West Seattle, Washington
04 Monday
As previewed here, tonight’s the night that Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood (39th/Thistle) has thrown open its doors to welcome anyone interested in gathering to contemplate the upcoming election, wherever you stand on the candidates and issues. Pastor Erik Kindem explains that the community prayer vigil is happening in the main sanctuary.
Follow the lanterns up the stairs to the doorway. This is an open-house format where people can stay as long as they want to. Instrumental music will alternate with periods of silence. There will be spoken or sung prayers too. This is scheduled to continue until 7 pm.
P.S. Remember to get your ballot in by 8 pm Tuesday via dropbox, earlier if via USPS mail so it’ll be postmarked in time.
That’s the newest of West Seattle’s four King County Elections dropboxes, installed earlier this year on the west side of the 6400 block of California SW, by Morgan Junction Park. The dropboxes are open around the clock until 8 pm (sharp!) on Tuesday night – don’t roar up at 8:01 and expect a grace period. The other three, north to south, are:
South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – 6000 16th SW, drive onto campus from south entrance on northbound 16th, If you’re driving or riding, this one brings your best chance of getting out of your car or off your bike to quickly deposit your ballot,
The Junction – South side of SW Alaska, east of 44th SW – the West Seattle Junction Association says traffic control is expected to be in place by 12:30 pm Tuesday
High Point Library – south side of SW Raymond just east of 35th SW
For those in southernmost West Seattle, the dropbox at White Center Library (1409 SW 107th) may be convenient. It’s on the east side of the building, off the parking lot. And of course, you can return your ballot via USPS mail – but ensure it’s postmarked Tuesday or sooner,
P.S. As of this morning, 48.7 percent of Seattle voters’ ballots had been received by KC Elections; here’s how to track the status of yours. … And our Election Night party list is up to five.
Tomorrow, the City Council‘s budget chair, Councilmember Dan Strauss, officially presents his “balancing package” – changes to the mayor’s budget – but the document went public tonight. We just finished reading through the 60-page document, and here are some West Seattle sightings:
DUWAMISH HEAD PARALLEL PARKING – Residents near Duwamish Head have long been agitating to get the angle parking at the viewpoint changed to parallel. And a proposal by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka that made it into the “balancing package” would do it. Cost: $175,000. As we’ve reported before, SDOT has been somewhat resistant to the idea.
DELRIDGE/HOLLY ACCESS – Long before he ran for council, Saka raised concerns about the hardened median near the Refugee and Immigrant Families Center preschool near Delridge and Holly (as first reported by South Seattle Emerald). The “balancing package includes $2 million for “transit and roadway improvements on Delridge” in that area.
TURF FOR FAIRMOUNT PARK: Another Saka proposal, $1.5 million to convert the “baseball infield at Fairmount Park” to turf. (You might recall he ran a survey last month about turf-conversion sentiment earlier this year.)
Two other Saka proposals in the “balancing package” caught our eye:
RV STORAGE PROGRAM: Saka proposal to help RV residents transitioning to housing, Cost – $1.5 million.
FOOD DESERTS: Saka proposal requesting a report on city strategies to “attract food retailers to food deserts.”
So what’s next? Formal presentation tomorrow at 9:30 am, including overview info to contextualize the entire budget (preview that here). Then another round of comments and reviews, including the second and final major public hearing on the budget at 5 pm November 12. Here are other ways to comment.
Two election notes tonight, with one week to go until Election Day:
BALLOT-RETURN UPDATE: Have you sent your ballot in yet? Twelve percent more of Seattle’s voters have since we last mentioned it – 35.4 percent of ballots have been received. We’re even beating that here in the 34th Legislative District (which also includes Vashon and Maury Islands and White Center) – 36.5 percent of ballots are in, 56 percent of those by dropbox, 43 percent by USPS mail. Here again is the list of dropbox locations, with four in West Seattle.
HAVING AN ELECTION-NIGHT WATCH PARTY? With one week until voting ends and counting begins, it’s time to ask the big question: Who’s having a public watch party? Are community members welcome? What time? Several readers have asked, and we want to know for coverage-planning purposes, too. You can reply in a comment below, and/or email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
If you’ve been to C&P Coffee (WSB sponsor) on a recent Tuesday or Saturday and found people hunched over piles of postcards, or perhaps tried to buy postcard stamps at the post office only to find them out, you’ve likely encountered Postcards 4 Democracy.
Writing postcards encouraging voters to participate in elections has existed for decades and became a regular event in West Seattle when, in 2017, organizers Kathryn Rawle and Naomi Rue began gathering local volunteers together at coffee shops with postcards, stamps, addresses, and messages to voters.
Kathy was a postcard writer in her previous home states of Massachusetts and Hawaii, and when she moved to West Seattle, she began writing again. As postcarding gained momentum nationwide, she knew she’d need more writers. She joined with Naomi to host writing parties to get others involved. These spun off into other writing parties, and the idea for regular, weekly public meetings for others to drop in on, emerged. Coffee shops provided the perfect gathering spaces, and C&P Coffee has been hosting Postcards 4 Democracy for nearly six years. C&P Owner Pete Moores says he wants to support people who care about the political process. “It’s good for the community, it’s good for business, and it’s good for the country.”
