers of hopelessness: “We have to empower the next generation to not give up.” And about services the feds may be abandoning: “The National Labor Relations Board may be (doomed), so we need to pick that up.”

Armstrong also nodded to the civil-rights curtailments of the D.C. administration, suggesting “the best way to give Trump (the finger) is to elect a trans mayor.”

Two candidates for citywide City Council Position 9 were next, challenging incumbent Council President Sara Nelson. First, Dionne Foster told the 34th DDs that all three of the district’s state legislators already support her. She described herself as a “first-time candidate” (but former city policy adviser) and steadfast champion of “progressive values” and “real results”:

Another Council Position 9 candidate, Ray Rogers, also called himself a “first-time candidate” and spoke of people power: “With you, we can get the job done.” He promised he would work tirelessly – “the first one to get there and the last one to leave.”

We won’t know the full primary-election fields for these and other positions until after the official Filing Week in May; primary voting will end on

The final spotlight of the night shone on a former elected official, Joe Nguyen, appointed as state Commerce Director after serving a term and a half as 34th District State Senator. Aaron Garcia of the White Center Community Development Association was first to speak in tribute, declaring, “Joe showed up.” Garcia’s predecessor as WCCDA executive director, Sili Savusa, spoke too, as did Seattle Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa and former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels:

The traits they celebrated differed – Hasegawa hailed Nguyen as “a progressive elected voice” while Nickels said he became a “very enthusiastic supporter” despite having told Nguyen flat-out “you’re way too liberal for me.”

NEXT MEETING: The 34th DDs meet on second Wednesdays, sometimes in person, sometimes online only, so next meeting will be April 9th; you can watch for updates at 34dems.org.

WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Next briefing @ City Council Transportation Committee on Tuesday

(Image from Final Environmental Impact Statement for West Seattle Link Extension)

Your next chance for an update on West Seattle light rail is 9:30 am Tuesday (March 18), when a briefing on Sound Transit‘s West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions is the major item on the agenda for the City Council Transportation Committee, chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka. The ST presenters’ slide deck can be previewed here; also scheduled to present is the city’s team focused on the project, and their slide deck is here. The agenda document explains how to watch/attend the meeting, either in person at City Hall or online via Seattle Channel, and how to participate in the public-comment period.

WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Bill raising reimbursement limit passes State House

Last month we told you about Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) proprietor Erin Rubin and others speaking in support of State House Bill 1733, which would increase the allowable amount of reimbursement if you’re going to be displaced by a project like Sound Transit light rail. State House Rep. Brianna Thomas‘s office sends word that HB 1733 passed out of the House on a unanimous vote Tuesday. Rep. Thomas and our area’s other state House Rep., Joe Fitzgibbon, are among the sponsors. Next, the bill goes to the State Senate. Here’s the latest version; it would raise the limit to $200,000, from the current $50,000, and allow future increases based on inflation. Rep. Thomas’s update summarizes it as follows:

This bill increases financial assistance for people, businesses, farms, and nonprofits forced to relocate due to government projects. Under this bill, displaced individuals and organizations can receive payments to cover moving expenses, lost property, and the costs of finding a new location. The bill also allows eligible individuals to opt for a fixed payment instead of itemized reimbursements, providing more flexibility in how they manage their relocation.

FOLLOWUP: Vehicle-noise camera-enforcement bill advances in State Legislature

During today’s weekly “briefing meeting,” the City Council, as usual, got updates on the State Legislature bills the city’s been tracking. Noting that legislators are now past the midpoint – 57 days into this year’s 105-day session – the city’s legislative liaisons said that the main bill to allow a “vehicle-noise enforcement-camera” pilot program has advanced; the state House passed HB 1423 57-40. District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who’s been advocating for that bill as a potential tool for problems in neighborhoods including Alki, asked the briefers what’s next. They said that though there’s a Senate version of the bill, the House bill is the “main vehicle” for this proposal, so it will likely have a public hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee sometime soon.

P.S. Our area’s state legislators – Sen. Emily Alvarado and Reps. Joe Fitzgibbon (who voted for the noise-camera bill) and Brianna Thomas (who voted against it) – plan a “telephone town hall” next Monday, March 17, at 6 pm. People throughout the district will get a call at that time inviting participation, but you can also call in; this page explains how.

