Council Committee Approves Larger New Shelters Amid Cloud of Mayor-Council Conflict The mayor's office asked the council to pull the proposal at the last minute because they didn't like some of the proposed amendments, prompting heated exchanges on the eve of the vote.

No Wonder the Pundit Class Can't Stand Her: We Discuss the Mayor's "Gaffes," Shelter Buffer Zones, and the KCRHA's Financial Plight Listen to this week's episode of Seattle Nice!

After “Cavalier” Social Media Posts, Judge Says County Assessor Accused of Stalking Must Wear GPS Monitor After All Wilson tried to blame PubliCola for turning the court and public against him. She didn’t buy it, saying his own actions were to blame.

County Council Launches Action to Address Homelessness Authority's Financial Issues The plan is to assess the KCRHA's "corrective action" proposal and address immediate problems, then come up with a longer-term plan that could include dissolving the agency.

Audit: Retiring SPD Officers Routinely Burn Through Months of Sick Time, Costing City Millions Each Year Officers who are "functionally retired" (including a current assistant chief) call in sick for months, earning full pay until they formally retire and cash out their vacation leave.

This Week On PubliCola: May 2, 2026 Homeless agency audit fallout, councilmembers propose no-shelter zones, delivery worker pay increases, and more publicola.com/2026/05/02/t...

Despite Dire Warnings, Delivery Worker Wages Went Up Under PayUp Law; Council Plans Data Center Moratorium Even more news from PubliCola to end the week.

Former Burien City Attorney and Ex-SPOG Leader Both Run for Office; Seattle Is Paying Two Salaries for One SPD Position Today's Morning Fizz!

County Considers New Contract Oversight Office; Return-to-Office Booster Calls In Remotely as County Employees Criticize Three-Day Mandate Today's Afternoon Fizz:

Proposed Changes to Wilson’s Shelter Plan Include Shelter-Free “Buffer” Zones, Mandatory Security Councilmember Maritza Rivera said the buffers are about "ensuring that shelters are not placed near schools, near kids and playgrounds."

SPD Chief Questions Whether LEAD Diversion Program is "Meeting Expectations" Barnes allowed that LEAD was better than "no diversion at all," while Councilmember Rivera said the city has already "thrown a lot" of money at the program.

After Board Meeting on Damning Audit, Talk Turns to "Winding Down" Homelessness Authority "Did we find fraud at KCHRA? The answer to that remains unclear."

This Week on PubliCola: April 25, 2026 A forensic audit finds widespread problems at the homelessness agency, county workers rally against in-office mandates, and a ton of other stories you may have missed this week. publicola.com/2026/04/25/t...

KCRHA Board Will Meet Today to Discuss Disastrous Forensic Audit Lots of questions face the regional homelessness authority in the wake of a report that found significant issues with its budget and accounting practices. publicola.com/2026/04/24/k...

Alarming Audit, Missing Millions: Is the End Nigh for KCRHA? Listen to this week's 🚨emergency podcast🚨 to learn more about what's happening at the region's homelessness authority!

Fulfilling a Campaign Promise, Wilson Announces Denny Way Bus Lanes Coming This Year The 8 will be less L8. publicola.com/2026/04/23/f...

UPDATED WITH MANY NEW DETAILS from a forensic report on the region's embattled homelessness agency Forensic Audit Finds Homelessness Agency Lacked Basic Accounting Standards, Lost Track of at Least $13 Million publicola.com/2026/04/22/f...

Forensic Audit Finds KCRHA "Unable to Account for $13 Million" In Public Funds Mayor Wilson and Councilmembers Express Rising Concerns About Embattled Homelessness Agency publicola.com/2026/04/22/f...

Seattle Times Fails to Credit PubliCola for Reporting on County ASSESSOR's Social Media Posts (Sorry for the brain-freeze headline error that was up for a few seconds!) When media behemoths refuse to credit, it devalues small outlets that provide original reporting on a fraction of their budgets.

Hey, @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social you literally GOT this story from me. I broke it days ago on Bluesky and then on my own website, PubliCola. THE POST WAS DOWN BY YESTERDAY. I RAN INTO YOUR REPORTER WHO THANKED ME FOR BREAKING THIS NEWS today. Give my independent outlet credit immediately.

Union Members, King County Employees Protest Three-Day Office Mandate Many employees have never had to work from an office in downtown Seattle, and have jobs that take them to far-flung locations. publicola.com/2026/04/21/u...

County Assessor, Charged With Stalking, Posts Taunting Pics as Council Again Demands His Resignation Wilson said he can't wear the monitor, which a judge ordered to ensure he complies with a restraining order, because of a condition that requires him to soak his legs. publicola.com/2026/04/20/c...

SPD Gives Medal to Officer Who Chased Man Into Traffic, Leaving Carful of Kids Behind The department used 911 audio of a panicked domestic violence victim, without obtaining her consent, in its video promoting the officer's courage for apprehending her abuser. publicola.com/2026/04/20/s...

This Week on PubliCola: April 18, 2026 Homelessness Authority Undergoes Forensic Audit, County Assessor Gets Out of Wearing Ankle Monitor in Stalking Case, and More News from this Week publicola.com/2026/04/18/t...

As Seattle Goes It Alone on Shelter, Homelessness Authority Faces Forensic Financial Audit The audit looms large as Mayor Katie Wilson opts to keep the city in charge of a top campaign priority—adding 1,000 new shelter beds this year, and 4,000 by the end of her term. publicola.com/2026/04/17/a...