Even when the pandemic shut down the public gathering spaces, people continued to write from home or over Zoom. It was a way to connect with community, and engage in politics on a personal level, particularly for local and down-ballot races.
This engagement is made possible by numerous online resources that provide volunteers with local or national campaign information, addresses of lapsed voters, and vetted messaging to add to their own stamped postcards. Aside from the requirements for clear handwriting and sticking to the script, volunteers are allowed to get crafty and artistic with their cards, so long as the message is still clear.
Does it work? According to Kathy Rawle, studies have been conducted showing that lapsed voters who received postcards reminding them to re-enroll, did so at a higher rate than those who didn’t. It’s also demonstrated by the increasing numbers of candidates reaching out to postcarding organizations, asking for volunteers to write for them.
The community is responding. Before the pandemic, groups of 20-25 people were showing up to writing events. In recent weeks, groups of 50-60 people have been turning out to write at the regular postcard meetings. Ask writers why they participate, and you get a common answer, “It feels so good to be doing something.” Kim Lamont has been a Postcards 4 Democracy writer since its beginning. She says, “The people are supportive and encouraging and I like doing what I can. I appreciate the other writers and I love the conversation.”
Organizer Naomi Rue adds, “I like getting people involved with what happens in our future. We can inform, educate and create community while writing postcards.”
The final postcarding event for the November 5th election will take place tomorrow (Tuesday, October 29th) at C&P Coffee (5612 California SW) from 10:30 am-12:00 pm. Jonathan Rawle (husband of organizer Kathy) notes they will focus on campaigns with shorter mailing windows to ensure the postcards arrive on time.
Kathy Rawle says, “There is a recognition of how powerful yet fragile democracy is and we need to be a part of it. Come write postcards and when people are elected, contact them, let them know what’s important to you. Come to a group like ours, talk. Engage, engage, engage.”
A party celebrating the hard work of all the participants will be at C&P on Election Day, November 5th, from 10:30 am-12:00 pm.
For more information about Postcards 4 Democracy and other resources, check out their website at www.Postcards4Democracy.org.
(WSB file photo – West Seattle’s newest ballot box, at Morgan Junction Park)
In light of the ballot-dropbox arson attack in Southwest Washington, a commenter asked how dropboxes are protected here. We took that question to Halei Watkins, spokesperson for King County Elections:
The news out of Southwest Washington about the fire at their drop box has been so sad. It’s heartbreaking to see those ballots burnt and the box damaged.
I am glad to report we have not seen similar attempts on our drop boxes here in King County. So far, it’s been smooth sailing out at drop boxes in our neck of the woods.
Every official ballot drop box here in King County is emptied at least once a day, including on weekends. Now that we’re so close to Election Day, our pick-ups become more frequent so we’ll have eyes on the boxes even more frequently. Our ballot collection teams go out in teams of two and fully inspect each box. Those folks can take photos and enter notes and are trained to report anything suspicious to both supervisors and law enforcement.
Our drop boxes are equipped with fire stops to help put out anything that could cause burning. They’re constructed of quarter-inch thick steel and bolted into concrete, have no pry points, multiple locking mechanisms, and are equipped with tamper evident seals. On Election Day, we’ll have both staff and security out at drop boxes across the county to answer questions for voters and be on hand in case a need arises.
We work closely with law enforcement, from our local police departments to the FBI, and our local law enforcement partners are on high alert for anything suspicious when it comes to voting, whether that’s potential intimidation or some other concerning action at a drop box or Vote Center.
If a voter ever feels intimidated at a drop box, or ever encounters something that looks suspicious or out of place, they should call 911. We train our staff, at the advice of law enforcement, to call 911 immediately if there is something suspicious or potentially dangerous in any way. Staff and voter safety are our top priority.
Dropboxes will be open until exactly 8 pm on Election Night, Tuesday, November 5; West Seattle has four – here’s where to find them.
With eight days left to vote in the general election – until Tuesday night, November 5 – King County Elections says it’s received 23.4 percent of Seattle voters’ ballots – so more than 70 percent haven’t voted yet. You can check the latest ballot-return count any time here. You can drop your ballot in the mail – be sure it’s in enough time to be postmarked no later than November 5 – or a King County Elections dropbox (of which West Seattle now has four – South Seattle College, High Point Library, The Junction, and Morgan Junction Park) by 8 pm on Election Day. No postage needed, whichever method you choose. (If you’re not yet registered to vote, but eligible, here’s how – today is the deadline for online registration.)
