West Seattle, Washington
23 Monday
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.
Voting ended at 8 pm in our state’s primary, and King County Elections has released its first and only ballot count for the night. Most of the night’s races of interest are statewide. It’s the primary, so the top two candidates in each race advance to November. First, we look at the one and only Seattle race, for the final year of what was Teresa Mosqueda‘s unexpired citywide City Council Position 8 term when she moved to the County Council; Tanya Woo was appointed to serve this year, but there had to be an election for this next year. Woo is among the five candidates on the ballot. Tonight’s count:
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance
Alexis Mercedes Rinck 45,914 46.60%
Tanya Woo 40,790 41.40%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,321 4.39%
Tariq Yusuf 3,971 4.03%
Saul Patu 3,173 3.22%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance
Emily Alvarado (D)* 18,164 84.72%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,218 15.01%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 18,057 83.78%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 3,466 16.08%
STATE/FEDERAL RESULTS (as of 8:45 pm the Secretary of State website was finally showing them properly)
GOVERNOR – top two advance
Bob Ferguson (D) 459,407 45.49%
Dave Reichert (R) 281,993 27.92%
Semi Bird (R) 94,938 9.4%
Mark Mullet (D) 58,934 5.84%
ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance
Pete Serrano (R) 416,064 41.85%
Nick Brown (D) 356,851 35.9%
Manka Dhingra (D) 220,485 22.18%
(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)
STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 221,678 22.64%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 198,343 20.26%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 194,412 19.85%
Patrick DePoe (D) 129,467 13.22%
U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance
Pramila Jayapal (D)* 86,049 78.39%
Dan Alexander (R) 9,683 8.82%
Liz Hallock (D) 8,581 7.82%
Cliff Moon (R) 5,213 4.75%
(Rep. Jayapal is a West Seattle resident.)
We’ll be checking the statewide results for updates later, since other counties may release vote counts before the night’s out.
Another reminder that tomorrow night (Tuesday, August 6) is the deadline for voting in the statewide primary. As of this morning, only 17.2% of Seattle ballots have been received at King County Elections. The ballots received by voters in West Seattle have 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2 (two candidates each, so they all advance to November), State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, and Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. (If you haven’t decided in that race, the West Seattle Democratic Women hosted a forum in June with four of the five council candidates; here’s our coverage, with video.)
Mailing your ballot? Get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time for a Tuesday postmark. Using a county dropbox? They are open until 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. West Seattle now has four: By Morgan Junction Park, by High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here (along with others, such as White Center and South Park if those are more convenient for you).
Tuesday night is the deadline for getting your primary ballot in, but so far, only 15.5% of Seattle ballots have arrived back at King County Elections. That’s slightly above the countywide 15.3% turnout. As we noted when ballots were mailed out in mid-July, voters in West Seattle will see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2 (two candidates each, so they all advance to November), State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, and Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. (The West Seattle Democratic Women hosted a forum in June with four of the five council candidates; here’s our coverage, with video.)
If you’re going to mail in your ballot, get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time to be postmarked by Tuesday (August 6); if you’re using a county dropbox, get it into one by 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. Remember that West Seattle now has four, with the newly opened Morgan Junction dropbox (by Morgan Junction Park) – High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here. If you’re in east or south West Seattle, the South Park or White Center library boxes might be more convenient. If you need accessibility assistance to complete a ballot, the county’s “vote centers” will be open Monday and Tuesday. Those are also the places where you can register if you’re not registered yet. The first ballot count will be released around 8:15 pm Tuesday.
As ballots for the August 6 primary start arriving, King County Elections dropboxes are now open – including the newest one in West Seattle, next to Morgan Junction Park [map], installed in May. In our photo above, our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda joined KC Elections Director Julie Wise for a brief ceremony this morning to dedicate and celebrate the box. They also talked about what’s new this election: Your ballot will arrive with a couple new features – the “I Voted!” sticker that was given out to people voting in person, and a list of the five dropboxes closest to your address. In West Seattle, besides the new dropbox, the locations are High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), The Junction (south side of SW Alaska just east of 44th SW), and South Seattle College (6000 16th SW, on the driveway in front of the administration building), and the box by the White Center Library isn’t far (1409 SW 107th). KCE says dropboxes handle an average of 50 percent to 60 percent of all ballots in elections; they are emptied at least once a day by a team of two KC employees. Other datapoints: The boxes are made in Puyallup, weigh half a ton each, and are secured by four 8-inch bolts cemented into the ground.
(We’re told a school bus hit a dropbox and the box didn’t budge, though the bus suffered notable damage.) While Wise was there, we also asked her about the status of the ranked-choice voting system approved by Seattle voters two years ago. As we reported in this update last year, the 2022 ballot measure required it to be implemented for city elections by 2027 …. and that’s when Wise says it will happen. In the meantime, an advisory committee is being formed right now and will have its first meeting next month.
