On Monday the Council passed legislation to allow for better citywide distribution of state-licensed marijuana stores. It’s a classic case of a citywide policy with implications throughout Seattle’s neighborhoods: currently, over half of permitted stores are in District 2 (SE Seattle and SODO) and District 5 (North Seattle), while District 1 (West Seattle and South […]
Month: January 2016
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Building a Compassionate and Safe Community for All
Last Monday I announced my priorities for the year, highlighting the need to provide safe shelter for people in our city who are homeless and ensuring our streets and neighborhoods are safe. The events and meetings I’ve attended this week have confirmed why this commitment is critical to our city. In November, our Mayor and […]
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Sustainable Retirement Plan Saves Taxpayers $200 Million Over 30 Years
The City Council unanimously approved legislation yesterday afternoon that will lead to a new defined benefit retirement plan for City employees. The plan is expected to save the City $200 million over the next 30 years. This new retirement plan...
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Council Approves Sustainable City Employee Pension Program, Saves Taxpayers $200 Million Over 30 Years
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/11/2016
Council Approves Sustainable City Employee Pension Program, Saves Taxpayers $200 Million Over 30 Years
SEATTLE - Council unanimously approved legislation today that will lead to a new defined benefit retirement plan for City employees expected to save the City $200 million over the next 30 years. The legislation, Council Bill 118604, implements a new collective bargaining agreement with four City labor unions that includes the new pension program alongside salary adjustments and other changes.
The retirement plan, called Seattle City Employees' Retirement System (SCERS) II, will be available for new employees hired on and after January 1, 2017. The new retirement system benefits better align with other public agencies in the Puget Sound region and were developed collaboratively with City labor unions.
"This new retirement plan is a win-win-win," said Councilmember Tim Burgess, Chair of the City’s Retirement Board. "We've managed to retain a defined benefit pension system, which will help attract top talent to City agencies. Employees will contribute less from their salary, which means more money in their pockets now. And, over time, the City will save hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars."
Following the 2008 recession, the City’s retirement system faced financial challenges after experiencing a 26.8% loss. In 2011, a City Council-sponsored report defined the challenges facing the system and offered alternatives to ensure the future sustainability of the system.
"We will maintain a strong defined benefit plan for our retirees, while ensuring that our pension system will be sustainable over the long term," said Mayor Ed Murray. "City employees' commitment to public service means they often make far less than they would in the private sector. We reached agreement with our union partners to generate substantial savings for the taxpayer, while also compensating our employees with a stable pension for their lifetime of work."
The plan approved today is structured similarly to the current retirement plan, SCERS I, and will still provide an adequate retirement benefit to employees. Both employees and the City will contribute less to the program. Currently the City and its employees contribute 15.8% of payroll to fund the benefits earned during the year. In the new plan the contribution will drop to 11.9% of payroll.
"We’re saving money, ensuring a healthy retirement system going forward, and providing competitive benefits for our employees," added Councilmember Burgess. "I'm grateful for the collaborative effort by the Mayor, Council and the City’s labor unions to reach this outcome."
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Debriefing on Block 21: Where land use and labor intersect – and where they don’t.
Today, the Seattle City Council faced a difficult vote. We voted to grant the Block 21 Alley Vacation to Amazon, Inc., with an amendment regarding free speech protections on the property, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Burgess, Herbold and myself. Normally, an alley vacation is not a particularly controversial decision; it’s a part of the lifecycle of […]
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2016 Inauguration Remarks
This week I was honored to be sworn in for a third term to the Seattle City Council. You can watch my speech here, or read my speech below: Thank you, Joleen, Elisabeth and Katharine. I’d also like to recognize...