(WSB photo, ballot box at South Seattle College)
With 15 more days to vote – until Tuesday night, November 5 – the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce held its first “Chamber Chat,” with the organization’s Government Affairs Committee focusing on candidates and issues on the ballot. They first heard from both candidates for the final unexpired year of the City Council citywide Position 8 term:
CITY COUNCIL CITYWIDE POSITION 8: Alexis Mercedes Rinck said she’s “fighting for a city that works for all of us.” She says that she’s worked “across 39 cities” and various organizations on housing policy, as well as restructuring UW’s budget. She said her roots go back to a troubled childhood but people who fought for her saved her. She wants to work for a “fairer tax system” and to move from “budgets with band-aids” to budgets that “set up” the city to thrive. In Q&A, she was asked how she’d work with colleagues with different goals/philosophies. She said that she felt she’d bring balance to the council. She said she could work with folks “from MAGA to Marxist” and currently works with reps for different cities that are all over the political spectrum. She said she helped work on homelessness-fighting plans, too. She stressed a collaborative nature to “get folks around the table … to problem-solve” and says that’s what she wants to bring to citywide office. Answering another question, about public safety, she said “Seattle kids deserve to go to school without fear” among other things and that action is needed now – building staffing “across the board,” including law enforcement and other responders, is her priority. “It’s not enough to just respond” – work on prevention is vital too, especially gun-violence prevention. She supports “permit to purchase.” She added, “We know what we need to do” – reports have made numerous suggestions – we just need to implement them. Housing would improve safety, too, she believes.
Regarding transportation, she said she lives car-free and relies on public transit daily. Safety on transit is a priority too. “On the whole, I’m really committed to creating a safe multi-modal transit system,’ prioritizing all ways of getting around, plus electrification, adding sidewalks, and finding “progressive (revenue) options” to fund all that. How would she support small business? “They’re the cornerstone of our community,” Mercedes Rinck declares, saying she worked at one as a restaurant, but knows owning one is a whole different thing. She also mentioned the end of the tip credit and said she’s committed to help figure out how to ensure affected small businesses can keep their doors open. She thinks the Office of Economic Development can do a lot of work for entrepreneurs and wants to hear more about what they have or haven’t been doing.
She was also asked about the Department of Neighborhoods, with a suggestion that the city doesn’t really reach out to neighborhood groups any more. “How do you get people in the neighborhoods involved again, get the department involved again in bringing those voices to the table?” Mercedes Rinck agreed she wasn’t seeing much DoN involvement so the department needed to be empowered to do more outreach; she said she needs to find out more about their staffing level and look for opportunities to invest – “we know that community engagement is a lot of time, time that people don’t have sometimes.” Next: Why is she seeking office? She thinks the city has a lot of urgent needs, like what she saw in her area, the Central District, which recently had two shooting incidents, Also – dealing with the high housing prices and cost of rents going up; she says we need more housing supply, She feels she’s “somebody to act, move with urgency,” and says, “Let’s get stuff done!”
Next was appointed incumbent councilmember Tanya Woo. In opening remarks, she said her parents had the first Chinese bakery in Seattle; she comes from a long list of business owners – her parents currently own a restaurant in Chinatown/ID. She has experience building “workforce housing” and has formed a public-safety group that started walking nightly in a time of anti-Asian hate and now walks weekly. The group, she said, segued into homeless outreach and assisted seniors as well. She said more incentives are needed for building affordable housing and believes that density and “more trees” can both happen. She is in favor of reducing permit wait times, which she says she’s experienced as a small business owner. “There isn’t going to be one thing that changes overnight – it’s all part of a puzzle.” Building back SPD staffing and having alternative responders are both important, she says, as well as figuring out how to connect people with services. “I imagine a city like where I grew up – where kids can go to school without worrying about getting shot,” like her worry-free days at Schmitz Park Elementary in West Seattle. Her priorities: Public safety, homelessness, housing affordability.
How would she work on council to fully and fairly represent constituents? She says the current councilmembers are “all friends, a civil group, all in person” so she doesn’t do anything without collaborating with other councilmembers (she mentioned collaboration with CM Rob Saka for one). She is all for “finding the common ground. … That’s where I reside, how do we work together to reach the greatest good?” She added, “We just have to try things” and make changes if it’s not working. “It’s all about listening and making sure people are heard … and being out in the community” She said she’s out at meetings and events at least once a day.
How does she approach public safety and transportation? “Balanced approach,” she says. Regarding police, “while we did not defund police, we demoralized police … since most are on patrol work, we are not able to investigate” as many crimes as before. “I also believe in a balanced approach” and supports expansion of CARE Team, LEAD, REACH, and seeing how other groups are working to increase safety. Regarding transportation, she says ST3 and ensuring community measures are being heard is a priority. “I know we’re not even there yet” regarding station siting. She was involved in assembling the Transportation Levy, while noting she isn’t allowed to advocate for it.
How will she advocate for small businesses? She thinks the impending compensation change is going to force a lot of small businesses to close. She wants to find ways to be proactive and help businesses pay for things like shatter-resistant glass treatment and anti-graffiti coating. Other issues plague businesses – trespassers, drug use right outside, employees not feeling safe coming to or being at work. She said she wants to hear what businesses like those in the Chamber need. “I feel the desperation of many businesses, the weight of” how policies are affecting them.
