Our District 4 is home to over 20 neighborhoods. Councilmember Pedersen believes community councils and other neighborhood-based organizations play an important role in Seattle. It may seem ill-timed during the COVID crisis to promote participation in community groups, but we hear from constituents that they are yearning to reconnect with neighbors and many groups are […]

Friends and Neighbors, October has been bursting with work on Seattle’s $6.5 billion budget for 2021. I’ve spent the last few weeks working with the Durkan Administration, my Council colleagues, and constituents to consider how best to finalize a budget that works for all of us in the face of the economic and public health […]

This past weekend I visited the brand-new park that opened at Portage Bay in our District 4. It’s called Fritz Hedges Waterway Park, named after Frederick “Fritz” Hedges who was a long-term Parks professional with the City of Seattle. The new park is located at 1117 Northeast Boat Street. That’s east of the University Bridge […]

[NOTE: Final Budget: The blog post below discusses the beginning and middle of the Fall 2020 budget process (for 2021). For the separate blog post that details the final results of that process, CLICK HERE. Public Safety: While public safety is a key component of our city budget and is discussed below, you can also […]

Media Reports: October 14, 2020: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/uw-weighs-harsher-response-to-greek-row-covid-19-outbreak/ October 8, 2020: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/university-of-washington-and-greek-row-struggle-to-contain-covid-19-outbreak/ From the Office of the President at UW, October 7, 2020: “Minimizing the spread of COVID-19 is a university priority, and critical to the overall health of our community.  We share your concern and frustration about the recent outbreak in the Greek community. The University […]

Press Release: Celebrating passage of our Transportation Electrification Plan to guide Seattle City Light’s investments in an electrified transportation system  Seattle City Light’s Transportation Electrification Strategic Investment Plan will guide equitable investments to electrify all forms of transportation SEATTLE (September 28, 2020) – Mayor Jenny Durkan today applauded City Council’s passage of Seattle City Light’s […]

Friends and Neighbors, I hope this newsletter finds you looking forward to the season of Fall — here at City Hall that means budget season. Despite sometimes expressing policy perspectives different from several of my City Council colleagues, I have enjoyed crafting important measures to benefit our district and our city–and then working with those […]

Black Lives Matter I have received over 38,000 e-mails, including over 2,000 from constituents in Seattle’s District 4 about police accountability, following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the police response to protests here in Seattle, and the long history of institutional racism here and throughout our nation.  I am grateful so many […]

Resolution sponsored by Councilmembers Gonzalez, Juarez, and Pedersen COVID crisis reinforces need for universal broadband access to address inequities September 16, 2020 UPDATE: Today my Committee heard the presentation on the Internet for All Gap Analysis and Action Plan, which the City Council requested when we adopted Resolution 31956. For the full report CLICK HERE […]

DECEMBER 14, 2020 UPDATE (regarding Mayor Durkan): Today the Seattle City Council adopted Council Bill 119966 to pay the legal fees Mayor Jenny Durkan incurred while defending against a recall effort that was thrown out by the Washington State Supreme Court. Adopting this bill for our Mayor was consistent with the adoption of the bill […]