The push to recall Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is moving forward, and for the first time on Wednesday, she's answered questions about it.
The push to recall Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is moving forward, and for the first time on Wednesday, she's answered questions about it.
The next step is in the hands of a King County Superior Court judge, with a hearing set for Aug. 31.
It's a key stage before petition signatures could be collected.
This is happening now that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has finished a technical review to determine basic information about the petitioners.
During what should have been a lunch rush, Henry's Taiwan Kitchen in the Chinatown-International District sat empty on Wednesday as owner Henry Ku waited for customers to walk by a crowd sitting outside his restaurant at 12th and Jackson.
"Do you think the mayor’s office is doing enough to try to solve these problems here?" KOMO News' Jackie Kent asked.
"I see nothing," Ku responded. "What am I working for? I pay so many taxes and am working so hard. For what?"
He told KOMO he'll soon be moving his business away from the high-crime area where he believes the open-air drug use and homelessness have led to broken windows and fewer customers. It's part of why he says he supports a recall effort against Mayor Wilson.
On Wednesday at a press conference about housing, Wilson acknowledged the allegations.
"That is a legal process that will be played out. I’m focused on leading the city and making it an affordable place for people to live," Wilson stated.
Melinda Jacobson is part of the couple that filed so-called recall charges, and a judge is now set to review the case and determine whether the allegations qualify for a recall.
"It's not all her fault, but she hasn't done anything about it," Jacobson told KOMO News.
In a summary, she claims the mayor was not responsive to homeowners’ calls and emails outlining crime concerns in the North Aurora neighborhood.
"I’ve seen people get their windows shot out. Cops are on the street a lot. We’ll see women on the corner soliciting," Casey Amico from North Seattle explained.
While neighbors like Amico admit there are challenges here, they said they do not support a recall.
"I would love to see some improvements in public safety, but I understand it’s not just one woman that can do that. It’s a collective effort, so I’d say recalling her would be a little extreme," Amico said.
"I don’t know if anybody else is going to do a better job," Hugh Rollison from North Seattle added.
If the judge decides the allegations qualify for a recall, Mayor Wilson can appeal to the state Supreme Court. If the recall moves forward, petitioners would need to gather roughly 70,000 valid signatures, 25-percent of all votes cast in the 2025 Seattle mayor’s race.
King County Elections would then verify those signatures. If the required number is verified, a recall election would be scheduled, giving Seattle voters the final say.