Other questions: A local bank manager asked about graffiti vandalism, calling “demoralizing” despite not being on the scale of drug addiction or homelessness. It’s “demoralizing” to see buildings defaced, and it seems to add “a temperature of chaos … it’s like a war on our city.” Woo agreed, “I abhor graffiti.” She said her group has chased vandals down to let them know how much their deeds hurt small businesses, especially in “historic districts” that might have rules making it even harder. She feels graffiti comes down to “consent” – yes, there’s some consensual art out there, but much graffiti is vandalism detracting from the “beauty of our buildings.” Other factors delay cleanup like weather and waiting for the availability of cleanup crews. Invited to say a few closing words, she made allegations against her opponent’s stands on various issues, including saying Mercedes Rinck’s interest in “more progressive revenue” is not realistic because most of a long list of recommendations are for taxes that “are illegal.” (Mercedes Rinck wasn’t there to rebut because of the event’s format – each candidate appeared individually.)
TRANSPORTATION LEVY: The group was also scheduled to hear from guests for and against the Seattle Transportation Levy; no pro-levy guest was available, so committee chair Jordan Crawley offered some basic information about the $1.55 billion levy. Former Seattle City Councilmember Alex Pedersen – former chair of the council’s Transportation Committee – spoke against it. He was asked about his biggest concerns regarding the levy, which he said would be “Seattle’s biggest tax ever.” He feels it’s “unaffordable, inequitable, and would be ineffective.” Rents would go up, he says, as property owners pass the cost through. One point on equity – he says it could have at least partly gone through a less regressive funding source. He also says it’s not doing enough for pedestrian safety and bridges, among other things; he’d also like to see its projects “broken into smaller pieces” – the repaving funding all goes into 15 big projects, he says, but could go into more smaller projects that repave more streets. In all, he would just like to see it redone and sent back to voters in the first half of next year. Some supplementary funding is necessary, he says, so that’s why he favors rejecting this one and calling for something new to be drafted quickly.
The Chamber also was scheduled to talk about the statewide initiatives on the ballot, but also did not have a “pro” guest, and we couldn’t stay for that part of the program. Your ballot should have arrived by now – if not, here’s what to do!
Tomorrow night brings the first of two City Council public hearings devoted entirely to the budget proposal for the next two years. (Read it in its entirety, or department by department, as linked here.) You can speak to the council either in person at City Hall or remotely. The hearing starts at 5 pm. If you’re going to City Hall, child care is available starting at 4:30 pm (RSVP via email, leg_operations@seattle.gov). That’s also when signups start for the commenter list. At City Hall, the signup sheet is inside Council Chambers upstairs; remotely, follow these instructions.
We reported some West Seattle-specific budget points in this late-September story. One additional point of note: SDOT‘s budget proposal includes speeding-ticket cameras for 19 more school zones around the city, and while the locations aren’t listed in the budget document, SDOT has released the list. Two of the new camera zones are in our area – West Seattle High School and Alki Elementary. SDOT says the new cameras around the city would “be implemented in two phases in 2025” – WSHS is in Phase 1, and Alki Elementary (which is being rebuilt and expanded, opening in fall 2026) is in Phase 2. The camera zone for WSHS is described as California SW between SW Hanford and SW Stevens; the camera zone for Alki is described as SW Admiral Way between 60th SW and 57th SW. The budget item actually is for revenue rather than spending – the document says funding for camera installation is already in this year’s budget; projected ticketrevenue is more than $4 million next year, $10 million the year after that.
West Seattle already has five school zones with camera enforcement – Delridge Way for Boren STEM K-8, Fauntleroy Way for Gatewood Elementary and for Fairmount Park Elementary, 35th SW for Our Lady of Guadalupe, SW Roxbury for Holy Family.
Back to Wednesday’s budget hearing – you can comment on a specific item or a general issue/concern, up to you. The second hearing is November 12th, but by that point, the council is just a week away from key almost-final votes, so you have more potential impact now. You can also send email comments any time, as explained here.