ELECTION 2025: Another levy vote this year – Democracy Voucher levy renewal/increase proposed for August ballot

Another property-tax levy renewal is proposed for a vote this year. Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that he wants to renew the levy for the Democracy Voucher program, originally approved by voters in 2015 and launched with 2017 city elections. From the announcement:

checkbox.jpg… The program is administered by the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) which sends four $25 democracy vouchers to eligible residents during municipal election cycles. Residents then donate their vouchers to qualifying campaigns, which are redeemed for the assigned value.

Since the program’s inception, Seattle has had among the highest rates of people contributing to candidates in the country. More than 106,000 residents have contributed vouchers to candidates, distributing over $10 million to local campaigns through 2024.

The program is also popular with candidates running for city office and has led to more competitive races. Between 2017-2024, 76% of candidates who appeared on the primary election ballot and 89% of candidates on the general election ballot participated in the program.

Mayor Harrell’s proposal would renew the program by levying a $45 million property tax over 10 years, costing the median assessed value Seattle homeowner about $12.20 a year. The proposal has been transmitted to the City Council for consideration and referral to voters for the August primary.

If voters approve the ballot measure, the Mayor, City Council, and SEEC will convene a workgroup in early 2026 to make recommendations on program improvements to reach more residents in diverse communities and empower local campaigns by addressing the role of Political Action Committee (PACs) in municipal elections.

The initiative that created the program was approved by 63 percent of city voters a decade ago. At the time, it was described as costing “the average homeowner about $8 a year.” raising about $30 million over 10 years.

FOLLOWUP: Cameras to crack down on vehicle noise? Legislature hasn’t hit the brakes so far

That’s Seattle Channel video of today’s City Council briefing meeting, which – as is usual this time of year – included an update on proposed state legislation that the city is watching. Among the bills mentioned today: HB 1423, which would allow cities to try out vehicle-noise-enforcement cameras. District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka has taken extra interest in this one because of the issues on Alki and Harbor Avenues, so he asked for extra details. The council’s Legislature-focused staffers told him the bill was still alive, but with some changes, including redefining it as a potential pilot program expiring in 2028, adding various reporting requirements for cities that try it, and limiting it to cities of a current size (Seattle would still qualify). Meantime, Alki Community Council president Charlotte Starck sent a bulletin to other community advocates tonight urging wide support for HB 1423 and its counterpart SB 5417, as well as requesting signatures on this new Change.org petition.

FOLLOWUP: Restroom report reviewed by City Council committee

By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Last night we told you about the City Auditor’s report on the state of Seattle park restrooms. This afternoon, that report was presented by the Auditor to the City Council’s Parks, Public Utilities, and Technology Committee, with response from Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR). The audit details the challenges of providing restrooms that are clean, safe, and open, while reacting to unprecedented levels of vandalism and low staffing levels.

“It’s not an easy thing to keep 129 park restrooms in good working order,” acknowledged Auditor David G Jones. Cleaning has been a challenge, but vandalism has really affected operations, closing restrooms regularly for repairs. “Some restrooms are getting hit harder and more often than others.” He noted that right now 20 restrooms account for 60% of the maintenance. Councilmember Maritza Rivera wondered why there’s been such an increase in vandalism, while Councilmember Robert Kettle asked if there might be ways to use design to deter damage.

Parks Superintendent AP Diaz acknowledged the toll of ongoing damage and arsons, and then offered up some of the ways that it could be reduced. Among other things, he said restroom attendants are now being considered. They would staff high-volume restrooms that are frequently damaged, like Cal Anderson. “We believe that might be a solution for these hotspot areas.”

As they look to replace one park restroom this year following arson, Diaz said Parks staff are looking at approaches like Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design that Councilmember Kettle mentioned when they design the replacement building. They’re looking at lighting, whether the building is obscured behind trees, etc. “Are there some aesthetic things we can do to improve it?” asked Diaz. He said that it’s essential to focus on design that will discourage vandalism, or “you’re just setting yourself up” for more. Parks is also looking to use more resilient and fire-resistant materials, along with stronger hardware.

(Mural by Juliana Kang Robinson, installed on Walt Hundley Playfield restroom building last September)

Councilmember Rivera mentioned a grant in 2023 that funded murals on 18 park restrooms, and asked if that had decreased tagging at those locations. Parks said it had made a noticeable difference. “That’s something we should grow,” agreed Diaz. “My dream would be to continue that.” But he also said SPR needs “help from the public by treating these places with respect.” Committee Chair Joy Hollingsworth concurred. “It’s on us and the community as well. It takes all of us, not just our parks department.”

Overall, Parks’ response to the audit and plans to improve operations did not draw any criticism from the Councilmembers, but the committee is expecting to receive a full update on progress from Seattle Parks and Recreation a year from now.

