Policy & Regulations
What Will Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan Decide on the “Save the Showbox” Ordinance?
Signing the bill passed unanimously by the City Council seems likely, but could a deal with Onni be in the works?
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. On Aug. 13, the City Council voted 8-0 to add the site of the Showbox Theater to the Pike Place Historical District, granting it protection from a a 440-unit apartment redevelopment project proposed by Onni Development. But Mayor Durkan has yet to take action on the bill, despite…
Seattle Council President Launches New Committee on Homelessness and Affordable Housing
Bruce Harrell acknowledged that past work by the council has fallen short
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. Council President Bruce Harrell has announced the newest Council committee: the Select Committee on Homelessness and Housing Affordability. This new Select Committee, comprised of all nine Council members, is intended to be a new and more centralized approach focused on the homelessness issue… a transparent working committee that…
Appeals Court Dismisses Uber Drivers’ Lawsuit Challenging City of Seattle Policy
The latest decision in the ongoing dispute over ride-hail policy in the city of Seattle
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. Kevin Schofield wrote the April 2018 cover story of Seattle Business magazine on the city’s policies on ride-hail businesses like Uber and Lyft. Read the full story here. This year the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has heard two challenges to the City of Seattles ordinance authorizing collective…
Washington Exceeds the National Average in a Measure of Average Tax Debt
The consequences of that unpaid tax debt can be severe for individuals, a new report states, including wage garnishment and asset seizure
The consequences of that unpaid tax debt can be severe for individuals, a new report states, including wage garnishment and asset seizure
Washington Ranks Third Among the States in Black Market Cigarette Consumption
High levels of cigarette smuggling are linked to high excise taxes on legal tobacco, report claims
Washington has the third highest rate of inbound cigarette-smuggling activity in the nation, with an estimated 42.8% of total cigarette consumption in the state involving smuggled tobacco, according to a new report by the Tax Foundation. The Washington, D.C.-based think tank, devoted to analyzing and assessing tax policy, puts the blame for the high rate…
Seattle Earns High Marks for Enacting Policies That Improve Residents Health and Quality of Life
Nationwide study examined nine key areas to determine which cities excel at smart policymaking
Seattle is one of only eight of cities nationwide to earn an overall Gold City designation in an assessment of its success in enacting policies that improve the health and well-being of its residents, an improvement from an overall silver award last year, according to CityHealth. Policy advances over the past year that led to…
Seattle Mayor Seeks to Bolster Contract Opportunities for Women and Minority-Owned Firms
Efforts will be focused on improving outreach, assessment and feedback with an eye toward reaching contracting goals
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan this week signed an executive order designed to speed efforts to achieve contracting equity for the citys women and minority-owned business enterprises (WMBEs). It puts into effect several measures to better monitor and assess contracting outcomes and promote community feedback and contracting opportunities for WMBEs. The executive order calls for the…
Pedestrians Needed: Seattle Waterfront Project Rethinks Life Post Viaduct
A spiffy new version of Seattles waterfront hinges on a build it and they will come strategy
PIER REVIEW. A grand Overlook Walk will offer a connection between Pike Place Market and the waterfront, taking pedestrians over the new Alaskan Way
Seattle City Council Approves 2019 Budget
Plus, the council resolves three outstanding issues.
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. After a handful of tweaks Monday morning, the City Council gave its final approval Monday afternoon to the $5.9 billion city budget for next year. In Monday mornings final Budget Committee meeting for the year, the Council approved a handful of technical corrections to the budget they assembled…
Understanding Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Proposed Budget: Homelessness Response
The Mayor's proposed 2019-2020 budget, explained.
See what changes Mayor Jenny Durkan is proposing on the spending side here and the revenue side here. This story originally ran on SCC Insight. On October 3, the Mayors Office walked through for the City Council the parts of the proposed budget related to responding to the homelessness crisis, which span several departments. Lets…
Seattle’s Expenditures: Understanding Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Proposed Budget
Take a deep dive into how the city's money is being spent.
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. Earlier I posted a review of the revenues side of the Mayors proposed budget. Heres the flip side: how the moneys being spent. A reminder: its a 2-year budget proposal for 2019 and 2020; the 2019 budget will be officially adopted and the 2020 one will be endorsed…