OPINION | It's Time to Call Out the Seattle City Council's Civility Hypocrisy

by John Aaron

For decades, leading citizens of Seattle have upheld an expectation of civility in government as a norm that must not be violated. Business leaders insist on it, former Councilmember Kshama Sawant was excoriated for eschewing it, and the establishment-backed politicians who run every branch of Seattle government claim to value it.

But District 2 Councilmember Tammy Morales, and by extension the constituents she represents (such as myself), appear to be exempt from this broadly held belief in civility that is allegedly a cornerstone of Seattle's politicians. Important to highlight, Morales has earned the responsibility to represent District 2 through two successful elections, a feat only one of her colleagues shares.

Why is the Latina representative of Seattle's only BIPOC-majority district uniquely subjected to such disrespect? It appears that our city's elected officials only expect the rules of civility to apply if you agree with their opinions.

Take the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13, as an example. An earnest proposal from Morales to release all of the $20 million designated to expand mental health services for Seattle Public School students was met with a level of ire, intolerance, and inquisition of motives that on previous councils would have been an unthinkable deviation from decorum. Councilmember Maritza Rivera condescendingly lectured her District 2 colleague, four years her senior in council service, and accused her of misleading the public with a purely "performative" and "symbolic" proposal. Councilmember Robert Kettle went further by incorrectly accusing Morales of doing no substantive work with independent policy analysts and persisted in that misrepresentation even after being corrected by the director of the City Council Central Staff.

Policy disagreements can be intense, but we expect our civic leaders to avoid making it personal and focus on legislating. Despite their repeated commitments and pledges of "good governance," this does not appear to be a core value of the current council majority.

This glaring lack of civility is not only directed at Morales, but the public as well. In its first year, this City Council has limited opportunities for public comment at council meetings, called for the arrest of public commenters, cleared council chambers to conduct meetings behind locked doors, and publicly accused community leaders who disagree with them of being misled or nave. This illiberal streak was most glaringly on display when Rivera proposed an amendment to defund the Equitable Development Initiative, publicly lied about her amendment's impacts, and, in turn, attacked the accurate analyses of community critics as misrepresentations. Rivera sheepishly withdrew her cut, but never took accountability for her misrepresentations or acknowledged the accurate feedback she received from the community. It does not bode well for the future of critical programs and infrastructure that depend on the Equitable Development Initiative.

Morales and members of the public deserve better. The casual invective this council hurls at people registering simple disagreements with its priorities is not discourse, it is — quite simply — bullying. It is bullying not just of District 2's representative but the constituents she serves, all people of District 2 who have real concerns that warrant real action and solutions that by all rights should be considered by this council — a council increasingly labeled by voices across the political spectrum as historically unproductive and unfocused.

The coming recess calls for self-evaluation as the council internalizes feedback about its first nine months of legislative performance. If civility is to be upheld as a value, it must be applied to all of Seattle's leaders and the communities who participate in the public process, and this performative lack of it must stop.

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.

John Aaron is a Rainier Beach resident.

📸 Featured Image: Seattle City Council discussing a proposal from Councilmember Tammy Morales to release all of the $20 million designated to expand mental health services for Seattle Public School students at a City Council meeting on Aug. 13, 2024. (Screenshot from the Seattle Channel)