Профиль

Multiple Sources Say Police Chief Barnes is Out; Mayor’s Office Not Responding to Questions The chief has been under fire over his frequent trips out of town, after flying back from Dallas partway through a planned two-week absence to respond to a mass shooting at Seattle Center.

The police chief—who, as I reported, rents in Seattle and visits his family at their home in Chicago—was out of town or out of the office more than two months so far this year. He has bristled at questions about his absences and had planned to speak to TV reporters about his schedule today.

Erica, editor of PubliCola, here. The reason we have a comment section on PubliCola is that I like comments sections. If it ever gets wildly out of control to the point I can't moderate it on my own, it'll end. I almost never delete comments, and never based on viewpoint.

On Narrow Vote, Council Gets Rid of Local Appeal Process that Delays Land Use Legislation Opponents of Seattle land-use legislation will still be able to appeal to King County Superior Court or the Growth Management Hearings Board.

Confrontation With Reporter Was Just "Passion on Full Display," Police Chief Says; OPA Complaint Filed After the chief twice mischaracterized PubliCola’s reporting, SPD confirmed the chief planned two weeks off before Sunday’s tragedy at Seattle Center.

Seattle Police Chief Out of Town During Mass Shooting; Council's School Meals Plan Will Require Cuts to Other Services Today's Morning Fizz.

Most Men Prosecuted for Sex Buying Don't Reoffend, Report Suggests The public defense office says the evidence suggests there's no need to make sex buying a felony; the prosecutor, who's pushing for a bill next year, says harsher penalties would reduce demand.

Universal School Meals Delayed In Favor of Grocery Vouchers for Low-Income Families Three councilmembers voted against the amendment, arguing that limiting free meals to low-income kids creates stigma and imposes an administrative burden on parents, who must re-qualify every year.

Mayor's Press Secretary Departs, Budget for Police Salary Hikes Tops $80 Million Today's Afternoon Fizz.

With Major Reforms Years Away, City Could Make Temporary Changes to Housing Fees Next Year Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin says something must be done to address "plummeting" permits for new housing in Seattle.

This Week on PubliCola: A marathon debate over transit funding, Katie Wilson's flight patterns, a bill that would limit endless land-use appeals, and more news from the past week. Plus: Three podcasts, including one about sustaining a podcast and an independent news site long-term.

Seattle Nice: Taxing for Transit, Nude Beach Ruling, and Mayor Wilson's Frugal Flights Listen to this week's episode of Seattle Nice.

After Marathon Meeting, Council Committee Passes Wilson's Transit Measure Mostly Intact The 0.3 percent sales tax, which will go before voters in November, would expand transit service in Seattle for the next 10 years.

Land Use Appeal Reform Moves Forward, Council Splits on Funding for School Meals Today's Afternoon Fizz.]

As Mayor, Katie Wilson Doesn't Travel Much. When She Does, You'll Find Her in 23F. Unlike her predecessor, who traveled first-class and was out of town for much of his term, Wilson rides in coach and has mostly stayed in Seattle.

Seattle May Actually Limit Anti-Housing Land Use Appeals; More People Will be Eligible for Utility Discounts Today's late-afternoon Fizz.

Voting “Yes” On Prop. 1 Will Fund the Library System We Deserve Guest columnist Brittney Moraski, advocacy chair for the Seattle Public Library Foundation Board, makes the case for the library levy measure, which is on the August 4 ballot.

This Week on PubliCola: July 12, 2026 A wide-ranging interview with the mayor, a proposal to replace universal free meals at school with means-tested vouchers, serious questions about public disclosure at the homelessness author, and more stories you may have missed this week.

KCRHA CEO Sought to Shield Records From Public Disclosure, Emails Suggest Kelly Kinnison directed an IT manager to exclude records labeled "deliberative" from public disclosure and restricted the public disclosure officer's access to her emails.

Mayor Katie Wilson Says She's "Doing a Reset" on Housing Agenda, "Very Hopeful" About Police Chief In Part 2 of our interview, the mayor talks about the police chief and potential cuts to SPD's budget, the future of the city's CARE team, and what's happening with her affordability agenda.