P.S. For this election, get your ballot in a dropbox by 8 pm August 6 – or in USPS mail so it’ll be postmarked no later than that date.
(WSB photo, May)
When you’re ready to put your primary-election ballot in a King County Elections dropbox, remember that we now have four in West Seattle, with the addition of that one by Morgan Junction Park. First, of course, you’ll have to get your ballot, and that could happen as soon as Thursday, because they’re set to be mailed out tomorrow (Wednesday, July 17). If you want to preview what’s on yours, go here. You’ll see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2, State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. Once you get your ballot, you have until 8 pm August 6 to get it in a dropbox; if you’re using postal mail, you just have to be sure it’ll be postmarked by that date.
At the City Council‘s weekly meeting today, councilmembers voted 8-1 (Tammy Morales was the lone “no”) to approve the bill intended to crack down on stunt driving categorized under the description “street racing” (read it here). The vote followed public comment that featured Alki community leaders, starting about 4:40 into the video.
What councilmembers approved included amendments by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka to add penalties, including higher fines for second (or beyond) violations. You can read the whole bill here; here’s the council announcement’s summary of what it will do, assuming Mayor Bruce Harrell signs it:
*The new ordinance amends the city code on illegal racing by creating a new traffic infraction penalizing the registered owner of a vehicle involved in racing and by adopting the state law changes.
*Adoption of the state law now gives the City Attorney’s Office the statutory authority to now prosecute illegal racing as misdemeanor and gross misdemeanors crimes.
*Vehicle owners and participants are subject to a $500 non-criminal traffic infraction. Adopted amendments by Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) increase the fine to $800 for a second infraction, and $1,500 for third and subsequent infractions.
*Any person knowingly attending an unlawful race event with the intent to observe, support, or encourage the event may face a civil infraction base fine of $100 if they fail to leave the event if instructed to do so by officers.
If you’re wondering exactly what the bill covers, here’s part of the language:
… “unlawful race event” means an event on a street, alley, way open to the public, or off-street facility wherein persons willfully: (1) compare or contest relative speeds by operation of one or more motor vehicles, or (2) demonstrate, exhibit, or compare speed, maneuverability, or the power of one or more motor vehicles, in a straight or curved direction, in a circular direction, around corners, or in circles in an activity commonly referred to as “drifting,” or by breaking traction.
(corrected attribution) Councilmember Tanya Woo, co-sponsor of the bill, said the place for that kind of driving is at race tracks and other venues where drivers can safely pursue “their passion.” But as Pumphrey pointed out in his comments, legislation alone doesn’t accomplish anything – he spoke to the last council a year ago before they passed the “racing zone” bill authorizing cameras (which have yet to be installed) – enforcement will be key. Since this was an “emergency” bill, if and when the mayor signs it, the law changes immediately.
One day after the City Council finalized it, the transportation-levy renewal/expansion got Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s signature in a City Hall ceremony this morning. With speeches from the mayor, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, business and labor leaders, and others, the levy started its road to the November ballot. It does not have a catchy name (yet), unlike its predecessor Levy to Move Seattle – expiring at the end of this year after its nine-year run – or the one before that, Bridging the Gap, which covered 2006-2015.
You’ve likely already heard that the levy would raise $1.55 billion over eight years. The mayor noted that’s “$21 per month more than the current levy” if you have a median-value house (he didn’t cite a number but it’s supposedly in the $800,000 vicinity). The total is said to represent almost a third of the budget for SDOT, whose director Greg Spotts spoke today too. He declared the levy “balanced and practical … data-driven, community-informed.” Much was made in other speeches of consensus and collaboration; Saka was lauded for leading the full-council committee that reviewed and amended the original slightly-less-costly proposal originally sent by Harrell. Saka declared the levy “a victory for the people of Seattle” and concluded his speech with this quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The website for the levy promises updated documents are in the works, so we don’t have the exact text yet (but here’s the council’s most recent spending-breakdown document). And much of what it will fund will not initially be spelled out location by location, but as we’ve noted in coverage over the past few months, there are several planned West Seattle projects specifically identified – repaving and other changes for 35th SW between Alaska and Morgan, pavement repairs to Fauntleroy Way SW between 35th and Alaska to get it through the years of nearby light-rail construction, safety improvements at the east end of the Roxbury corridor, a sidewalk along part of SW Brandon in North Delridge. Saka also spoke of one of his late additions, a future West Seattle protected-bike-lane project to be named for Steve Hulsman, the rider killed on Marine View Drive last year, whose widow Rita Hulsman was in attendance at the ceremony. The levy projects listed by name in the “spending breakdown” also mention a protected bike lane for Highland Park Way SW, ostensibly a reference to the proposal to replace a downhill driving lane with either a PBL or a multi-use path.