USPS just delivered the 111-page voters’ pamphlet for the general election, a reminder that voting begins in a week. King County Elections starts sending ballots next Wednesday (October 16); KCE ballot dropboxes open next Thursday (October 17). Here’s the list of what will be on your ballot:
RACES WITH CANDIDATES (click that link for the lists with links to candidate info)
US President & Vice President (10 options)
U.S. Senator (2 candidates)
Congressional District 7, U.S. Representative (2 candidates)
Washington State, Governor (2 candidates)
Washington State, Lt. Governor (2 candidates)
Washington State, Secretary of State (2 candidates)
Washington State, State Treasurer (2 candidates)
Washington State, State Auditor (2 candidates)
Washington State, Attorney General (2 candidates)
Washington State, Commissioner of Public Lands (2 candidates)
Washington State, Superintendent of Public Instruction (2 candidates)
Washington State, Insurance Commissioner (2 candidates)
Legislative District 34, State Representative Pos. 1 (2 candidates)
Legislative District 34, State Representative Pos. 2 (2 candidates)
State Supreme Court, Justice Position No. 2 (2 candidates)
State Supreme Court, Justice Position No. 8 (1 candidate)
State Supreme Court, Justice Position No. 9 (1 candidate)
State Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1 Judge Position No. 4 (1 candidate)
State Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1 Judge Position No. 7 (1 candidate)
King County Superior Court, Judge Position 41 (2 candidates)
City of Seattle, Council Position No. 8 (2 candidates)
BALLOT MEASURES (click that link for the lists with links to measure info – the very short descriptions below are from that page)
State Initiative Measure No. 2066 (regulating energy services, including natural gas and electrification)
State Initiative Measure No. 2109 (taxes)
State Initiative Measure No. 2117 (carbon-tax-credit trading)
State Initiative Measure No. 2124 (state longterm-care insurance)
City of Seattle Proposition No. 1 (property tax levy renewal for transportation)
So, you have 26 decisions to make on your ballot. We’ll take closer looks at the local races and issues in the days ahead.
Those two Seattle Channel videos show City Councilmembers getting an overview of Mayor Harrell‘s $8.3 billion 2025-2026 budget proposal on Wednesday. Starting at 9:30 this morning, they move into the next phase, department-by-department presentations of budget highlights. We’ve been scanning the budget (the entire 735-page document is here) for items of note, particularly West Seattle-specific, and here’s what we’ve found so far:
The majority of references to “West Seattle” are in the context of planning for light rail, since the city is involved with station-area planning. This includes mentions in the individual budgets for SDOT, the Office of Planning and Community Development, and the Office of Sustainability and Environment. Then there’s a mention of the West Seattle Golf Course in the Parks and Recreation budget, which includes an increase in the total amount to be spent on the city’s four golf courses ($18 million next year, up from $14 million this year). The only mentions of “Delridge” also are in the context of light-rail station planning.
We also looked for “Southwest” references, and those were primarily in the Seattle Police proposal. The Southwest Precinct, which serves West Seattle and South Park, has a general fund allocation of $15 million this year, and that would rise to $17 million next year. The document doesn’t break down where the increase is going; staffing would stay the same, 102 full-time equivalents (FTEs), as usual the smallest staff of the precincts.
Obviously it doesn’t take a West Seattle-specific mention for our area to be affected. Individual departments also have released toplines, and the items we noted included a proposal for graffiti response to move from Seattle Public Utilities to Seattle Parks and Recreation (whose toplines are here including proposed fee increases for next year), and a proposal for the Department of Neighborhoods to offer fewer community grants. The SDOT budget overview notes that the department’s plan only addresses general-fund spending, not the funding that would result if the Transportation Levy renewal/expansion is approved by voters in November.
If you’re interested in specific departments’ plans, here’s the schedule for department-by-department presentations:
TODAY (agenda): Arts and Culture (slide deck), Economic Development (slide deck), Planning and Community Development (slide deck), Construction and Inspections (slide deck)
MONDAY (September 30): Sustainability and Environment, Parks and Recreation, SDOT, Education and Early Learning
TUESDAY (October 1): CARE, Police, Human Services
WEDNESDAY (October 2): Housing, Finance and Administrative Services, Human Resources, IT
Councilmember Dan Strauss is this year’s budget chair; he warned his colleagues that these would be full-day meetings (starting at 9:30 pm, with lunch breaks in the 1-2 pm vicinity). Other council committee meetings are pre-empted by budget meetings. You can see agendas here and watch meetings live (or archived) via Seattle Channel. Budget documents are all here, including individual-department breakouts.
TIMELINE: The council’s budget review and decisions will unfold over the next two months, with a final decision scheduled for November 21. Official public hearings are planned for October 16 and November 12. The council’s explanation of how you can participate in the budget process is here.
(Reader photo after Harbor Avenue shootings in June)
“The lawlessness on Alki and Harbor Avenue … has to stop.”
District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka made that declaration at this morning’s meeting of the council’s Public Safety Committee, as he proposed an addition to the bill authorizing a Seattle Police surveillance-camera pilot program currently only intended for other areas of the city (explained here). Members of the committee – for which Saka serves as vice-chair – also heard from Alki/Harbor residents including Steve Pumphrey, who spoke of the “clear and present danger” of ongoing disorder in the beach area, including unsolved shooting deaths such as the killing of 22-year-old Luis Solis Lara in June; gunfire that night also pierced the walls and windows of nearby residences including his (photo above). Committee members unanimously approved Saka’s amendment, which added this language (updated 8:18 pm with second sentence added in final version of amendment):
The Seattle Police Department shall, as part of the planned outcome evaluation of the Closed-Circuit Television Camera Systems pilot project, conduct a study reporting on the appropriateness, feasibility, and cost of additional potential future Closed-Circuit Television Camera deployments in areas of the city beyond those in the current pilot project, including but not limited to the Alki and Harbor Avenue areas of West Seattle. This study shall also evaluate the potential use of Closed-Circuit Television Cameras for a range of public safety concerns beyond those specific crimes identified in the SIR for purposes of the pilot.
