Recall charges have been officially filed against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
A fed-up resident named Melinda Jacobson pulled the trigger on the filing, accusing Wilson of completely botching public safety across the city. The charges center on multiple incidents, including a gang-related mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival and the forced departure of Police Chief Shon Barnes while he was actively working a homicide case, as reported here.
Jacobson told KIRO Newsradio she had been mulling over this move for months. She initially gave Wilson a fair shot, but the mayor's handling of the Barnes situation was the final straw. "She's failed this city miserably," Jacobson declared.
So what happens next? The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office will conduct a technical review of the charges. If they pass muster, a ballot synopsis gets drafted and sent to Superior Court. A judge then determines whether the allegations rise to the level of malfeasance, misfeasance, or a violation of Wilson's oath of office. Should it clear both hurdles, recall supporters get 180 days to collect enough signatures for a recall election.
But Jacobson wasn't done unloading. She hammered Wilson over the Aurora Avenue crisis, where residents have reportedly been calling the mayor's office daily about shootings and prostitution with zero response. Jacobson said she spoke with people directly affected by the situation and learned Wilson had ignored their calls, emails, and meeting requests for more than six months. "That is appalling," Jacobson said. "There's no other word for it."
Then there's the surveillance camera controversy. Jacobson pointed out that Wilson only activated cameras because of a so-called "credible threat" during the World Cup, then promptly shut them off once the event wrapped up. Jacobson was incredulous. "What is wrong with her thinking?" she asked.
Jacobson also made it crystal clear that even if this recall effort crashes and burns, she and like-minded citizens plan to keep the heat on Wilson's administration.
Wilson's office fired back with a statement dripping with dismissiveness. The petition "does not appear to have merit," they said. The statement went on to list the administration's accomplishments since taking office, including expanding crisis responder hours, launching universal school meals in September, banning rental junk fees, speeding up shelter expansion, growing transit options, investing in libraries, and tackling grocery store pricing.
"The courts will address any questions. We will address the needs of Seattle," the statement concluded.
That's a pretty bold flex from a mayor whose own constituents are literally trying to vote her out of office. Wilson seems to think listing policy bullet points will make people forget about unanswered phone calls, a forced-out police chief, and a mass shooting at a food festival. Meanwhile, Jacobson and her allies are just getting started. This political fight in the Emerald City is heating up fast, and Wilson might want to start actually picking up those phone calls.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
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