Seattle residents don't trust the City Council, survey finds
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Among Seattle voters polled recently, 84% said revitalization of the downtown core should be the city's priority. Photo: James Sido/Downtown Seattle Association
Nearly three-fourths of Seattle voters polled in a recent survey said they visit downtown Seattle less often than before the pandemic — and 66% gave the City Council a grade of D or F.
Why it matters: The dissatisfaction expressed in the survey comes as seven of nine Seattle City Council seats are up for reelection this year, with more than 40 candidates in the running.
Driving the news: The survey, commissioned by the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and conducted in May by EMC Research, was released earlier this month. It polled the opinions of 500 people residents who were identified as likely to vote in the upcoming council elections.
- Among those who said they visit downtown less often, the top reasons cited include crime, safety concerns and homelessness.
- Kylie Rolf, the association's vice president of advocacy and economic development, told Axios the polling shows voters are looking for City Council candidates "who center downtown recovery both on the campaign trail and when they reach office."
By the numbers: Among respondents, 84% indicated revitalization of the downtown core should be a civic priority. Additionally:
- 65% believe the city is on the "wrong track" right now.
- 53% are either "pessimistic" or "very pessimistic" about downtown Seattle's recovery.
- The Seattle City Council was distrusted by 71% of those polled. By contrast, small businesses were trusted by 88% and large businesses like Amazon were trusted by 62%.
- 77% of those surveyed believed Seattle’s hands-off approach to drugs in public makes it harder for downtown to recover.
Between the lines: Last week, the council rejected legislation that would have empowered the city attorney to prosecute drug possession and public use cases.
What they're saying: In a statement last week, Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who chairs the council's public safety committee, noted that drug possession remains a crime in Seattle because of state law, and violations in the city can still be prosecuted by King County.
- She told Axios this week that the recent poll is "one snapshot." Other data from the Downtown Seattle Association shows that the number of people coming downtown has rebounded significantly, she added, with total monthly visitors in April approaching 92% of the number seen in April 2019.
Yes, but: Councilmember Alex Pedersen said the survey results show city officials "have a lot of work to do."
- "Broadly speaking, the council remains extremely unpopular and that unpopularity has been historically high over the last year or so," EMC researcher Andrew Thibault told Axios.
What we're watching: The Aug. 1 primary election will decide which two candidates in each City Council race will square off in November.