That potential camera program is different from the possible cameras discussed by the previous council in relation to street racing, authorized but to date not funded. Today’s amendment authorizes only a study, not (yet) cameras, which the pilot will only place in four areas – downtown, Aurora, Belltown, and Chinatown/ID. The proposal goes to the full council for final approval. (Seattle Channel has just posted video of this morning’s meeting here.)
BACKSTORY: The camera-study commitment comes three months after Saka hosted an Alki community meeting about the public-safety crisis; most of the action taken since then has involved speed-cushion installation.
It’s budget season for government agencies, which is why you’re hearing more than usual about money matters. One of today’s announcements would bring a countywide property-tax increase to save King County’s endangered public-health clinics and to fund maintenance at Harborview Medical Center, our region’s trauma hospital. This proposal does not need voter approval; it’s made possible by what the announcement from King County Executive Dow Constantine calls “a modified county hospital property tax authority approved by the state Legislature earlier this year.” It would cost 8.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value – that’s $72 a year for a house at the median King County valuation of $850,000. Here’s what the announcement says that money would go for:
It will raise $25 million, about 3 cents, for Public Health — Seattle & King County to sustain clinic operations in 2025 and provide essential health services to the most vulnerable. It will also raise $25 million for operations supporting those most in need at HMC. Roughly 2 cents of the tax total will raise $19 million for major infrastructure improvement projects at HMC in 2025. The remaining amount covers administrative costs to implement operations and contributes to the fund’s rainy-day reserve.
Clinic funding had been coming from the general fund, which faces a nine-digit shortfall. The county’s clinics serve 80,000 people; the nearest one is in the Greenbridge area of White Center, focusing on services for mothers and babies.
Eight weeks from tonight, voting ends and vote-counting begins. You’re well-aware that the races to be decided include president, governor, and one City Council seat. You probably recall that the renewed/expanded Seattle Transportation Levy will be on your ballot too. But did you know you’ll be asked to approve or reject four statewide initiatives too? Today the campaign against one of them, I-2117, came to West Seattle. From the state voters’-guide website, here’s how it will appear on your ballot:
Initiative 2117 would repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which seeks to result in a 95 percent reduction in carbon emissions within the next quarter century. Its provisions raise money to help with environment-related programs, and that’s what today’s news conference was about. The “No on 2117” campaign gathered supporters at Southwest Youth and Family Services, the nonprofit headquartered just east of Delridge Playfield, to talk about how approval of 2117 would take away funding that they say is needed by schools as well as nonprofits like SWYFS to upgrade their indoor-air systems. We recorded the 15-minute briefing by SWYFS’s new executive director Essence Russ, Seattle teacher Andrew Echols, and pulmonologist Dr. Vin Gupta:
As Russ explained in response to our question at the end, and as local State House Rep. (and House Majority Leader) Joe Fitzgibbon affirmed, SWYFS is in line for $273,000 in Climate Commitment Act funding to help cover the cost of an HVAC overhaul. That’s one of several local commitments shown on this map – others in our area include electric-vehicle charging stations in various areas and a utility-meter upgrade at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor).
Those gathered in support of the speakers at today’s event included local advocates and even former SWYFS executive director Steve Daschle, who left the organization last year after 35 years.
THE OTHER SIDE: 2117 backers’ main argument is a contention that the Climate Commitment Act has been a “hidden gas tax” and repealing it will save people money.
8:08 PM: Tuesday (September 10) brings the first and likely only debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Several readers have asked us whether any place in West Seattle is planning a public debate-watching event. We haven’t heard of any, so we’re asking you if you have. It’s at 6 pm our time Tuesday, in Philadelphia, produced by ABC News. If you know of any events, please comment below (or email us, westseattleblog@gmail.com) – thank you!
8:50 PM: We’re changing the headline to “who else is …” because we’ve had our first reply: West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor) and almost-neighbor Good Society are co-presenting a watch party, at the brewpub (California/Lander).
Final results are in for the one loose end from the August primary – the by-hand recount required for state Commissioner of Public Lands race, because the original count had the second- and third-place candidates only 51 votes apart. Final recount results, certified today, didn’t change the top two – the November 5 election will be between Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, a former U.S. House Rep. from southwestern Washington, and Democrat Dave Upthegrove, a King County Councilmember from Des Moines. The recount changed the margin between Upthegrove and Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson by only two votes, so they finished 49 votes apart. The Commissioner of Public Lands position is open because two-term incumbent Hilary Franz decided to run for Congress in District 6; she finished that primary in third place. General-election ballots will start arriving in mailboxes around October 18, a little over six weeks away.
Your ballot for the November 5 election will arrive in less than seven weeks. After a post-primary lull, it’s time to start up the pre-general election coverage.
