Emerald City Wire
Local news serving Northwest Seattle
Emerald City Wire
Local news serving Northwest Seattle
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
View MoreMayor Wilson fires Seattle Police Chief Barnes three days after Bite of Seattle shooting
Mayor Katie Wilson fired Police Chief Shon Barnes on Wednesday, July 29, three days after a mass shooting at Seattle Center killed three people in District 7; a coalition of nine Black community organizations rallied at City Hall Thursday to oppose the decision.
Local Government
View MoreSound Transit blames World Cup maintenance pause for string of Link breakdowns
Sound Transit acknowledged that suspending its monthly maintenance program during the FIFA World Cup contributed to four Link light rail breakdowns between July 9 and July 21, and said the maintenance program resumed the week of July 27.
Local Government
View MoreBite of Seattle shooting: second suspect at large; no cameras captured the gunfire
A second suspect remains at large and SPD has no camera footage of the Bite of Seattle mass shooting that killed three and wounded four, including a toddler, reigniting the fight over Mayor Wilson's CCTV expansion pause.
Local Government
View MoreSeattle City Light bills to jump $20 a month after council approves back-to-back 9.5% rate hikes
The Seattle City Council voted 9-0 on Tuesday, July 21, to approve 9.5% Seattle City Light rate increases in both 2027 and 2028, adding roughly $20 per month to the average customer's electricity bill in the utility's largest rate hikes in recent memory.
Local Government
View MoreYour home lost value on paper. Your property tax bill probably won't drop.
King County began mailing property assessments the week of July 14 showing Seattle home values flat or declining, but Washington's tax system means homeowners shouldn't expect lower bills as new levies and a downtown commercial collapse reshape the tax burden.
Local Government
View MoreJury finds two SPD officers justified in 2019 fatal shooting inside Queen Anne apartment
A King County inquest jury unanimously found Wednesday, July 15, that Seattle Police Officers Ryan Beecroft and Chris Myers were legally justified in fatally shooting 31-year-old Ryan Smith inside a Queen Anne apartment in May 2019, closing an investigation that spanned more than seven years.
Local Government
View MoreI-5 Ship Canal Bridge drops to two northbound lanes through rest of year
Northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge is down to two lanes through the end of 2026, the Harvard Avenue East on-ramp is closed until mid-October, and express lanes are locked northbound 24/7, eliminating the morning southbound commute option for drivers in Ballard, Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Fremont.
Local Government
View MoreJudge orders abandoned boat removed from Ballard pier by July 30
A King County Superior Court judge has ordered the owner of the Albert, a 112-foot derelict vessel that has blocked a Ballard public pier since 2020, to remove it by July 30 or face city-enforced demolition and $185,500 in civil penalties.
Local Government
View MoreKettle's transit amendment would kill D Line weekend upgrades for Ballard. Public hearing is Monday.
Seattle's first public hearing on the $1.4 billion transit measure renewal is Monday, July 13, with District 7 Councilmember Bob Kettle's amendment to cap the sales tax at 0.2% threatening roughly $500 million in bus funding and planned D Line frequency upgrades for Ballard riders.
Local Government
View MoreBallard bus riders face service squeeze as council fights over transit tax size
Seattle's transit committee set a Monday, July 13 public hearing on the $1.4 billion transit measure after hearing competing amendments from Councilmembers Kettle and Juarez, with Ballard bus service frequency and accessibility upgrades at stake.
Local Government
View MoreSeattle mayor proposes banning pet rent, mail fees in rental agreements
Mayor Katie Wilson sent the Seattle City Council a bill that would ban pet rent, mail fees, common-area charges, and other add-on costs in rental agreements, requiring landlords to disclose all fees upfront before a lease is signed.
Local Government
View MoreCouncil amendment fight over $138M transit tax heads to July 6 vote
The Seattle City Council faces a July 6 committee vote on Mayor Katie Wilson's proposal to double the Seattle Transit Measure sales tax to 0.3%, with Councilmembers Kettle and Strauss pushing competing amendments on public safety spending and Ballard-specific service before the measure goes to voters in November.
Local Government
View MoreSeattle sewer bills rising $8 a month in 2027, could double by 2032
The King County Council unanimously approved a 12.75% sewer rate hike on June 24, raising monthly bills from about $63 to $71 in 2027, with council members warning that double-digit increases could continue for five more years as the county faces $14 billion in infrastructure costs.
Local Government
View MoreBallard nonprofit warns luxury yacht club could threaten Seattle's largest heron colony
Heron Habitat Helpers is urging the City of Seattle to require additional environmental review of the Terminal One Motor + Yacht Club proposed at 2750 W. Commodore Way, warning the luxury development could disrupt a 63-nest great blue heron colony at Commodore Park near the Ballard Locks. Public comment closes Friday, June 26.
Local Government
View MoreSeattle council committee passes emergency bill giving city permanent authority to close Aurora side streets
Seattle's Public Safety Committee passed emergency legislation on Tuesday, June 23, giving SDOT legal authority to close streets for public safety, targeting gun violence and sex trafficking on Aurora Avenue North. The full council vote requiring a supermajority is expected the week of June 30.
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