A rare recall effort against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is headed to court, according to reporting cited by The Post Millennial, after two Seattle voters accused her administration of mishandling public safety during a turbulent stretch for the city.
The recall charge was filed Aug. 11 by voters Melinda Jacobson and Dale Osterud, according to the report. King County Superior Court Judge Patrick Oishi has been assigned the case and is scheduled to hold a hearing at 9 a.m. on Aug. 31 to decide whether the allegations satisfy Washington’s legal standard for a recall and whether the proposed ballot synopsis is adequate.
Petition centers on public safety claims
The petitioners allege Wilson was “derelict in her duties for public safety,” according to The Post Millennial. Their claims cite violent crime concerns, policing decisions and the city’s handling of surveillance cameras.
One major flashpoint is the July 26 mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival, which the source says killed three people and wounded several others. The petitioners argue Wilson’s administration failed to provide timely safety information to the public after the shooting.
The filing also criticizes Wilson’s decision to force out Police Chief Sean Barnes while the murder investigation was still active, according to the report. Petitioners contend the move destabilized the Seattle Police Department and harmed public confidence.
Crime cameras become part of the dispute
The recall effort also challenges the city’s handling of CCTV cameras and a Real Time Crime Center used during FIFA World Cup events in the Stadium District and Pioneer Square, according to the source material.
The petitioners claim the city later switched off cameras and left other cameras idle in areas described as crime hotspots, despite funding and requests from residents and businesses. Those claims have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
City Councilmember Robert Kettle also raised concerns after the Bite of Seattle shooting, according to the source. He reportedly wrote to Wilson that the tragedy “has underscored the need for a procedural review” involving venue security, staffing, camera technology and emergency communications.
What happens next
If the court allows the recall to proceed, organizers would have 180 days to collect roughly 70,000 valid signatures, according to the report. The source says no Seattle mayor has faced a recall vote since 1975, and only two have been successfully removed, in 1911 and 1931.
The Aug. 31 hearing will not decide whether Wilson should be removed from office. It will determine whether the recall allegations can legally move forward under Washington law.