You can read the city’s overview of the levy here. General-election voting will end November 5.
Three City Council notes:
‘STREET-RACING’ BILL: This morning at 9:30 am, the council’s Public Safety Committee takes this up again, this time likely for a vote, along with two proposed amendments from District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka (who is the committee’s vice chair). First, he is proposing that in addition to the $500 fine that would be faced by the owner of a car participating in racing or related activities, a second violation would carry an $800 fine, third a $1,500 fine. See that amendment here. Second, he proposes a $100 citation that could be given to anyone attending an “unlawful race event.” See that amendment here. The full meeting agenda (which also explains how to comment, and links to the full bill under consideration) is here. (You can watch via Seattle Channel.)
TRANSPORTATION LEVY: At this afternoon’s meeting, councilmembers will take their final vote on the $1.55 billion, eight-year transportation levy renewal/expansion that will go to voters in November. The version they’re voting on and the companion amendment are linked in the agenda; assuming they’ll pass it (since it was approved by the levy committee comprised of all councilmembers, chaired by Saka), the mayor is expected to sign it tomorrow. A council spokesperson notes in a memo to media: “The current transportation levy was passed in 2015 and is set to expire this year. It accounts for roughly 30 percent of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s budget for core services and new projects. Under this levy proposal, the estimated property tax bill for the median assessed value home would be $499 per year. That’s $16.58 per month more than the expiring levy.” If you have any final words about it, the agenda for today’s 2 pm meeting explains how to participate in the public-comment period.
NEW SAKA STAFFER: Saka’s staff has been particularly visible in the community so far, so changes/additions are noteworthy, and the councilmember has just announced one. During Monday afternoon’s “briefing meeting” – when councilmembers provide miscellaneous updates – Saka mentioned he’s just hired 
Ian Griswold as legislative director, joining chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko and district director Leyla Gheisar. We asked Ko for more details and she forwarded Saka’s announcement:
Ian is a home-grown Seattleite and grew up in West Seattle. He brings a diverse professional experience, having worked with the Washington Technology Industry Association and Seattle Police Foundation. He is a graduate of UW’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and earned his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law. He looks forward to providing strong legislative and policy support work for the office.
Saka’s staff had had an opening since Heather Marx departed as policy adviser in May.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Some of the questions posed to State Sen. Joe Nguyễn during his Saturday morning Town Hall were about the biggest issues faced by state government – like school funding, public safety, and climate response.
Then, there was the attendee who wanted to know who had the power to keep the Blue Angels away.
Sen. Nguyễn, a West Seattle-residing Democrat in his second term as senator for the 34th Legislative District, spoke to and with more than two dozen people scattered around the back garden at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). As announced, the Town Hall lasted an hour – we recorded it on video:
Many of the questions were about climate/sustainability, not surprising considering that Nguyễn chairs the State Senate’s Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee. But school funding carried the most immediacy, given that Seattle Public Schools‘ superintendent Dr. Brent Jones has cited inadequate state funding as a reason he’s considering closing ~20 schools.
On Tuesday (July 2), city councilmembers are expected to vote on one last round of potential changes to the transportation levy intended to go to voters in November. The council committee reviewing and refining the levy is chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, who announced his latest proposed revisions today. Checking the detailed documents for West Seattle specifics, 
you’ll see one addition: A tribute to Steve Hulsman, the 66-year-old West Seattle man killed in a collision with a driver on Marine View Drive last December. Mr. Hulsman’s brother-in-law John Good had been talking to the city about ceremonially renaming the section of street where he died; instead, he told us this morning, Councilmember Saka decided to propose, as spelled out in the amendment document, a “Protected Bike Lane project in West Seattle to be named in honor of Steve Hulsman.” The document does not specify a location; the only potential PBL project for West Seattle named in the levy is Highland Park Way SW, but the levy calls for many other to-be-identified-later safety projects around the city. Good showed us email from Councilmember Saka offering also to sponsor a proposal for a “secondary street naming” in memory of Mr. Hulsman, while saying that would take more time.