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Vision & Responsibility
(Remarks presented as prepared, see Seattle Channel for the full video and remarks as delivered.) Councilmembers, distinguished guests, friends, and family — I am honored to stand before you as District 4’s first representative and humbled by the trust you’ve placed in my passion for the city of Seattle. I want to send a heartfelt […]
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My 2016 Inauguration Speech
(Remarks presented as prepared, see Seattle Channel for the full video and remarks as delivered.) This is a new beginning for me, but so many of the challenges we face are not new, and Courtney’s story really embodies some of our biggest challenges in the coming years. Courtney and her family moved to Seattle like […]
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Councilmember Juarez Takes Oath of Office, First Enrolled Native American to Serve on Seattle City Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/4/2016
Councilmember Juarez Takes Oath of Office, First Enrolled Native American to Serve on Seattle City Council
SEATTLE - Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5, North Seattle) took her ceremonial oath of office today, becoming the first enrolled Native American to serve on the Seattle City Council. Councilmember Juarez is a member of the Blackfeet Nation. The following are her remarks delivered at the Seattle City Council inauguration ceremony on January 4, 2016:
"As you know, my name is Debora Juarez. I am an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation. The Blackfeet name is ‘Nah Too Yii Mis'Stuckie,' which means ‘Holy Mountain Woman.'
"I am proud to represent the City of Seattle and am equally proud to represent District 5.
"Before I begin I want to honor and thank special people - they know who they are. Because, as we know, and as we learned in Indian Country, you don't get here by yourself. This took me 45 years to get here, and there are good people out there - they know who they are; I can't say every one of their names - but I couldn't have done it without them. I want to give a special thanks to my daughters, Raven and Memphis. Of all people, they've scarified the most. They've watched their mom run out the door many times to a meeting, to court, to special session in Olympia, to litigation in another state, mediation in California, New York - somehow they understood what mom was doing. They were always there when I came home, and they were always there for support, and now they're grown. I'm glad they're out of the house <laughter>, leaving their fish behind (Marshawn, their foster fish).
"Today is historic. It is not historic because I'm Native American, or because I'm Latina. It's historic because I am America. This is democracy. I am a product of 1970s War on Poverty programs, I am a product of affirmative action, I am a product of growing up poor, but knowing that education was the equalizer.
"I'm also the product of having mentors, like Uncle Billy Frank, Ramona Bennett - I could go on and on. Indian women, Indian leaders that have brought me here, and include Roberto Maestas AND Bernie Whitebear and, of course, Larry Gosset. Larry has known me for 25 years.
"Today is also historic because in 2013, the voters spoke very loudly - a mandate, 66 percent, I believe -for the district system. I get to work with 8 esteemed Councilmembers, 6 of which will represent their neighborhoods, their districts, their communities. This is an opportunity to bring all of us closer together, to talk, and to move away from a lighted screen or voicemail. We will be engaged, we will be successful, and I'm proud to be a part of that.
"When we started a district system, many wondered ‘what will that mean?' Well Indian Country knows what that means - you should live with the people you represent. You should see and be accessible, you should know where the schools are, where the lights are, whether there's potholes, whether there needs to be gutters - that's what we're supposed to do - that's democracy - is representing our people. <applause>
"We represent the great city of Seattle, and I hear we have a good football team. And we honor the legacy and needs of our communities. I'm honored to hold such an important place in history. I want to thank Seattle, I want to thank my supporters, and I want to thank District 5. I believe a sustainable city must be a fair city, a city that brings prompt and humane solutions that address the weakness of the non-empowered and disenfranchised. And I'm proud to work with these people, moving forward, that that's our mandate.
"In conclusion I want to share a story, some insight from another one of my Inspirations. I had the honor of meeting her once, very briefly many years ago.
"Wilma ManKiller, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation - First woman Chief of the Cherokee Nation, elected in 1985, 31 years ago.
"In 1992 Chief Wilma ManKiller was approached by an Elder of the Onieda Nation. And, he shared with her one of the prophecies he had heard: That this was the time of the Woman - a time for women to take on a more important role in society. This anonymous Onieda Man shared it was the "time of the Butterfly."
