Local News

Former King County Executive Ron Sims squashed months of speculation this morning, saying he will not run for mayor of Seattle in 2013.

In an interview on KUOW’s Weekday with host Steve Scher, Sims kept the suspense going for a while, making a passionate case that the next mayor ought to use the “bully pulpit” to demand “world class schools.” He talked up his own record at the county and said Seattle “needs some vision.”

But at the end of the interview, Sims said he will not run for mayor this year. ”There are other mountains I want to climb,” he said.

Sims served three terms as King County Executive before leaving in 2009 to take the job of deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the Obama administration.

He resigned from that post in 2011, citing the difficulty of spending so much time away from his family. Speculation about Sims as a potential 2013 mayoral candidate has swirled ever since.

A poll for KING 5 television last week suggested Sims would start the race atop the pack of challengers to Mayor Mike McGinn. The Survey USA poll found Sims tied with McGinn at 15 percent support in the crowded field (though 34 percent of voters described themselves as undecided).

Sims’ announcement could benefit McGinn — whom the poll indicated likely would attract the largest share of Sims’ supporters.

And the mayor’s rivals also will breathe a sigh of relief.

McGinn already faces seven announced challengers: City Councilmembers Tim Burgess and Bruce Harrell, former City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck, state Sen. Ed Murray, businessman Charlie Staadecker, artist David Ishii and Greenwood activist Kate Martin.

A new Survey USA poll conducted for KING 5 finds weak numbers for Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn as he heads into his re-election campaign.

The poll of 647 registered voters, which tested McGinn against several announced and rumored rivals, found just 15 percent of voters said they’d support the incumbent. That was tied with former King County Executive Ron Sims, who has so far announced no plans to run. Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess, who has announced his campaign, placed third with 10 percent support.

The rest of the field, including state Sen. Ed Murray, Councilmember Bruce Harrell and former Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck, managed only single-digit support. And 34 percent of voters said they are simply undecided.

(more…)

Good Morning. Happy Friday.

Gay marriage in Washington: Local politicians are doing their part to make sure gay weddings can occur in our state as soon as the new law allows. Passage of Referendum 74 means gay marriages will be possible in Washington in early December. King County Executive Dow Constantine said he will take the unusual step of opening the county recorder’s office early on Dec. 6,  just after midnight. Eli Sanders of The Stranger says Mayor Mike McGinn will open the grand lobby of City Hall for weddings on Dec. 9, the first day same-sex couples can get married.

Seattle City Councilmember
Tim Burgess

Guess what Tim Burgess’ big announcement might be: Publicola says Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess is planning a big post-Thanksgiving announcement. The big surprise is there is no surprise: he is planning to run for mayor in 2013. More candidates, more announcements. Game on.

From Brian M. Rosenthal: With votes now counted from more than three million voters (about 96 percent of expected turnout), Democrat Jay Inslee has increased his lead in the governor’s race to 73,002 votes (he was up by about 50,000 on election night). That margin is less than Gov. Chris Gregoire’s 194,614 vote win in 2008, but it is not the razor-thin result that many expected. Republican Rob McKenna conceded to Inslee last week. Gregoire beat Republican Dino Rossi in 2004 by a final tally of 133 votes.

Inaugural ball: If you are still pining for Washington’s inaugural ball to continue at the state Capitol this year, it’s not going to happen. Think Lacey. 

Exhausted but happy after their week-long garbage strike against Waste Management, Teamsters Local 117 credited local mayors — especially Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn — for bringing Waste Management back to the bargaining table by vowing to collect fines for missed collections.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn
Source: Seattle Times

“Behind the scenes, we’re being told that was really instrumental in getting Waste Management back to the table. That’s what pushed them,” said Heather Weiner, political action director for Washington Teamsters Joint Council 28. Local 117, which represents the 153 recycle drivers who went on strike July 25, overwhelmingly approved a new six-year contract with the company Thursday morning.

Weiner said the calculus of the strike changed when the mayors of Federal Way and Seattle said they intended to hold the company accountable for missed collections.

The cities’ contracts with Waste Management allow them to impose fines for every service missed. Those fines could have amounted to $1.25 million a day in Seattle alone. When the mayors made clear their intention to collect those fines, the strike became more expensive for the company, Weiner said.

“We don’t like the idea of the fines, but were well of aware of those obligations,’’ Waste Management spokeswoman Robin Freedman said in an email. “ I believe our drivers—garbage and recycling drivers wanted to get back to work. That is a long time to go without a paycheck.”

Weiner had special praise for McGinn, who held a press conference Wednesday morning to describe his plan for documenting missed collections around the city, and who vowed to return “every penny” of the fines to customers in the form of reduced bills.

“We’ve had our differences with the mayor, but he stood up and did what he thought was best for the city,” she said. “We’re very grateful that he decided to be public about enforcing the contract. ”

Within hours of the press conference, she said, the company was back at the negotiating table.

Seattle dispatched inspectors to neighborhoods to check for garbage, food/yard waste and recycling that went uncollected Wednesday. Fines will be assessed against the company for materials that were missed Wednesday.  No fines will be levied for materials missed Thursday.