By Erica C. Barnett Monday, September 28 On Wilson’s Budget, the Council Parts Ways With Reality The council has started…

By Erica C. Barnett Seattle Nice has two interviews for you this week! On Friday’s show, we sat down with…

. By Erica C. Barnett The Seattle Police Department overpaid police officers, management, and civilian staff a total of more…

In his interview with a city investigator, interim Chief Sayles said he still hadn’t read the initiative and appeared unfamiliar…

1. City council members who funded an unsustainable budget last year by using one-time dollars to fund tens of millions in…

By Erica C. Barnett A Seattle Police Department officer, Adam Sun, is on administrative leave after using a pair of…

An early look at how the council is reacting to the mayor’s deficit-busting budget. By Erica C. Barnett Last week,…

The proposal makes real cuts to close a $175 million gap—and reflects the conflict between campaign ambitions and a budget…

By Josh Feit Councilmember Dionne Foster > Mayor Katie Wilson You couldn’t have a clearer juxtaposition. Mayor Wilson tried to…

By Erica C. Barnett City Councilmember Dionne Foster has introduced a bill that will give developers a break on mandatory…

By Josh Feit 5,250 > 778 Here’s a rejoinder to those who complain that Seattle’s taxes on big business are…

By Erica C. Barnett Tuesday, September 8 Greater Seattle: Late Press Conferences, On-Time Buses, Selfish Housing In this week’s column,…

In the latest episode, with David away at an undisclosed (but no doubt bougie) location, Erica and Sandeep are (re-)joined by friend of the pod Daniel Malone,...

By Erica C. Barnett A comprehensive, 127-page report on the city’s business and taxing climate recommends that Seattle start taking…

By Erica C. Barnett City Councilmember Maritza Rivera misrepresented the number of fatal shootings in Seattle by an order of…

1. Mayor Wilson’s communications office, which has seen a number of shakeups recently (including the recent firing of digital communications…

1. While much of the city council was on vacation, transportation committee chair Rob Saka apparently spent his two-week summer…

By Erica C. Barnett An investigation into complaints against the director of Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights (SOCR), Derrick Wheeler-Smith,…

By Josh Feit Five and a half hours > A half hour As they spin headlines to make Mayor Katie…

By Erica C. Barnett Monday, August 31 Poll Tests Anti-Density Messages A new poll sponsored by groups like Tree Action…

The messages also reveal that Mayor Wilson was indecisive about going to the scene of the shooting while advisors…

Wilson rolled out the changes before a report that is supposed to explain how communications broke down after the Bite…

By Erica C. Barnett Pallet Shelter, a company that manufactures freestanding, one-to-two-person shelter units that has been active in Seattle…

By Erica C. Barnett King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson, who faced charges last year for allegedly stalking and harassing…

By Josh Feit First of all, a quick followup to an item from a couple of weeks ago, when I…

1. A recent messaging poll by a group calling itself the “Green Neighborhood Coalition”—funded by the Seattle Parks Foundation—tested out…

The investigation comes after the Office of Police Accountability said any “further investigation” of Sayles” complaint against a detective who…

By Erica C. Barnett The King County Regional Homelessness Authority made its first round of layoffs on Tuesday, six days…

By Erica C. Barnett The King County Regional Homelessness Authority made its first round of layoffs on Tuesday, six days…

By Erica C. Barnett Valerie Carson, one of four female police officers who split a $2.6 million settlement in a…

By Josh Feit First, a quick follow-up to last week’s item about former state house candidate Ron Davis. ICYMI: Despite…

By Erica C. Barnett Mayor Katie Wilson signed an expansive, substantive executive order last week directing the Seattle Department of…

KCRHA Layoffs Begin, SPD Chief Files Unfounded Complaint Against Detective, Privacy Advocates vs. Surveillance Cameras and More By Erica C.…

“Any further investigation would violate [the detective’s] constitutional rights and open the city to a lawsuit,” an investigator concluded when…

By Erica C. Barnett A new report from the city’s Office of Inspector General confirms what Community Aided Response and…

1. King County is using what it calls an “innovative tool” to train 4,000 executive branch employees on how to…

By Erica C. Barnett As a new poll appeared to show strong support for police surveillance in Seattle neighborhoods, a…

By Erica C. Barnett An initial round of layoffs is imminent at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. Management reportedly…

By Josh Feit 8 > 75 Seventy-five dollars was the cost of an unfair “notice fee” that then-PubliCola freelancer Katie…

1. Two top staffers hired by former police chief Shon Barnes are leaving SPD. Chief communications officer Barbara DeLollis, who’s…

By Erica C. Barnett When interim police chief Andre Sayles, mayoral public safety director Alison Holcomb, and SPD Captain Randy…

By Erica C. Barnett Last week, after asking negotiating a minimum $741,000 settlement package with former police chief Shon Barnes,…

RV residents who violate the permit terms— for example, by declining shelter too many times or failing to “comply with…

By Josh Feit Mayor Wilson > Theories of Mayor Wilson’s Demise As the mainstream media and the Seattle Times pounce…

By Erica C. Barnett Monday, August 3 New Column! Introducing Greater Seattle PubliCola co-founder Josh Feit has a new column…

1. On July 12, the reporters, anchors, and other on-air staff at KOMO TV, a station owned by the conservative…

Barnes’ schedule had him out of the office 12 weeks through mid-August, including a three-week stretch between July and mid-…

1. Former police chief Shon Barnes’ $700,000 settlement agreement with the city, which PubliCola received Thursday through a records request, includes…