"She smiled and thought of the recent appointment of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then Hillary Rodham Clinton's work on health care, and other recent high profile women. She smiled. She thought it about it all day, and kept smiling.
"That is how I feel today. Like Wilma ManKiller, smiling and remembering how her friends described her: a woman who likes to dance along the edge of the room, like a butterfly.
"No fear.
"Thank you."
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Seattle City Council meetings are cablecast live on Seattle Channel 21, HD Channels 321 Comcast, 721 Wave and on the City Council's website. Copies of legislation, Council meeting calendar, and archives of news releases can be found on the City Council website. Follow the Council on Twitter and on Facebook.
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Councilmember Johnson Remarks from Seattle City Council Inauguration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/4/2016
Councilmember Johnson Remarks from Seattle City Council Inauguration
SEATTLE - Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle) delivered the following remarks at the Seattle City Council inauguration ceremony on January 4, 2016:
"Councilmembers, distinguished guests, friends, and family - I am honored to stand before you as District 4's first representative and humbled by the trust you've placed in my passion for the city of Seattle.
"I want to send a heartfelt message of gratitude to everyone who helped me get here and provided guidance along the way, most importantly my wife Katie and our girls, whose collective patience and support knows no bounds.
"I ran for office not only to make the process of civic engagement more efficient and enjoyable for my constituents, but to be a voice at the table, helping to steer this city at a crucial juncture in our collective history.
"As the fastest growing major city in the country, the problems to solve and the hurdles to overcome are many as we work to keep pace with those who currently call Seattle their home and those who want to call Seattle their home. The time for making two year decisions has passed, and we must commit ourselves, as leaders of this city, to planning for 2065, not 2018.
"Recent initiatives such as our HALA recommendations and the Move Seattle levy lay an exceptional foundation for this type of long term planning, and I recognize the responsibility we as leaders of this city share is to balance that strategic visioning with hard and fast implementation.
"When I think of the Seattle I want my daughters to enjoy 50 years from now, it inspires my guiding vision and subsequently, the types of decisions I will make over the course of my term.
"I envision a transportation system that is efficient, affordable, safe and interconnected. I envision a decreased dependence on vehicles and the celebration of carbon neutrality in the not too distant future.
"I envision our neighborhoods and urban villages alike as communities where all have the opportunity to live, work, and play - regardless of socio-economic status. Where better planning, design and architectural innovation ensure new development improves quality of life and enhances the character of all our neighborhoods.
"And I envision an education system of the highest caliber, resulting from meaningful dialogue between the city and our school district to coordinate our growth strategies. I envision a system that provides not only a seat for every child in the classroom, but also access to a holistic education, one including the arts, that prepares our students for any path they choose to pursue.
"This vision comes with a responsibility to express opinions, propose solutions, to be bold - and a little bit wonky. My wonkiness ultimately stems from my passion for the role that cities play in our national, cultural landscape. In my opinion, the best cities thrive when focused on the quality of life of each and every one if its' residents, and the efficiency of its infrastructure. Cities work optimally when both the private and the public sectors come together in the spirit of collaboration. Cities don't necessarily succeed by having the most money in their coffer, but by finding creative solutions that make an impact. And cities have the opportunity to provide leading innovations in the absence of action at the state and federal level.
"Seattle is an incredible city built to inspire and engage - and recent examples including December's vote allowing ride-share drivers to unionize, and our response to homelessness make me very proud to play a part in this city's future.
"Today marks a milestone in Seattle's history as we commence a council term characterized by district representation. So to conclude, and to recognize this occasion, I'd like to give each of my fellow council members this mug from the University of Washington. Let it represent how honored I am to represent District 4 and to work alongside you all to make Seattle a more livable, equitable, and enjoyable city. Thank you."
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Seattle City Council meetings are cablecast live on Seattle Channel 21, HD Channels 321 Comcast, 721 Wave and on the City Council's website. Copies of legislation, Council meeting calendar, and archives of news releases can be found on the City Council website. Follow the Council on Twitter and on Facebook.