See the full briefing and discussion in the Seattle Channel meeting video here.

FOLLOWUP: Here’s the mayor’s promised executive order, hoping to speed up West Seattle light rail

(Image from Final Environmental Impact Statement for West Seattle Link Extension, page 176 of appendix N.2)

As reported here two days ago, Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s State of the City speech on Tuesday included a mention that he planned an executive order aimed at accelerating Sound Transit light rail expanded to West Seattle and Ballard. (Currently, the WS extension is expected to open 2032, while the Ballard date is 2039.) When we followed up with his office about the details, they said the actual order would be out later in the week – and now we have it. Read the executive order here. It still is short on actual details of what kind of zoning changes will be proposed, among other things, saying only “In 2025 and 2026, my administration will develop several bodies of legislation, including land use code amendments, formal adoption of the ST3 projects, and necessary real property transactions to allow the projects to proceed as quickly as possible.” The order also says that while there’s currently a team with 20 full-time city employees focused on ST3 (the ballot measure that included the West Seattle/Ballard extensions), that will be multiplied: “The detailed plan will identify up to 50 additional staff in various City departments who will collaborate with Sound Transit on project design and engineering, environmental review and project permitting, and construction management and project impact mitigation, as well as lead on station area planning and access projects to support the new light rail station communities.” Read the announcement about the executive order here.

STATE OF THE CITY: Mayor wants to speed up West Seattle light rail

We haven’t had a chance to watch Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s entire State of the City address yet (that’s the ~50 minutes of video above, courtesy of Seattle Channel), delivered today at noon – we saw the start and the finish, but had to go check out the South Delridge gunfire scene in the middle. However, a quick look at the summary provided by the mayor’s office yielded this point of interest:

Expediting light rail expansion: Mayor Harrell will issue an Executive Order this week to support faster delivery of light rail expansion to West Seattle and Ballard. The mayor will propose legislation that could speed up delivery by more than a year and the City will create the Office of Waterfront, Civic Projects & Sound Transit, which will orchestrate up to 50 staff in supporting project design and engineering, station area planning, and more.

We subsequently asked mayoral spokesperson Callie Craighead for details, and she said those would be forthcoming in a few days: “We will be announcing the Sound Transit Executive Order later this week, so more to come on that.” The “prepared remarks” version of his speech used this verbiage:

Growing our transit network with fast, reliable service is one of my highest priorities, and Sound Transit 3 is the largest transit expansion in the country. That’s why, this week, I will issue an Executive Order to make sure the City of Seattle is taking immediate action to safely and efficiently expedite delivery of light rail to West Seattle and Ballard.

Our efforts will include a newly expanded Office of Waterfront, Civic Projects & Sound Transit, led by Director Angela Brady, which will be at the center of orchestrating a surge in staff of up to 50 City employees supporting project design and engineering, station area planning, and more.

We will propose new pieces of legislation to ease the permitting process – maintaining essential safety protections while reducing burdens and barriers to shorten project schedules. This work could save more than a year of project time.

Our region is clamoring for light rail expansion – this Executive Order represents the City’s pledge to do our part to get it done as quickly as possible.

Currently, the West Seattle expansion is projected for completion late in 2032, but there are myriad milestones to achieve first, not the least of which is funding, including federal dollars.

TUESDAY: Transit safety, levy spending @ Councilmember Rob Saka’s Transportation Committee

Since this’ll start before we publish tomorrow morning’s daily event list, we’re mentioning it tonight: 9:30 am tomorrow (Tuesday, February 18), the City Council’s Transportation Committee – chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka – takes on two big topics: Transit safety – with a multi-agency/department roundtable – and the transportation levy’s spending plan for this year. We reported toplines of the latter here, after a media briefing last month. You can see the presentations for both, and get information on how to comment to the committee if you want to, via the agenda. The meeting will be viewable on Seattle Channel.

ELECTION 2025: Where ballot measures stand, with most votes counted, plus other stats of interest

checkbox.jpgAfter four rounds of ballot counts, most of the votes cast in Tuesday’s special election have been tallied. King County Elections has received 38.5 percent of the ballots it sent out, and counted 35 percent. In the Seattle Public Schools levy-renewal votes, Prop 1, the operations levy, has 81 percent approval – up from 77 percent election night – while Prop 2, the BEX VI capital levy, has 75 percent approval, up from 71 on election night. On the City of Seattle multi-part measure about “social housing” funding, the first part – whether to fund it at all – has 72 percent approval, up from 68 percent on election night, while the second part has 1A, a new tax for companies with $1m-plus earners, getting 62 percent approval, up from 57 percent on election night.