‘WEST SEATTLE ANSWERS THE CALL’: This past Monday night, 200 local supporters of the Democratic presidential ticket gathered for one of the biggest local political fundraisers we’ve heard of in a while – probably the biggest one since the candidate herself spent an hour in West Seattle three months ago.
Co-hosts Amy Daly-Donovan and Laurie Reinhardt sent photos from the event, titled “West Seattle Answers the Call,” held at a West Seattle home. Speakers included King County Executive Dow Constantine, 34th District State Rep. and House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, and statewide Coordinated Campaign Director Christina Carvalho.
The organizers say, “There was so much good energy and camaraderie in the air.” They report the event raised more than $45,000 to support the presidential campaign as well as other Democratic races. They also noted interest in the yard signs, adding, “we purchased them from signsofjustice.com, a Portland-based, Black-owned business with great service and excellent quality!”
RECOUNT: One statewide race on the November ballot has yet to be finalized – State Commissioner of Public Lands, in which Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler finished in undisputed first place, but Democrat Dave Upthegrove was only 51 votes – a thousandth of a percent – ahead of Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson. That mandated a hand recount, and election offices around the state have been conducting theirs, with most reported to have finished but not yet certified. The biggest, King County, started last Monday and will certify results on Wednesday morning (September 4).
ENCOURAGING YOUNGER VOTERS: One week from today, 10 am-1 pm September 7th, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) will host a watch party for a YWCA-presented nonpartisan national town hall focused on Gen Z women voting, though all are welcome to attend. Our calendar listing has details; organizers of the event, which will be streamed from Philadelphia, say they’ve invited the presidential candidates too but haven’t yet received confirmations. (UPDATE: DNDA says this is canceled for lack of RSVPs.)
The August 6 primary election’s results were finalized and certified by counties around the state today. The top two candidates in each race will be on the November 5 ballot. Just one race remains unsettled …State Lands Commissioner is headed for a recount, because the second-place finisher is only 51 votes ahead of the third-place candidate.
State Commissioner of Public Lands
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 419,297 – 22.03%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 396,300 – 20.82%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 396,249 – 20.82%
Patrick DePoe (D) – 267,924 – 14.08%
Allen Lebovitz (D) – 194,114 – 10.2%
Kevin Van De Wege (D) – 143,170 – 7.52%
Jeralee Anderson (D) – 84,351 – 4.43%
Write-in – 1,668 – 0.09%
A by-hand recount is required; The Seattle Times reports that the Secretary of State will set a deadline this Thursday for counties to have theirs complete. Meantime, you can find all the state results here.
For King County, here’s the full final list of results, including that one Seattle City Council race, citywide Position 8. Whoever wins serves just a year before the election next year for a full four-year term.
Seattle City Council Position 8 (43% turnout)
Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 99,394 – 50.18%
Tanya Woo – 76,008 – 38.38%
Saunatina Sanchez – 8,621 – 4.35%
Tariq Yusuf – 7,521 – 3.80%
Saul Patu – 5,958 – 3.01%
Write-in – 554 – 0.28%
Here’s how the primary race for our area’s U.S. House seat turned out:
U.S. House District 7 (44% turnout)
Pramila Jayapal* (D) – 174,019 – 79.86%
Dan Alexander (R) – 16,902 – 7.76%
Liz Hallock (D) – 16,494 – 7.57%
Cliff Moon (R) – 10,070 – 4.62%
Write-in – 409 – 0.19%
Though our area’s two State House seats had only two candidates each, they had to be on the primary ballot too:
34th District State House Position 1 (43% turnout)
Emily Alvarado* (D) – 37,901 – 86.46%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,848 – 13.34%
Write-in – 86 – 0.20%
34th District State House Position 2 (43% turnout)
Joe Fitzgibbon* (D) – 37,571 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,398 – 14.54%
Write-in – 47 – 0.11%
November 5 is the deadline for general-election voting; you’ll get your ballot about three weeks in advance. Not registered yet? You can do that online – go here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In a month with few community meetings, our area’s biggest political organization met to celebrate results of the last election, look ahead to the next one, and hear from current officeholders.
The 34th District Democrats‘ endorsed candidates fared well in the August primary, including Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the City Council citywide Position 8 challenger with a 12-point lead over appointed incumbent Tanya Woo (both will advance to November).
The only nailbiter noted at Wednesday’s meeting was the race for state Commissioner of Public Lands, with Republican former U.S. House Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler already locking in one general-ballot spot, while Democratic King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove hangs onto a less-than-a-tenth-of-a-point lead over Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson for the second general-election spot.
State House Position 2 Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon told the group that race is vital because Upthegrove would use a “science-based perspective to manage our public lands.” All in all, Fitzgibbon – who is House Majority Leader – declared himself “thrilled” by the primary results, even though, he noted wryly, his Position 1 counterpart Rep. Emily Alvarado got more votes than he did (barely – 329) in their respective re-election races. He said Democrats expect to add to their majorities in the State House and State Senate. And he noted his own household had added “a new Democrat” when he and his wife welcomed a baby in June.
