He has only been mayor for 6 months and 10 days (but who is counting), but he is having to make cuts. Next year it will be even more cuts, the year after that his claim to fence straddling fame, the deep bore tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct, will begin construction. And we will be thankful at the time for the jobs and promise of a viaduct-free Seattle wasterfront.
Then he has to run for re-election.
Sure, a lot can happen between today and 3 years from now, but almost none of it in the control of the mayor.
Every promise he made during his campaign that has a dollar sign attached to it is either dead on arrival, conveniently forgotten, one an up hill battle.
West Side light rail levy vote while chopping parts of the budget by 14.5% next year just looks like a break in logic.
This is going to hurt us a lot more than it is going to hurt him, and Seattle will resent it. They will resent the iPhones for his staff, and $200,000 to paint stripes on Nickerson Avenue to may bike riders happy.
Let them eat sharrows!
About next year:
McGinn said he may increase fees or ask voters to increase their property taxes to pay for next year's budget. Without new revenue, some departments will be asked to cut as much as 14.5 percent from their budgets.
Those cuts are "probably deeper than I think the residents of this city want us to go," McGinn said.
Local News | Mayor to cut wading-pool hours, delay hiring 21 police officers in midyear budget cuts | Seattle Times Newspaper
McGinn, he may be one-and-done, no matter what.
