There is a time when every politician has the unenviable task of saying no to their friends.
That may come sooner than later for Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
At issue are contentious in-office policies for city employees.
Wilson must prioritize community good and taxpayer value over the personal preferences of public workers.
Back in 2024, former Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that City of Seattle executive branch employees were expected to report to their worksites in-person three days a week, “building on efforts to improve collaboration and service to residents while still allowing remote work flexibility.”
City labor unions, including PROTEC17, demanded to negotiate the directive. A settlement agreement allowed some city employees to work from the office two days a week, though city policy still called for three days of at least four hours.
The agreement expired on the first of the year. City sources say a 90-day extension is currently in force.
As noted by Times reporter David Kroman, Harrell’s return-to-office policy was poorly received by PROTEC17 and contributed to its decision to back Wilson in the mayoral campaign.
As hard as returning to the civic campus may be for some folks, three days a week is the minimum city employees ought to be in the office.
A recent Seattle City Auditor report on permitting underscores the importance of in-person interactions with the public.
Before 2020, Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections had permitting counters in Seattle Municipal Tower downtown, where customers could meet with staff and get answers about their permit. The permitting counters were permanently closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced by virtual support.
In 2023, the department opened a new customer service desk in the lobby of Seattle Municipal Tower to provide more general in-person assistance to customers. However, city employees said this service did not always meet customer needs.
“During our interviews, some SDCI employees said they believe more in-person customer support would be helpful, particularly during the permit application process,” wrote the auditor on Dec. 23.
The city should be doing everything possible to make permitting easy and predictable.
Not all Seattle workers share the same experience. Police, fire and other departments are on-site, and about 114 employees who report to the Legislative Department are in their offices at least four days a week.
It’s a new day at City Hall. Executive branch employees ought to be there to both serve the public and tap the power of collaboration.
