With a widespread housing crisis and sky-high downtown commercial vacancies, West Coast cities are weighing vacancy taxes to push more units into productive use, but Tacoma and Seattle likely need state legislation to clear the path.
Seattle Councilmember Cathy Moore announced Friday that she is withdrawing her proposal weakening the City’s ethics rules, pledging to fine-tune the idea and bring it back. Collin Thrower lays out why she is on the wrong track.
Bellevue, Seattle, and Tacoma are each working to expand tree protections, but all should go further to expand canopy and adapt to a warming climate.
Seattle and other West Coast cities are pushing for the right to clear encampments without offering shelter. But the U.S. Supreme Court would need to overrule the Ninth Circuit ruling deeming this unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment.
Greater Tacoma used to have an enormously expansive streetcar network. With just one line, Tacoma’s modern streetcar network has a long way to go to catch up to that rapid transit standard.
Dismal councilmember pay is hampering local city governments across Washington State. Understandably there might be some revulsion against the suggestion to pay politicians more. The association is often with fat cat millionaires living in mansions and living the high life. The lack of sympathy is understandable. These are people who