Mayor-Elect Wilson's In-Depth Sit-Down Reveals a Community Organizer's Plan for City Hall

Mayor-elect Katie Wilson recently appeared on “The Big O Show” to discuss her transition into office and her administration's priorities, including homelessness and public safety.

Wilson announced for the first time that she will keep Shon Barnes as Seattle Police Chief. "I've had several conversations now with Chief Barnes and I will be retaining him as our police chief,” she said. 

On the subject of public safety, the Mayor-elect emphasized a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach. She reiterated her support for the Seattle C.A.R.E. Department, affirming plans to expand the range of calls that the department addresses.

Wilson detailed her transition process, noting that the goal is to convert her campaign platform into a concrete plan for governing the city of Seattle. She said that this process is designed to be highly inclusive and community-focused. 

"We've structured this process to be a lot more open-ended than transition processes often are," she said, explaining the approach involves a team of about 60 people, organized into work groups based on issue areas, who are tasked with soliciting input and feedback from community organizations and stakeholders across Seattle.

The Mayor-elect affirmed her commitment to this community-organizing approach once in office. 

"I'm a community organizer and I'm going to still be a community organizer in City Hall, and we're designing our mayor's office with that in mind," she said, explaining that her approach to management and city governance will largely draw from her experience in coalition building and with the Transit Riders Union. 

Regarding her administration's structure, Wilson confirmed she will be moving forward with a single Deputy Mayor, Brian Surratt. She explained that this decision came from conversations with advisers who had experience with previous mayoral administrations, hoping to avoid the potential "factionalism” and “infighting" that can result from having multiple Deputy Mayors. She noted that Surratt will be supported by a community relations team to handle the external-facing work.

Wilson labeled homelessness as her "number one priority coming into office.” 

"The bottom line is we need to get people inside," she said, affirming that her administration will be moving immediately to open new emergency housing and shelter with adequate resources. She acknowledged the regional nature of the crisis, explaining that  strong regional partnerships are key in solving homelessness within the city. 

Wilson concluded the interview with a commitment to addressing the needs of victims and survivors of crime, acknowledging that "victims are forgotten.”

"My commitment is to take this very seriously," and pledged to engage with victims organizations that directly support them. 

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