Mayor Bruce Harrell likes to remind Seattle that he brings “experience” to the job, but experience alone does not guarantee effective leadership. Captain E.J. Smith boasted years of experience before he hit the iceberg that sank the Titanic. Four years in the White House did not make Donald Trump “presidential.” Andrew Cuomo’s “experience” as New York’s governor doesn’t automatically make him the right person to lead New York City at this moment.
As city workers who have collectively served for more than 30 years at Seattle City Light, Parks and Recreation, and the Office for Civil Rights, we have had the “Harrell experience.” His leadership demoralized the workforce, shrank services, and left city departments too paralyzed to meet the needs of our communities.
Ryan Driscoll, Seattle Office for Civil Rights
Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights should be leading the charge to protect residents from discrimination, especially now as the federal government rolls back protections for immigrants, transgender people, and people with disabilities. But Mayor Harrell’s refusal to fix the city’s structural budget deficit means our office is consistently being asked to do more with less. Managers are focused on justifying their team’s work to prevent cuts, we delay hiring positions to save money, and there are no resources to expand our services despite increasing needs.
For us, that has meant our investigators who look into civil rights violations have increasing case loads and less capacity to support our proactive work. Next year, for instance, we’ll do less engagement at community events where we inform residents of Seattle’s antidiscrimination laws. These conversations matter. They educate renters about our first in time law, help small businesses and landlords know how to interact with service animals, and tell our gay and trans neighbors that they’re still protected in Seattle.
Seattle’s residents deserve a mayor who is willing to push for a long-term solution to our budget issues and fully fund the programs that support our residents. Instead, we have seen a mayor who relies on stopgap measures that leave city departments under-resourced.
George Moffitt, Seattle Parks and Recreation
I’ve worked for the Parks Department for 26 years. I started as a teenage lifeguard at Meadowbrook Pool, where I now serve as assistant coordinator. Our department has been in decline for over 15 years, and Mayor Harrell’s administration has accelerated the process. Facilities are aging, maintenance crews are stretched thin, and he seems to have fostered a culture that makes the department so afraid of making mistakes that nobody makes decisions. It’s not just a problem. It’s the problem, and morale is on the floor.
As Ryan mentioned, Harrell’s failure to fix the budget deficit leaves staffing brittle. If someone calls out sick or takes a day off, then the extra work our frontline staff must do to maintain the programs Seattle deserves pushes us to the brink, leading to burnout and excessive overtime. When we do receive small staffing boosts, they at best bring us back to the same levels of being overworked.
I want a leader who can see how departments can function better and take action. I haven’t seen that from Harrell; I’ve only seen our systems decay.
Brian Taubeneck, Seattle City Light
If Harrell truly wanted to make government work efficiently, he’d listen to the people who do the work. Instead, he ignores us. I’ve worked for City Light for nearly six years. When Harrell ordered employees back to the office, we’d gotten an email, but I learned about it in a newspaper. Apparently, this major change to our daily lives did not merit a discussion.
Reasonable people can disagree on the merits of city workers serving the public from home or from a downtown office building, but everyone can agree that imposing a massive change to working conditions without consulting the workers is just bad management.
Internal staff surveys showed that 85 percent of City Light office staff preferred to work 1 day or less per week in office. Staff reported seeing benefits to their mental health, savings on time and money from having no commutes, and more productivity for providing city services. My mental health was better, I saved time on my commute, and I saved money making lunch at home.
If Harrell wanted us back in the office to support struggling downtown businesses and collaborate with our colleagues, he should have at least talked to us about it. But he didn’t. He made a backroom deal with downtown business interests and then spun up a story about productivity that he didn’t back up with data.
This demoralized the workforce. Many of us felt as if we were working for an administration that valued appearances more than outcomes.
The pattern seems pretty clear across the Office of Civil Rights, Parks and Recreation, City Light, and other departments. Harrell’s “experience” has produced paralysis where we need progress, austerity where we need investment, and paternalism where we need partnership.
Seattle deserves a mayor who sees city workers as allies, not obstacles, someone willing to confront structural problems and act. Every day we maintain Harrell’s status quo, Seattle residents pay the price in the form of slower services, less safety, and a government too afraid or uninterested to act.
The views expressed here are those of the authors in their personal capacities and do not represent the official positions of their departments or the City of Seattle.
Ryan Driscoll works as a community engagement specialist at the Seattle Office for Civil Rights.
George Moffitt works as an assistant coordinator on the aquatics side of Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Brian Taubeneck works as a management systems analyst at Seattle City Light.
Oh where to begin…
Oh poor Ryan!
“Managers are focused on justifying their team’s work to prevent cuts”
If the work is not justifiable in the private sector, it’s not justifiable in the public sector either. It’s the people’s money that’s paying you – did you forget that?