King County Assessor Won't Have to Wear Ankle Monitor in Stalking Case "I will have absolutely no contact with Miss Keller for as long as I live," the assessor, John Arthur Wilson, said. Wilson was arrested and charged for violating an earlier no-contact order. publicola.com/2026/04/15/k...

King County Assessor Says He Can’t Wear Ankle Monitor In Stalking Case Due to Medical Condition, Burien Puts City Manager on Leave, and More Three new stories in today's Afternoon Fizz, only on PubliCola: publicola.com/2026/04/14/k...

Seattle Nice: Mayor Wilson's Shelter Plan, King County Assessor's Stalking Charges, an Ambitious Library Levy, and More Check out our podcast, with new episodes every week. publicola.com/2026/04/13/s...

This Week on PubliCola: April 11, 2026 Shelter expansion, anti-apartment pushback, Northeast Seattle gets dedicated cops, and a bunch more stories you may have missed this week. publicola.com/2026/04/11/t...

Developers Ask for Mandatory Affordable Housing Fee Holiday as Permits for New Apartments Dry Up The fees, passed in 2019, reflect a view that that new market-rate apartments create negative impacts that developers must mitigate. publicola.com/2026/04/10/d...

County Assessor Pleads Not Guilty to Stalking, Must Wear Ankle Monitor A Seattle judge issued a five-year no-contact order against the assessor, who was arrested last year for showing up at his ex's house in violation of a previous order. publicola.com/2026/04/09/c...

Larger Library Levy Moves Forward; Founder of AI Worker Surveillance Startup Appointed to Ethics Commission Today's Afternoon Fizz. publicola.com/2026/04/09/l...

Don’t just follow @ericacbarnett.bsky.social and @publicola.bsky.social — financially support Erica and Publicola’s work as well: publicola.com/support/

SPD Dedicates Three Officers to Magnuson Park, Citing Success with "Disorder" and Property Crimes "It's not always about the highest-crime area," Chief Shon Barnes said. publicola.com/2026/04/08/s...

Seattle Council Hears from Renters Who Want Quality of Life and Homeowners Who Want to Keep Neighborhoods to Themselves The backlash comes as Mayor Katie Wilson, a renter, proposes accelerating and going bigger on the city's 10-year zoning strategy. publicola.com/2026/04/07/s...

Mayor Wilson Wants to Expand Housing Faster; Councilmember Rivera Wants to Audit Human Services Listen to (and read my take on) the latest episode of Seattle Nice! publicola.com/2026/04/06/s...

This Week On PubliCola: April 4, 2025 Wilson and Zahilay Push Forward on Housing Rivera Wants to Audit HSD, and More publicola.com/2026/04/04/t...

Rivera Plays Grinch to Library Supporters, Saka Holds Committee Hostage for Extended NBA Rally Today's Afternoon Fizz! publicola.com/2026/04/03/r...

Councilmember Wants "Audit of Human Services Contracts." That's a Big Ask. Rivera said that in light of a damning but unrelated audit of county programs, the city should be better safe than sorry and audit its human services spending too. publicola.com/2026/04/03/c...

Wilson Says She'll Accelerate Comprehensive Plan and "Go Bigger" on Density The mayor told PubliCola her plan would move the timeline up a year and add more housing in neighborhoods—not just on "busy, noisy, dirty" roads. publicola.com/2026/04/02/m...

County Executive Floats Countywide Housing Levy, 500 New Housing Units or Shelter Beds by Mid-2027 publicola.com/2026/04/01/c...

Hannah Sabio-Howell Says It's Time to Replace Longtime Legislator Jamie Pedersen The 29-year-old first-time candidate says the progressive 43rd District wants a leader who will prioritize the needs of working people and renters. publicola.com/2026/03/31/h...

Ron Davis, Running for the State House on an Urbanist Platform, Says North Seattle Is Ready for a Change He's challenging 15-year incumbent Gerry Pollet, who he calls the "chief NIMBY in the Democratic Caucus" (Now with an update from Pollet's team) publicola.com/2026/03/30/r...

This Week On PubliCola: March 28, 2026 Surveillance cameras, high-tech toilets, an interview with pro-housing councilmember Eddie Lin, and more. publicola.com/2026/03/28/t...

This Week on PubliCola: March 28, 2026 Surveillance cameras, high-tech toilets, an interview with pro-housing councilmember Eddie Lin, and more. By Erica C. Barnett Monday, March 23 Seattle Nice: Does Mayor Wilson Really Believe Police Surveillance Enhances Safety? Was Mayor Katie Wilson’s…

Seattle Councilmember Eddie Lin: "Go As Big As We Can" On Growth in Comp Plan Listen to the latest episode of Seattle Nice! publicola.com/2026/03/27/s...

Seattle Councilmember Eddie Lin: “Go As Big As We Can” On Growth in Comp Pla By Erica C. Barnett This week on Seattle Nice, we talked to City Councilmember Eddie Lin, who's serving his first term representing Southeast Seattle's District 2. He's the third council member to represent this district…

Seattle Gives High-Tech Toilets Another Go, Starting in Pioneer Square The new loos will only be accessible through an app, QR code, text message, or access card. publicola.com/2026/03/25/s...

Seattle Gives High-Tech Toilets Another Go, Starting in Pioneer Square By Erica C. Barnett Anyone who has walked through Seattle's densest neighborhoods—First Hill, downtown, Capitol Hill—knows that it's damn near impossible to find a public restroom outside libraries, parks, and tourist-heavy…

What Is the NYU Policing Project, and Why Did the Police Chief Resign from their Board? Until Monday, Police Chief Shon Barnes was on the board of the Policing Project, which Mayor Wilson has tapped to do a security audit of police surveillance cameras here. By Erica C. Barnett On Monday,…