Accomplishments I’m most proud of
MY LEADERSHIP IN A NUTSHELL (see below for specifics)
Turning the Page on Public Safety: I helped Seattle turn the page on years of public safety challenges. After years of SPD losing officers, I led the push to rebuild staffing, hiring 84 officers in 2024 and setting Seattle on track to restore critical public safety levels. Combined with community-focused safety teams and accountability measures, Seattle is finally investing in solutions that work.
A New Chapter for Addiction Recovery: My leadership drove a historic shift in Seattle’s approach to addiction. By securing funding for mobile treatment units and expanding recovery programs, I put treatment and sobriety at the heart of Seattle’s response to the addiction crisis—breaking with years of failed harm reduction-only strategies.
Historic Housing Investments: Under my leadership, Seattle made its largest-ever investment in affordable housing—$342 million in the 2025-2026 budget—along with groundbreaking initiatives like SoDo workforce housing and expanded non-congregate shelters. These investments are addressing homelessness with compassion and proven solutions.
Seattle’s Champion for Arts and Culture: From creating the Seattle Film Commission to securing funding for the Seattle Channel, I’ve championed the cultural fabric that makes Seattle special. My work supports local artists, attracts jobs, and strengthens the city’s creative economy—helping Seattle thrive as a hub for innovation and creativity.
Commonsense Leadership, Real Results: I believe that government should focus on what works. She’s driving Seattle forward with measurable progress, from tying homelessness funding to outcomes to improving response times for 911 calls. I’m leading a transformation of city services to deliver the results Seattleites deserve.
Backing Small Businesses: I know that small businesses are at the heart of Seattle’s neighborhoods. I saved the Storefront Repair Fund, supported minority-owned businesses facing displacement, and continues to invest in programs that keep Seattle’s local economy strong and vibrant.
SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
PUBLIC SAFETY
Rebuilding Police Staffing: Reversed the trend of losing officers than we can hire by pushing hiring bonuses through a majority-defund Council in 2022 and reforming the SPD hiring process, resulting in 80+ net new officers hired this year, with a goal of restoring SPD to 1,400 officers by 2027.
Sole-Dispatch CARE response: led the LRPC on Council side in SPOG contract renewal negotiations (public Monday Oct. 20). The contract also includes long-disputed accountability measures and incentives for college degrees and foreign language to better serve Seattle’s diverse population.
Improved 911 Services: Added funding to hire more dispatchers, cutting response times for non-emergency calls so residents feel supported when they need help.
Seattle Fire Department Support: Secured funding in the 2024 budget for the permanent operation of the Seattle Fire Department’s ladder truck at Station 37 and a medic unit at Fire Station 26, both in West Seattle.
Fire Fighter Staffing: Secured funding for an additional FTE to recruit fire fighters and process SFD applications in the 2025 budget ongoing.
Community Safety Teams: Supported the creation of safety teams in high-need areas, like the Chinatown-International District, combining foot patrols with outreach workers who connect residents and businesses to city services. These teams are helping build trust by addressing issues like theft and vandalism in real time.
Police Accountability Measures: Strengthened accountability through the renewal of SPD’s labor contract, including new provisions that improve compliance with the Consent Decree and increase transparency in officer discipline.
ADDICTION TREATMENT
On-demand residential (inpatient) treatment: I initiated a $300,000 pilot program to cover residential (inpatient) addiction treatment in 2024, ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder the ability of people suffering from substance use disorder who have no insurance or only Medicaid from taking that step toward recovery. I first tried to get $2 million into the 2023 budget but that failed. Now the money is almost depleted but the Mayor’s proposed budget includes $2.8 million for residential addiction treatment. KING 5 News
Thunderbird Treatment Center: Encouraged the Executive to include $1.8 million in the mayor’s proposed 2026 budget for the Thunderbird Treatment Center. This was a budget priority in 2024 but Select Budget Chair Strauss did not include it in his Chair’s package.
Mobile Medication Van: I got $400,000 into the 2025 budget so that Evergreen Treatment Services can serve people where they’re at in the street (with a focus on the CID and downtown) with medication for opioid use disorder (methadone and long-lasting Sublocade)
Recovery-based services in PSH: secured $450,000 in the 2025 budget and ongoing for recovery-based services within permanent supportive housing facilities following the successful contingency management pilot program in Plymouth Housing.
