2025 Annual Report

In 2025, the Seattle City Council and City of Seattle organization stood firm in defending our progressive values. Facing a shifting national landscape, the Council took action to address a number of key policy areas impacting Seattle’s diverse communities and neighborhoods.  

Councilmembers moved beyond the status quo to bolster housing stability and reimagine public safety through a lens of care and accountability, so every Seattleite has a safe environment to thrive. From securing the future of our youngest learners to protecting our renters and supporting small businesses, we invested in a city where opportunity is ideally shared. The report below is a snapshot of how the Councilmembers turned their many shared goals into defined legislation, ensuring Seattle remains the healthy, unique community we all love.  

Defending civil liberties & Seattle values 

In an era of uncertainty, councilmembers acted swiftly to build a firewall around the rights of our residents, ensuring Seattle remains safe and inclusive for all. 

• New committee to safeguard Seattle from federal policy changes – Following the unprecedented actions of the second Trump administration and vocal concerns from the community, Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) stood up a special committee on federal policy changes, chaired by Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8). A more in-depth list of the Council’s actions and the committee’s critical work can be found Council’s federal issues page.     
• Passage of city Shield Law and other state protections – On March 25 the Council passed legislation strengthening protections from harmful federal actions, specifically for people seeking reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. 

Building towards housing stability  

The Council advanced critical housing policies that prioritize affordability, fight displacement, and ensure workforce sustainability. 

• Updated Comprehensive Plan passes – Chaired by Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3), the Council voted 9-0 to approve amended legislation for the Comprehensive Plan (CB 120985) and Permanent HB 1110 legislation (CB 120993). The plan is a 20-year vision and roadmap for Seattle’s future. This latest major update promotes a diversity of housing options, ensures sustainable tree protection, improves access and availability of shared green spaces, and encourages development of affordable units.  
• Legislation to help prevent renter displacement – The approved bill prohibits algorithmic rent fixing to protect renters by fighting anti-competitive rent hikes in Seattle.  
• “Roots to Roofs” bonus pilot program – The legislation supports more community-led affordable housing development by providing a citywide density bonus and an additional height bonus for areas that have historically had racially restrictive covenants. 
• Stadium workforce housing bill – In March the Council voted 6-3 to allow the construction of workforce housing and affordable workspaces for Seattle’s small manufacturing businesses, generate living-wage union jobs and improve public safety in a two-block stretch of the Stadium District just south of T-Mobile Park. The policy is currently in the midst of ongoing litigation.  
• Multifamily Tax Exemption program renewal – On Oct. 14 the Council authorized legislation renewing and updating the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program. MFTE provides a property tax break to incentivize developers to make 25% of the units in a new building affordable at income levels ranging from 60% to 90% of the Area Median Income (AMI). It helps the city to achieve three important policy goals: more housing, more privately developed affordable housing, and mixed income residential buildings.

Effective governance & stewardship 

Councilmembers maintained fiscal responsibility while making critical investments in our residents, and ensured our leadership reflects the community, keeping City Hall transparent and accessible. 

• 2026 Budget passed – Under the steady leadership of Budget Chair Dan Strauss (District 6), City Council’s budget committee unanimously adopted the 2026 budget, making record investments in improving safety and affordability for working families.   
• Council appoints Debora Juarez to fill District 5 vacancy – After the surprise resignation of Cathy Moore in June, Councilmembers appointed former Councilmember Debora Juarez to fill the vacant position representing District 5. The vote concluded a 20-day, City Charter-mandated process. Overall, 22 qualified candidates applied for the position.  
• Council appoints Mark Solomon to fill District 2 vacancy – In January, the Council voted to appoint Mark A. Solomon to fill the vacant position on the Council, representing District 2, which encompasses south Seattle. The position was formerly held by Tammy Morales, who resigned, effective Jan. 6. 
• Council webpages get a fresh look – The council’s website was completely revamped thanks to a successful partnership between the Council Communications Team, Seattle IT, and Legislative Department IT teams. The upgrade offers users greater accessibility, a modernized clean look, faster performance, and other behind the scenes improvements.
• Consultant transparency bill clears Council – At the last meeting of the year, the Council (in a 6–2 vote) approved an amended bill requiring consultants to report and disclose information similar to lobbyists. 

