Seattle Mayor

London's Pavilion Road, fully pedestrianized in 2021, represents a strong contrast with Seattle's plans to reduce pollution by transforming streets, still stuck in the planning stage despite nearly seven years of work.

A year into announcing its ambitious Downtown Activation Plan, the Harrell Administration is touting successes. But so far those are primarily spot improvements, with many big initiatives in limbo or on hold.

Mayor Bruce Harrell and Governor Jay Inslee were on Thursday's program at Bloomberg Green Festival hosted at the Seattle Center. Both touted local leadership on environmental issues, even as that work remains tenuous.

Mayor Bruce Harrell has dropped acoustic gunshot locator technology from his proposal to beef up surveillance of Seattle residents. The expansion of automated license plate readers, cameras, and real-time crime center software has continued to draw criticism from groups focused on privacy and racial equity.

Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz is out as the allegations against him pile up. Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Sue Rahr would be his interim replacement. Diaz faces numerous investigations for an alleged pattern of gender and racial discrimination in his office and sexual harassment.

City leaders are weighing laxer hiring standards rather than improving SPD's culture and accountability systems. But SPD's bad reputation could be the bigger drag on hiring – not to mention safety outcomes.

Mayor Harrell and the city council are contemplating budget cuts and raiding JumpStart payroll tax revenue to address a $230 million budget deficit. But nonprofit leaders are warning of the impact of reducing affordable housing funding.

In his state of the city speech Tuesday, Harrell eschewed new taxes and promised yet-to-be identified budget cuts. He pledged a long-delayed draft of the Seattle Comprehensive Plan and an incentive package for office-to-housing conversions will be released in March.