Good government starts in the transition
For the last three months, we have been supporting Mayor Katie Wilson to create one of the most inclusive transitions Seattle has ever seen.
Andrés Mantilla, partner at Uncommon Bridges, served as transition director. From the start, we committed to reimagining what meaningful community engagement could look like.
So how did we do it? The mayor appointed 16 co-leads to focus on eight issue areas, and tasked each of them to reach out to their respective communities. They engaged thousands of people via dozens of work sessions, town halls, youth meet-ups, interviews, and social media. As one committee member said, it takes a brave public official to ask for this octopus of a process.
So what does the community want? Affordability. Safety. A city where art and culture are anchors of belonging. Where public investment rewards responsibility.On February 24, the transition co-leads shared their recommendations at an event streamed on the Seattle Channel. It was an exciting moment, but one in a continuum.
The mayor has promised that these recommendations will not sit on a shelf, but will be included in the City's work plan. The mayor’s team thanked everyone for their authentic contributions, "You have delivered to us a book of ideas of how to make the city better, so that we can be a city that listens to, learn from, and acts. This is what good government is."
Check out the transition recommendations.