Contingency Management Programs: In 2023 I requested that the Human Services Department explore additional evidence-based treatment services which led to a pilot program for Plymouth Housing residents using the contingency management approach. This method incentivizes recovery through positive reinforcement, offering tangible rewards to encourage a period of abstinence during which people suffering from substance use disorder can consider treatment options to achieve long-term recovery.
Advocacy for Comprehensive Treatment: Drawing from my own experiences, I emphasize the importance of comprehensive treatment plans that include counseling and therapy to address the root causes of addiction, not just its symptoms.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
Workforce Housing in SoDo: Took on entrenched business interests, the Port of Seattle and the Longshore union to allow construction of 1,000 units of 100% union-built housing in the Stadium District, a plan to transform the area into the Seattle Makers’ District, improving public safety in the CID and Pioneers Square neighborhoods and creating workspace for light-industrial businesses at below market rate rents.
Permitting Reform: Made housing cheaper and easier to build by initiating long-overdue reform of our broken permitting system. So far, this has resulted in unanimous votes on two pieces of legislation. One establishes mandatory 60-, 100-, and 120-day project permit review deadlines. The other raised the threshold for substantial alterations to 7,000 sf and clarified the criteria. Combined, they will provide much more predictability and better ensure the financial viability of projects as time is the greatest driver of cost-overruns.
MFTE renewal: I led efforts to improve the new program (Program 7) so that more developers would participate. This will help the city meet three fundamental housing goals: more market rate housing, more workforce housing, and mixed-income multifamily buildings. Passed Council unanimously on Oct. 14, 2025 despite OH opposition and end-stage activist left opposition
Historic Affordable Housing Investment: Championed $342 million for affordable housing in 2025—the largest allocation in Seattle’s history—including funds for 2,500 new affordable units.
Expanded Homeownership Programs: Increased funding for first-time homebuyer assistance, helping over 150 families in 2024 alone secure homes and start building generational wealth.
Keeping People Housed: Allocated $5.2 million for rental assistance, preventing evictions for nearly 1,200 families in the past year.
Non-Congregate Shelters: Funded the construction of 300 new private-room shelter beds, providing people experiencing homelessness a safe, stable place to live with onsite support services.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/SMALL BUSINESS
Storefront Repair Fund: Restored $1.6 million for the popular program that reimburses small business owners up to $2,000 for vandalism repairs, helping 400+ businesses recover since its inception.
Affordable Commercial Rent: Took on entrenched business interests, the Port of Seattle and the Longshore union to allow construction of 1,000 units of 100% union-built housing in the Stadium District, a plan to transform the area into the Seattle Makers’ District, improving public safety in the CID and Pioneers Square neighborhoods and creating workspace for light-industrial businesses at below market rate rents.
Music Venue Parking Program: Pushed SDOT to create a parking permit for music venues hosting at least three live performances per week so that musicians don’t have to park far away and risk getting their vehicles broken into or ticketed. This has put Seattle back on the must play list of cities.
Saving the Seattle Channel: Secured $1.7 million in funding to ensure continued coverage of civic life, cultural programming, and public meeting transparency.
Arts & Film Investments: Secured ongoing funding for the Seattle Music and Film Commissions, supporting efforts to bring new productions and creative jobs to the city while mentoring local talent.
Graffiti Cleanup Expansion: Doubled funding for graffiti removal in the 2025 - and 2026 budgets for Uplift Northwest to use job-training programs that help people re-enter the workforce while revitalizing our neighborhoods. He has an amendment to add $250,000 to the 2026 budget to fund a fourth Uplift Northwest crew.
Revitalizing the Waterfront: Supported projects that activated the new waterfront park, including art installations, pedestrian-friendly design, and spaces for public gatherings, making it a vibrant destination for locals and visitors.
Neighborhood Beautification: Partnered with community groups on initiatives like tree planting and mural projects, improving livability and celebrating Seattle’s diverse neighborhoods.