Other stats of interest are viewable via the ballot return statistics, which are spread across 12 pages, not just the return stats. Page 5, for example, shows via a shaded map which precincts had the highest turnout (we found 34-1465 west of The Junction with 53 percent of ballots in so far; page 3 shows that 52 percent of ballots have come in via drop boxes and 48 percent via USPS Mail; page 8 shows that the West Seattle Junction drop box is the fourth busiest in the city (surpassed only by Ballard, Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill, and Green Lake).

The February election results will be finalized and certified on Friday (February 21).

ELECTION 2025: One of the next levies you’ll vote on

While we wait for the second round of February election returns, there’s another levy renewal headed toward the August ballot: The next version of the King County Parks Levy. This renewal proposal was announced Tuesday by King County Executive Dow Constantine (who will NOT be on that ballot, as he’s not running for re-election). This levy provides funding for a wide array of parks and other sites/programs, as detailed here. It’s a six-year levy that goes to all county voters, regardless of whether you’re in a city or not; the expiring levy funds about 80 percent of King County Parks’ budget. This chart has some of the key dollar amounts, including that the $17 cost per month for the average homeowner would represent “increase of $3.44 per household per month from the (current) King County Parks Levy.” It’s up to the King County Council to finalize it and send it to the August countywide ballot.

ELECTION RESULTS: Here’s what Seattle voters did about school levies, ‘social housing’ measures

(WSB photo – Morgan Junction dropbox earlier tonight)

The voting is over and the first round of vote-counting is done.

First, the Seattle social-housing measure. So far “yes, fund it” is leading in a big way in the first part of this city measure, and in the second part, 1A – fund it with a new tax on companies with a certain salary size – is beating 1B, fund it by diverting part of an existing tax.

Proposition Nos. 1A and 1B – Seattle social-housing funding
Yes 64,220 68.32%
No 29,779 31.68%

Proposition 1A – 50,002 – 57.55%
Proposition 1B – 36,876 – 42.45%

Next, the Seattle Public Schools levies, both winning approval:

Proposition 1 – Educational Programs and Operations levy
Yes – 71,996 – 77.71%
No – 20,648 – 22.29%

Proposition 2 – BEX VI capital levy
Yes – 66,656 – 71.91%
No – 26,032 – 28.09%

All of those results reflect 19 percent of ballots; so far, King County Elections reports receiving 26 percent of Seattle voters’ ballots. Next results will be out Wednesday afternoon.

ELECTION DAY: Four tax votes on your ballot – vote by tonight

checkbox.jpgBefore we get to the rest of what’s up for today and tonight, one more reminder – it’s Election Day, the deadline for you to vote on two Seattle Public Schools levies and a two-part City of Seattle measure on how, or whether, to pay for “social housing.”

The school levies are the 6-year, $1.8 billion Building Excellence Capital Levy (BEX VI for short) and the 3-year, $750 million Educational Programs and Operations Levy. How their approval would affect property taxes is explained by the district on this page – it’s somewhat complex, depending on whether the Legislature allows the district to collect more than the current limit.

The two-part city measure first asks you whether funding should be approved for the (created after approval in a previous election) Seattle Social Housing Developer, and regardless of whether you vote yes or no on that, which type of funding it should get if funded – a new tax on companies with wealthy employees, or diversion of part of an existing payroll tax.

You probably know how this next part goes – get your ballot into a King County drop box (West Seattle has four) by 8 pm, or get it into USPS mail really early in the day to ensure it’ll have today’s postmark. As of early this morning, King County Elections had received only 20 percent of Seattle ballots.

SUNDAY PREVIEW: West Seattle Indivisible

(Photo courtesy Caroline Goodell)

“We are biased — our bias is toward democracy,” Caroline Goodell says about West Seattle Indivisible, which sent WSB an announcement to let the community know about their meeting Sunday afternoon (February 9). “Our democracy is under threat,” she told WSB by phone. “Our intention is to stand together and fight back in defense of our rights, our communities, and our values.” While the group doesn’t currently organize protests, Goodell says members have participated in demonstrations and encourage civic engagement through actions like calling and writing to senators, in-person advocacy, and voter education. They provide a space for community members to come together, discuss issues and commit to tangible steps toward change. The group meets every two weeks, typically on Sundays. Meetings include check-ins and action-based discussions, where participants gather at tables focused on different political issues and commit to specific actions before the next session. The next meeting is tomorrow from 2:30-4 p.m. at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW).