Also briefly taking the microphone, our area’s Seattle Public Schools Board Director Gina Topp. With the new school year now three weeks away, she said the district is “working hard on safety” and she hopes for an update from the SPS administration at the board’s next meeting August 28. She also is hoping that’s when superintendent Dr. Brent Jones will present his long-anticipated plan for potential school closures/consolidations (it’s not on the agenda so far, though). “Difficult choices” are ahead, she warned.
Shortly thereafter, the meeting moved on to the agenda centerpiece, a Town Hall with King County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock, both West Seattle residents (“our administration is tilted toward West Seattleites,” he joked).
One week after voting ended in our state’s primary, the vote-counting is mostly done, though the election results won’t be certified for another week. We’re checking back on a few races of note:
CITY COUNCIL CITYWIDE POSITION 8: Whoever wins in November gets to serve the final year of this unexpired term – and then next fall there’s a vote for a full four-year term. Challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck will be on the November ballot along with appointed incumbent Councilmember Tanya Woo; none of the other three candidates got out of single digits. Current count for the top two, with 43 percent citywide turnout:
Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 98,902 – 50.17%
Tanya Woo – 75,684 – 38.39%
STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS: There’s been some suspense about whether the November contest would be between two Republicans, but King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove of Des Moines, a Democrat, has been holding onto second place for a few days now. Current count for the top three:
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 408,179 – 21.9%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 390,973 – 20.98%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 385,510 – 20.68%
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL: West Seattleite Nick Brown, a Democrat and former U.S. Attorney, is headed for the general against Republican Pete Serrano, mayor of Pasco. Current count for the top two:
Pete Serrano (R) – 792,016 – 41.82%
Nick Brown (D) – 672,076 – 35.48%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE: Though each race has only two candidates, they were on the primary ballot (and will be on the November ballot too) because that’s the law for partisan races, so here’s a look at the current count for both seats:
Position 1
Emily Alvarado (D)* – 37,746 -86.45%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,820 – 13.33%
Position 2
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* – 37,418 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,366 – 14.52%
If you’re interested in seeing how the results have evolved over the week, here’s what these races looked like after the first count last Tuesday.
P.S. Updated state results are here; updated King County results are here.
August is usually a time of few community meetings, but there are exceptions, and tomorrow night brings one of them. The 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting is happening in-person at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds), 7:30 pm Wednesday following a 6:30 pm pre-meeting presentation. During the regular meeting, County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock – both West Seattleites – are scheduled for a half-hour mini Town Hall. Also on the agenda – though the group has already made most of its endorsement votes for the year, its endorsed presidential candidate is no longer running, so they’ll be voting on whether to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris‘s candidacy. A few other issues are up for endorsement votes too. Only members can vote, but the meeting is open to all to attend, non-members included.
If you’re in the area of West Seattle shown on the map below, the city will be studying ways to increase the tree canopy in your neighborhood:
This is one of four census tracts around the city – the only one in West Seattle – covered by a state grant discussed briefly at this past Tuesday’s meeting of the Transportation Committee, chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka:
Councilmembers have to approve acceptance of grants, so that’s why SDOT had to explain this $302,000 grant to them. During the short briefing, SDOT explained that the census tracts covered by the grant average only 25 percent tree-canopy cover, and the money will be used to look for opportunities to increase that. The department provided this link to the state’s announcement of the grants earlier this year; as noted during the meeting, whatever the studies find would potentially be used to pursue other funding to actually plant trees.
Here’s our update of second-day numbers in the local/state/federal races we mentioned last night (plus one, by reader request), now that King County’s daily count (and many other counties) is in:
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance
Alexis Mercedes Rinck 52,762 47.00%
Tanya Woo 46,293 41.24%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,842 4.31%
Tariq Yusuf 4,442 3.96%
Saul Patu 3,532 3.15%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance
Emily Alvarado (D)* 21,769 85.23%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,703 14.5%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 21,593 84.1%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 4,045 15.76%
GOVERNOR – top two advance
Bob Ferguson (D) 511,653 45.46%
Dave Reichert (R) 316,661 28.14%
Semi Bird (R) 106,338 9.45%
Mark Mullet (D) 66,254 5.89%
ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance
Pete Serrano (R) 463,891 41.88%
Nick Brown (D) 397,387 35.87%
Manka Dhingra (D) 245,655 22.18%
(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)
STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 245,924 22.55%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 221,787 20.33%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 218,819 20.06%
Patrick DePoe (D) 145,986 13.38%
U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance
Pramila Jayapal (D)* 99,387 78.51%
Dan Alexander (R) 11,043 8.72%
Liz Hallock (D) 9,868 7.79%
Cliff Moon (R) 6,026 4.76%
By request …
STATE SUPREME COURT, POSITION 2 – top two advance
Sal Mungia 426,675 42.2%
Dave Larson 374,072 37%
Todd A. Bloom 169,613 16.78%
David R Shelvey 36,295 3.59%
Next King County vote count is planned tomorrow afternoon.
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