Seattle Mayor Harrell touts innovation, hope for Sonics return

Housing and homelessness

Though the city has 7,600 units of new housing in the permitting and construction pipeline for the greater Downtown area, Harrell acknowledged Tuesday that addressing the housing affordability crisis will involve building new housing across Seattle.

Harrell promised that within two weeks, the city would release a draft of a Comprehensive Plan update, which will direct where that housing will go and how densely it can be built. The draft was supposed to be released in 2023, but the Office of Planning and Community Development  has delayed it several times.

On homelessness, Harrell used his address to once again implore other King County cities and towns to contribute more to addressing the crisis. Harrell has long expressed skepticism of Seattle’s outsized role in funding the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. 

“This year, we will drive needed changes to improve oversight and accountability and foster stronger regional collaboration and solutions,” Harrell said. “A regional approach means that there is permanent supportive housing and services in every community in our region –- not just in Seattle.”

Transportation 

In November, the City of Seattle will ask voters to renew the Move Seattle Levy, a major funder of city transportation infrastructure projects. On Tuesday, Harrell said he wants to use renewed funds to focus on basics like street repaving, pothole filling and bridge maintenance, while also funding street tree planting, electrification and bike and pedestrian safety projects.

Budget shortfall

One of the mayor’s biggest challenges in the coming year will be Seattle’s projected $250 million budget shortfall. On the campaign trail and in their first weeks in office, the new City Councilmembers called for a deep budget audit as they begin to tackle the shortfall. On Tuesday, Harrell seemed to co-sign that plan.

“This is a chance to hit reset, to revise our budgeting practices, and to double down on the programs, projects, and policies that are effective and making the most difference for the people of Seattle. … Our pace of spending requires a systemwide analysis of every expense stream and line of business, as well as a granular analysis of dollars spent.”

As a first step for addressing the budget shortfall, Harrell imposed a hiring freeze in January for the City of Seattle, with exceptions for public safety positions. At the time, he said that his administration was still considering all options for the deficit, including “the potential for new or adjusted revenue sources.”

In his speech Tuesday, however, Harrell said new revenue isn’t the answer to Seattle’s budget woes. “The fact is that passing a new or expanded tax will not address the fundamental issues needed to close this gap in the long run.”