SEATTLE — On Tuesday night, Seattle City Councilmember Sara Nelson was selected as the new council president.
Nelson is a small business owner and has been in office since January of 2022. She was voted unanimously into the new position by her colleagues at Tuesday’s meeting.
“It made me feel confident that we're all going to be rowing in the same direction, in the same boat going forward,” said Nelson.
It’s a boat with a lot of new faces. On Tuesday night, five first-time council members and two returning council members were sworn into office. It is the highest turnover of council members the City of Seattle has seen in more than 70 years, according to the city.
“The feeling in that room last night was incredibly optimistic and excited,” Nelson said Wednesday. “And it's the first time I've really felt that there is a real optimism about the future.”
KING 5 asked Nelson what her top priorities are in 2024.
“Getting back to the basics and also establishing good governance principles of doing our work, which is making sure that we are listening to all people when we're deciding on legislation and really getting the details right. That is the foundation of good policy.” said Nelson. “After that, it's the top three issues that people are concerned about. It is homelessness, public safety, housing unaffordability.”
Last year saw the highest number of homicides in decades in Seattle. KING 5 asked Nelson how the council plans to approach this issue.
“Again, it comes down to making sure that we've got an adequately staff police department, more aggressively recruiting new officers, getting a new contract for our officers who have been waiting for a few years for that. And then also, what are the root causes of gun violence? I believe that that drugs are a part of it. We're seeing violence that is in part related to the drug trade,” said Nelson. "We have to get guns off our streets and make sure that everybody in Seattle feels safe.”
Last year, Nelson was one of two council members who pushed to allow for the Seattle City Attorney’s Office to prosecute public drug use cases, in order to align city law with state law. This was a very controversial issue, and Nelson and former Councilmember Alex Pedersen’s first attempt to allow for prosecution failed in a 4-5 council vote. Later in the summer, updated legislation made it so public drug use can now be charged in the city as a gross misdemeanor. Nelson said public drug use is still a big problem.
“It is still an issue in Seattle. All you have to do is walk the streets of downtown and you see it,” said Nelson. “So we have to really make sure that we are providing the services that people need to recover from their addictions and that we are working hand in hand with not just our service providers, but with our officers, who are out there on the front lines.”
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell released the following statement after Nelson’s council president selection:
“Congratulations to Councilmember Sara Nelson on her unanimous election to serve as Council President! Council President Nelson serves as a strong voice for critical issues facing the city, including police recruitment and retention, support for Seattle’s small businesses, Downtown revitalization, and addressing the fentanyl epidemic. Council President Nelson will bring an approach focused on serving our community, good governance, and tangible progress – common values that will serve her well in this leadership role and build consensus across the Council.”