As for the rest of Saka’s latest levy revision, it still contains the West Seattle specifics we’ve previously mentioned – projects for 35th SW between Alaska and Morgan, Fauntleroy Way between 35th and Alaska, Olson/1st/2nd, plus sidewalks for SW Brandon between 26th SW and 30th SW, and transit-corridor work for sections of SW Oregon and SW Alaska in The Junction. Saka says his final proposal would result in a $1.55 billion levy, same as his previous proposal. Here are the categories into which that would break out:
i. $160.5 million for Vision Zero, School and Neighborhood Safety;
ii. $423 million for Street Maintenance and Modernization, including no less than $350 million for Arterial Roadway Maintenance;
iii. $221 million for Bridges and Structures;
iv. $151 million for Transit Corridors and Connections;
v. $193 million for Pedestrian Safety, including no less than $111 million for New Sidewalks and Sidewalk Alternatives and no less than $34 million for Sidewalk Safety Repair;
vi. $100 million for Signals and Operations;
vii. $113.5 million for Bicycle Safety;
viii. $66.5 million for People Streets and Public Spaces;
ix. $69 million for Climate and Resiliency, including no less than $32 million for
electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
x. $45 million for Freight and Goods Movement; and
xi. $7.5 million for Good Governance & Equitable Implementation Initiative
In the first year, council documents say, Saka’s version would cost the owner of a “median assessed value” home $499, compared to $467 for the mayor’s original $1.45 billion version. Other councilmembers’ amendments include a counterproposal from Councilmember Tammy Morales, totaling $1.7 billion, which would equal $546 in the first year for that “median value” homeowner. (The city says that’s an $804,000 assessed value, and that the expiring levy is costing a median-value homeowner $288 this year.) The meeting at which the final amendments will be discussed, and votes taken, is Tuesday at 9:30 am, and includes a public-comment period, as noted on the agenda (where all the proposed amendments are linked, too). Other ways to get comments to the council are listed here.
While local officials are often in the hot seat on issues such as public safety, they sometimes point out that their powers have been to some degree superseded by state law. So – as one speaker at this meeting last night put it – it’s important to pay attention to the Legislature. Here’s an opportunity: One of our area’s three state legislators is having a Town Hall meeting this Saturday morning, and you’re invited, to come listen and/or ask a question. State Senator Joe Nguyễn will be at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) 9 am to 10 am this Saturday, June 29. Sen. Nguyễn chairs the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee and also serves on the Human Services and Ways & Means Committees – the latter is particularly notable, as it oversees budgeting. No RSVP needed for the Town Hall – just show up.
Twp items of extra local interest were on the agenda Tuesday for the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, for which District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka serves as vice chair.
First – starting at 20 minutes into the meeting video above – a consulting firm presented results of their commissioned study on waterway safety in Seattle, “a year in the making,” according to Councilmember Dan Strauss, who had advocated for it. You can read the full report here, and see their slide deck here. One major recommendation: More safety education for recreational boaters, who often aren’t aware of rules, laws, and best safety practices. More signage might help, they suggested. The consultants also recommended more synching between Seattle Police and Fire marine resources – they already cooperate and collaborate, but it should be more formalized. Their data could be better utilized, too.
They also noted the need for more marine-focused resources – SFD, for example, wants to build a new fire station on South Lake Union; SPD Harbor Patrol could use more staffing. And they could leverage other city personnel – perhaps the expanded Park Rangers team could help with noise enforcement, they suggested.
While the briefing didn’t touch on any West Seattle waterway-safety specifics, we noted while searching the full report that there are some local mentions – for example, on page 43, “SPD is developing a new map drawn to identify more specific Harbor Patrol ‘beat’ areas, such as Elliott Bay, Lake Union, Duwamish, Alki, and Fauntleroy.” Also mentioned (page 16), Fire Station 36 under the West Seattle Bridge at the north end of Delridge, because it “has the Marine 1 Unit, which provides landside firefighting response for fires on or near the water.”
No action was taken or proposed – the recommendations aren’t at the level of proposed policies or budget items, yet. A slightly different situation for the meeting’s second briefing, billed as the first look at “an ordinance relating to street racing; adding the crime of racing; adding the traffic infraction of vehicle participation in unlawful racing …” What City Attorney Ann Davison (who was at the meeting) announced last week, a new $500 fine for registered owners of participating vehicles, was just part of it. They’re also aligning with some new state laws, as noted in the rather sparse slide deck. Watch the briefing (which starts 54 minutes into the meeting video) for much more elaboration, including SPD Assistant Chief Dan Nelson recounting multiple “takeover” events this past Saturday night around the city, including the one on which we reported, at 2nd/Michigan/West Marginal. This recounting featured a video compilation. Nelson said it was important for SPD to use “targeted enforcement” to keep tracking and breaking up those gatherings, because some result in crime and collisions (shootings were associated with a takeover on MLK Way that same night, he said).
Saka asked why automated cameras couldn’t be more extensively used; a City Attorney’s Office rep explained that technologically, cameras could be used for much more, but state law limits their use, so it would have to change. Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth asked how people participating in driving stunts such as donuts would get ticketed; Nelson said officers would first move in to “triage” life-safety dangers, and then would start gathering plate numbers. Saka wondered where the $500 fine came from. Davison said they felt it would be “meaningful” but not “excessive.”
Before the proposed new laws can take effect, they’ll have to come back to the committee for a vote, and then go to the full council.
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