ELECTION 2025: Last weekend to vote on housing, school measures

February 7, 2025 2:11 pm
|    Comments Off on ELECTION 2025: Last weekend to vote on housing, school measures
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

checkbox.jpgIs your ballot for the February 11 election gathering dust on a table or shelf? This weekend is prime time to get it into a King County Elections drop box or USPS mail. Tuesday evening is the deadline for votes to count – 8 pm is when the drop boxes close, or mail it early in the day to ensure it’ll be postmarked for Tuesday. West Seattle has four drop boxes – by Morgan Junction Park along the west side of California SW about a block north of Fauntleroy, by High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), in the West Seattle Junction (south side of SW Alaska just east of 44th), and at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW, take one of the main entrances, it’s right out front of the admin building). Here are our stories on the decisions you have to make on this ballot – a multi-part city measure about funding social housing (our story is here) and two Seattle Public Schools levies (our story is here). Both are renewals, one for operational funding, the other for capital funding (BEX VI), with only one major project proposed in West Seattle this time, a $50 million addition at Chief Sealth International HS for career/technical education.

REMINDER: City Council’s Comprehensive Plan/rezoning hearing tonight, in-person and online

We didn’t publish a daily event list today because of the weather coverage, but here’s a last-minute reminder that the biggest event on the list is still on – the City Council’s public hearing on the proposed city rezoning plan and other components of the Comprehensive Plan Update. You can either go to City Hall to comment in person or sign up to do it online; the agenda explains how. The hearing starts at 5 pm, and they’ve said they’re taking only in-person comments until 7:30, hybrid after that; here’s the official notice, with a summary of what the city considers the plan’s toplines. You can see both the full proposed plan and its Environmental Impact Statement linked from this page. One focus for both supporters and opponents is the new zoning type Neighborhood Center and the proposal to create Neighborhood Centers around the city; here are maps of proposed NCs, and other areas, for District 1, including West Seattle.

P.S. If you just want to watch the hearing, you’ll be able to do that via Seattle Channel.

WEDNESDAY: Your chance to speak at City Council’s public hearing on proposed rezoning and other Comprehensive Plan changes

If you have something to say about the proposed city rezoning plan and other components of the Comprehensive Plan Update, Wednesday night brings the City Council‘s major public hearing about it. Various groups around the city have gone public with support and opposition, but this is the one night that councilmembers are convening to listen to as many individuals as want to speak. You can either go to City Hall to comment in person, or sign up to do it online; the agenda explains how. The hearing starts at 5 pm Wednesday (February 5); here’s the official notice, with a summary of what the city considers the plan’s toplines. You can find both the full proposed plan and its Environmental Impact Statement linked from this page.

UPDATE: Bagged powder found in West Seattle Junction ballot drop box; ballots not affected; here’s what it was

January 27, 2025 12:23 pm
|    Comments Off on UPDATE: Bagged powder found in West Seattle Junction ballot drop box; ballots not affected; here’s what it was
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

(Added: WSB photo, drop box this afternoon)

ORIGINAL MONDAY REPORT: Thanks for the tip. SFD and SPD were at the West Seattle Junction ballot drop box for a while before 9 o’clock this morning; we asked King County Elections what happened, and here’s the summary from spokesperson Halei Watkins:

This morning was the first of the drop box pickups for this February Special Election and one of our driver teams found a small bag of white powder in the drop box at Alaska Junction in West Seattle. It was spotted when they removed the large blue collection bin, as it was lying on the floor under the slot opening. The driver team didn’t touch it and immediately called their supervisor and law enforcement was alerted. Both police and fire went right out to collect it and speak with our drivers. Our understanding is that the next step is testing and we hope to learn more about what it was exactly.

Our driver team stayed with the box until law enforcement was completely done with documenting what they needed, and then our team relocked and sealed it so it’s ready for voters once again. The bag with the powder was separate from the ballots so those were transported back to Elections HQ (after given the all-clear from law enforcement) for processing.

Again, the ballots in the box were unharmed, and the ballot box remains in service. (Same box had a contamination incident back in 2020.)

TUESDAY UPDATE: Watkins tells WSB, “The white powder in question was determined by law enforcement to likely be crushed-up Tylenol. We’re so glad that it wasn’t anything harmful or dangerous and, as always, really glad that our team said something when they saw something.”