“and tell our gay and trans neighbors that they’re still protected in Seattle.”
Protected from what? There’s nothing a gay person, such as myself, or a transgender person needs to be protected from unless you enjoy playing the victim. Children, however, need protection from medical harm.
Oh poor George!
“If someone calls out sick or takes a day off, then the extra work our frontline staff must do to maintain the programs Seattle deserves pushes us to the brink, leading to burnout and excessive overtime.”
And then they get well or come back from a break and things settle down again. Stop complaining about being short staffed and look for ways to do your job more efficiently. Next, get a better attitude.
Oh poor Brain!
Yeah, not working from home is a bummer and eating out for lunch is pricey. But you have a job to do. I suggest a better attitude to quell your feeling of being demoralized.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MAYOR HARRELL. YOU WILL WIN!
Amelia Earhart had a pilot’s license and she CRASHED! I demand my plane be flown by somebody who has never flown a plane before today.
He won’t. We haven’t had a repeat mayor in decades
“Seattle Has Paid the Price of Bruce Harrell’s ‘Experience’ “
But we’ve yet to pay the price of Katie Wilson’s complete inexperience at any sort of governmental or private sector enterprise. And we have no idea what that cost may be.
As a city employee myself, as well as a resident of the city, I’m not basing my vote on what our in-office hours will be. I was one of those city employees who went into the office almost everyday during the lockdown, because the employees I supervised were required to be there every day. Any my boss at that time was a complete sociopath and if I was going to be yelled at by her over MS Teams, I’d much rather have had that happen at the office than let that abuse into my home.
This is a wholly unconvincing argument made by three whiners. Parks is underfunded, despite a separate taxing authority set up specifically for parks. But to use that as a larger critique of Harrell is flawed. The city’s funding problem is caused by a mayor and council expanding city services and payroll with revenue failing to keep pace, precisely because leftists and The Stranger relentlessly demand further expansion. Fiscal irresponsibility is part of Seattle culture, and if you’re keeping track, Katie Wilson is promising a gold plated chicken for every pot. She has no clue.
I kept reading, so I could reach the part where the article describes how a Wilson administration would do better.
Yeah, Bruce is only talking about experience without talking about any ACHIEVEMENTS because he doesn’t have much to show for 18 years in city government. Prior to becoming mayor, he managed a 3-person law firm that does not have much of a budget, yet ignores his own lack of budgetary experience prior to becoming mayor when talking about Katie. The kicker is Bruce would NOT have been able to balance the city budget for the last three years if it were not for Katie’s Jumpstart tax. Bruce opposed this tax because of opposition from Amazon (his REAL employer), but after it passed he gutted the “for housing only” restrictions and used it as a slush fund.
The most telling thing about the worthlessness of Bruce’s experience is that the 11,000 city employees’ union in Seattle endorsed Katie, citing a toxic work environment since Bruce has become mayor. Instead of thoughtful reflection and considering other points of view, Bruce bangs on the table, yells at you, and ‘demands’ you do it his way, or else. That is not a suitable temperament and demeanor for a mayor in a modern, progressive city like Seattle. If you want to be a dictator, go back to law and try to be a judge, or maybe volunteer in the National Guard.
Katie, on the other hand, is a consensus builder by nature. She listens to a wide range of perspectives before making a decision, and is not afraid to admit she is wrong and change course if the data doesn’t support what she is doing. Seattle should be proud to elect Katie Wilson as its mayor!
@7 I really wish I could sit back and watch all progressives like yourself get smacked by reality but unfortunately we’ll all be mired in the shit show with you. It’s going to be a long four years.
“It’s going to be a long four years.”
yeah
d13r, that’s
the Very Same Thing
the said about FDR, a Progressive
so ‘incompetent’ he was re-Elected THREE TIMES.
People LIKE Progressive Policy.
the Chamber of Commerce?
not so much.
Vote for Katie.
@6
“I kept reading,
so I could reach the part
where the article describes how
a Wilson administration would do better.”
from the article,
lo and Behold:
“Seattle deserves a mayor who sees city workers as allies,
not obstacles, someone willing to confront
structural problems and act.”
Go, Katie Wilson!
@7: Is Bruce Harrell mean like Katie Porter or just emphatic with a little “pounding on the table” and wanting to get “his own way” like just about every politico with a big ego?
@9: “Seattle deserves a mayor who sees city workers as allies,
not obstacles, someone willing to confront
structural problems and act.”
What experience does Katherine Wilson have that foretells such skill?
@9 you can’t seriously be comparing her to FDR who by the way would probably be tarred and feathered as a corporate Dem, secret MAGA if he were running for mayor today lol. There is this underlying assumption that Bruce is somehow the low point and any type of change would be an improvement. If there is one things progressive policies have demonstrated is that it can always get worse.
