We'd been hearing rumors this was coming, but that didn't make the moment any less dramatic for those who've been following campaign finance reform in Seattle. At a candidate forum last night, Council President Tim Burgess, who has stood in the way of campaign reform in the past, endorsed a new public campaign financing measure (Initiative 122) on the ballot this fall. With that move, Burgess joins a list of supporters, including a bunch of lefty advocacy groups and almost every other city council candidate running in this fall's election.

Burgess has caught plenty of side-eye from his opponent Jon Grant—and us—for blocking a public campaign financing plan last year. At the time, Burgess said he worried the ballot was too full of other taxing measures. (Among them was his signature issue: pre-K.) Burgess did support a campaign financing plan in 2013, but it was narrowly rejected by voters. (Seriously, it only lost by 1,426 votes.)

Until last night, Burgess had been equivocating on the new plan from the group Honest Elections Seattle, which would give every voter $100 in democracy vouchers to donate to candidates, lower campaign contribution maximums, and put new restrictions on city lobbying.

Grant, meanwhile, has been supportive of Honest Elections and has made Burgess's timidness on reform a central issue of his campaign. In forums and stump speeches, Grant has made Burgess's 2014 move to block campaign financing from getting a vote one of his main talking points.

So, for all of Burgess's delay in getting behind the plan, it was a smart (and perhaps not all that surprising) political move that neutralizes one of Grant's main critiques. Grant told me after last night's forum that he doesn't see it as a loss for his campaign. Grant says he's moving the "goal post" to the left and forcing Burgess to follow.

"Tim's on-and-off support for campaign finance reform has hamstrung efforts to level the playing field that money has on our politics, especially when he moved to block a finance reform measure last year," Grant said in a follow-up e-mail today. "I have made getting big money out of politics central to my platform from the very beginning, and I am glad Tim has caught up. Seattleites are looking for consistent progressive leaders, not progressive followers."

Burgess's support for the public campaign financing measure is significant not just because of his 2014 vote, but because he is one of the city council candidates who benefits the most from big donors—the same donors whose influence Honest Elections' Initiative 122 is aimed squarely at reducing. Burgess is notoriously good at fundraising, and much of that comes from deep pockets. He's raised about $276,500 so far in this election, the most of any candidate except incumbent Kshama Sawant, who's raised $281,500.

But Burgess is more dependent on big money. According to the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, 45 percent of Burgess's campaign donations this election were $700. That's second only to District 3 candidate and Sawant opponent Pamela Banks (49 percent of her money came from $700 gifts). Of all the candidates still in the running for the general election, Burgess has the highest average contribution, at $276. Sawant has an average donation size of $117, and 33 percent of her donations were $700. Burgess's fundraising comes from 982 total donors, according to the SEEC, while Sawant's comes from 2,228. (That's why her campaign often points to the median, instead of average, donation. They say her median contribution is $50.)

An invite to a fundraiser for Burgess held last night at the Sorrento included Nick Hanauer, the director of the Rental Housing Association, the president of the Downtown Seattle Association, and others. An e-mail from the RHA urging its members to attend said, "retaining Tim Burgess is essential for the industry to assure sensible discourse at City Hall for the next four years" and called Grant "the worst possible outcome for the industry in the November election."

According to the invitation, the "suggested contribution" at that fundraiser ranged from $100 to $700, the maximum donation in city elections. That maximum will be lowered to $500 if the Honest Elections measure passes.

Here's what Burgess's campaign says about his support for the initiative (emphasis added):

Burgess believes now is the time to increase accountability and transparency in our local government. "As big money interests dominate political campaigns nationally, Seattle can continue to set a pace of innovation and change with stronger campaign finance laws to assure voters that our government is still of, by and for the people.”

"I-122 is different from past efforts in that it addresses barriers to qualification, and encourages everyone, regardless of income, ethnicity, neighborhood, or political point of view, to engage in Seattle's democratic process."

"It's a good idea to ensure candidates are able to spend more time listening to voters instead of dialing for dollars, and that in turn will provide better representation and a true democracy on our city council. I believe under I-122 voters will have a stronger voice in city government."