Tim Burgess served 10 years at Seattle City Hall as a member of the City Council and as the city’s 55th Mayor. He was first elected city-wide in 2007 and won re-election in 2011 and 2015.
Tim was the lead architect of the Seattle Preschool Program for the city’s three-and four-year old children, one of only three municipal government facilitated preschool programs in the United States to meet all ten national quality standards. Tim led the effort in 2011 to double the size of the city’s Families and Education Levy so school-based health clinics could be located in every middle school and high school. Tim developed the Seattle Retirement Savings Plan for workers without an employer-offered plan, making Seattle the first city in the nation to create a such a mandatory plan. Under his leadership, Seattle became the fourth major U.S. city to fully fund the Nurse Family Partnership, a home visitation program for low-income families that The New York Times calls America’s best anti-poverty program. Tim also persuaded his colleagues to adopt an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition with the revenues dedicated to gun violence prevention and research. In his time at City Hall, he was a consistent and staunch advocate for criminal justice and police reform, economic growth policies, and tourism promotion.
Key Points Summary by Michelle Lee
The Seattle city government appears not to have a plan for unsheltered living. Encampment in public places blocks uses of public spaces such as parks, sidewalks and sports fields and harms business recovery.
To guide the city government, Tim, some neighborhood and business groups have formed Compassion Seattle, a citizen initiative planning to put a charter amendment on the King County election ballot this November. They will need 45,000 signatures to make sure the initiative is certified although only 33,060 signatures are required.
The charter amendment will ask the city to:
- To make available mental health and substance use disorder treatment services and to create a behavioral health rapid-response capability as an alternative to police response in some situations
The city will spend the money but the services will be provided by King County which has mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, but not yet the behavioral health rapid-response capability yet.
- To create 2,000 new units of emergency housing within 12 months
Emergency housing includes enhanced shelters, mini houses and hotel/motel rooms. Different from regular shelters, lockers, on site treatment services and housing referral are available at enhanced shelters.
- To remove encampments with public health or safety risks or obstruct access to or use of public spaces
Removal is not a quick fix. Outreach professionals are needed to build and nurture relationship, persuade the individuals to move and accept services. However, if the encampments endanger safety, public health and use of public space, immediate removal is required.
- To establish a dedicated fund in city treasury for these purposes and to accept outside contributions from public, businesses, philanthropy and other government entities
- To require 12% of the city’s general fund be allocated to human services program, including homelessness
Today 11% is allocated to human services, the additional 1% equals to approximately $18 million. Expected cost for the new behavioral services is $5-16 million depends on number of people sign up.
- To invest in, support and cooperate with the new Regional Homelessness Authority
The Regional Homelessness Authority was established 2 years ago, the new chief executive has been recently hired.
- Charter amendment sunsets in six years (December 2027)
If the measures in Charter amendment do not work in 6 years, it is time to try something else. If there is no sunset clause, the City constitution will be changed forever unless it is voted again.
The charter amendment is currently pending at the court for some legal issues. Tim would like to collect signatures from as many people as possible once it is cleared.
Thanks to Club Member Michael Bronsdon for making this program possible.