Reimagining community safety 

The Council’s approach to safety combined accountability with compassionate care, funding vital treatment services while also offering tools to address immediate public concerns. 

• Public safety tax initiative funding addiction treatment services and recovery-based supports – The authorized bill enables dedicating up to 25% of the Mayor’s Legislature-approved public safety sales tax to critical addiction treatment services and recovery-based supports. The new 0.1% increase is expected to generate $39 million for public safety in 2026, with $7.5 million of those funds going directly towards a variety of recovery services.    
• Updated guidance for crowd management, setting the stage for the end of the federal consent decree – updated guidelines include several amendments intended to provide additional oversight and accountability, including checks on the use of blast balls. The new policy was submitted to the federal court overseeing the city’s consent decree and was one of many factors that led to the City’s successful exit in September after years of much-needed reforms for the Seattle Police Department. 
• Police Chief Barnes confirmed – Barnes’ nomination was approved this summer.   Prior to coming to Seattle, he served as the Chief of Police for Madison, Wisconsin from 2021 to 2024.  
• Public safety technology bills - Council voted 7-2 in favor of two crime prevention bills which authorize the installation of cameras in three new public places (Capitol Hill, the Stadium District, and areas near Garfield High) and allow Seattle Police to access Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) traffic management camera footage at the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC). The expanded program also includes an amendment aimed at avoiding any cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement. 
• Chronic nuisance ordinance to improve public safety related to late-night establishments – The bill amended the current Chronic Nuisance Properties Ordinance in order to address after-hours venues and establishments that continually violate laws. 
• New safety regulations for after-hours lounges – Passed in April 2025, the legislation requires after-hours lounges to be up-to-date on all city and state permits and licenses, to maintain two security guards and have video surveillance, draft a safety plan, and allow entry by police officers during business hours. Over the past decade, there have been dozens of shootings and homicides that have occurred in connection with after-hours nightlife lounges that operate between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. 
• Curbing graffiti with new tools – Council Bill 120995 now makes graffiti taggers subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,500 per violation, and the City can hold them liable for the cost of graffiti cleanup. In 2024 alone, there were 28,816 reported instances of graffiti vandalism in Seattle with city cleanup costs estimated at $6 million a year. 
• Police contracts approved, including Community Assisted Response & Engagement (CARE) expansion – In a divided December vote, councilmembers ratified two separate collective bargaining agreements with the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild (SPOG), and the Seattle Police Management Association (SPMA). The new contracts offer progress on a number of fronts including the expansion of the CARE crisis responders, streamlining of the disciplinary process, and updated competitive wages for better recruiting and retention of officers. 

Empowering education & the local economy 

From our classrooms to our neighborhood business districts, the Council invested in the people and places that make Seattle vibrant. 

• Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy – The $1.3 billion levy, which was guided through the process by Chair Maritza Rivera (District 4), doubles access to affordable childcare, expand mental health and student safety services in schools, provide up to two years of free tuition at Seattle Colleges for all graduating seniors at public high schools, and expand career pathways to help more students enter the skilled trades. Voters passed the FEPP Levy in November.  
• Council approves Business & Occupation Tax rebalancing proposal for November ballot – Approved overwhelmingly by voters in November, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8) proposal lowers city taxes for approximately 90% of Seattle businesses that currently pay the Business & Occupation (B&O) tax. The change will raise $90 million in needed progressive revenue to protect funding to essential services and programs threatened by the Trump administration.   
• Easing small business permitting – In August, the Council okayed two new pieces of legislation aimed at accelerating retail occupancy by amending existing building codes and reducing time-consuming regulatory barriers and costs for small businesses seeking to activate vacant commercial storefronts.   
• Interactive kiosks in neighborhood business districts – Adopted by a 6-2 vote, the ordinance grants the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) permission to install and operate interactive media kiosks in neighborhood business districts around Seattle. The incoming kiosks, which can be found in a number of other cities, are part of the City’s efforts to welcome visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.