“and tell our gay and trans neighbors that they’re still protected in Seattle.”
There is literally government-funded housing for “queer, transgender, two-spirit, Black, Indigenous, people of color” in Seattle:
https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2025/10/sharyn-grayson-house-countys-health-through-housing-capitol-hill-apartment-building-ready-for-residents/
“and tell our gay and trans neighbors that they’re still protected in Seattle.”
There is literally government-funded housing for gay and trans people in Seattle:
https://communityrootshousing.org/building/pride-place/
The Pride Place apartments in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood received funding from multiple levels of government, including municipal, county, state, and federal sources. This $52 million LGBTQIA+-affirming affordable senior housing project (118 units for those 55+ earning 30-60% of area median income) was developed by Community Roots Housing and GenPride, with a groundbreaking in 2021 and opening in late 2023.
“and tell our gay and trans neighbors that they’re still protected in Seattle.”
There is literally government-funded housing for gay and trans people in Seattle:
https://www.lamberthouse.org/
Lambert House—a nonprofit LGBTQ+ youth drop-in center in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood founded in 1981—receives funding from county and state government sources.
“and tell our gay and trans neighbors that they’re still protected in Seattle.”
There is literally government-funded housing for gay and trans people in Seattle:
https://www.lavenderrightsproject.org/housing
“Comprising of the Wellness Nexus, a forthcoming permanent supportive housing facility of 32 units (2025), and an active role in education, policy, and advocacy across government groups, our mission is to cultivate a healthy, healing, honored, and housed community for Black gender diverse individuals in King County.”
The Lavender Rights Project (LRP)—a Black trans-led nonprofit founded in 2016 in Seattle—provides housing through its Housing Justice program, focusing on safe, affirming permanent supportive housing for Black, Indigenous, and gender-diverse (QT2BIPOC) individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The organization operates the Sharyn Grayson House (also referred to as the Wellness Nexus), a 32–35-unit facility in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood that opened in late 2023/early 2024. This project, jointly managed with Chief Seattle Club, offers wraparound services including gender-affirming care, community programming, fresh food access, and holistic support grounded in Black trans praxis. It serves as LRP’s flagship housing initiative, with residents voting on the final name and additional advocacy for broader housing equity. LRP’s housing efforts are heavily funded by county and municipal governments, stemming from a $16 million diversion of jail funds in 2021 to community-based health and housing programs.
“When Harrell ordered employees back to the office, we’d gotten an email, but I learned about it in a newspaper. Apparently, this major change to our daily lives did not merit a discussion.”
Oh boo hoo, check your email more often. You work from home but you don’t check your email? Anybody remember that saying “good enough for government work”?
“Apparently, this major change to our daily lives did not merit a discussion.”
It literally does not merit a discussion. Get back to the office and get to work.
“Internal staff surveys showed that 85 percent of City Light office staff preferred to work 1 day or less per week in office. Staff reported seeing benefits to their mental health, savings on time and money from having no commutes, and more productivity for providing city services. My mental health was better, I saved time on my commute, and I saved money making lunch at home.”
And yet you still don’t have the time to regularly check your work email (insert eyeroll emoji here).
Does anyone know what “Black trans praxis” means, and the ways it differs from “White trans praxis”?
Doesn’t Seattle have a “first in line” law for renters?
“… it’s Wilson’s politics that matter.
This is what the race is all about.
We are voting for her because
she promises to do things
Mayor Bruce Harrell
clearly failed to do.
The rest can go hang.”
–Charles Mudede
So funny how I destroyed all your “progressive narratives” and none of you could actually answer HAW HAW HAW
“and tell our gay and trans neighbors that they’re still protected in Seattle.”
Since I have now proved that “our gay and trans neighbors” are “still protected in Seattle”, literally by taxpayer funded apartments, but somehow there needs to be even more taxpayer money to “tell” them…
How much money do you want to “tell” them?
Hey, does anyone know what “Black trans praxis” means, and the ways it differs from “White trans praxis”? Asking again for a friend.
I’d like to open up a “Non-Profit” [government funded by your taxpayer dollars of course] apartment complex based on “White trans praxis”, if anyone can logically explain what “Black trans praxis” means, and what the difference between “Black trans praxis” and “White trans praxis” is.
These “non-profits” are literally getting YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS to do “Black trans praxis”, so I’d really like to know what that means. I’ve “looked it up”, but found nothing that really explains it (what to speak of why it is even legal).
Do any of you naive White-Guilt Seattle “Progressives” want to explain it to me, without telling me to “look it up”? ALREADY DONE THAT!
Does anyone have a problem with my idea for a government-funded apartment complex based upon “White trans praxis”?
It would be for White Trans Individuals who are Under-served and Marginalized by the Progressive-Homeless-Industrial-Complex.
ok
bippy