# The race for King County Executive is heating up, and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci says that she has the edge based on her internal polling. King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay came in a close second in the poll, and King County Assessor John Wilson was a distant third, weighted down by stalking and harassment allegations.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# A narrow four-member majority caved to housing opponents as the Bellevue City Council finalized zoning changes impacting the city's lower density residential areas. Scaling back an ambitious proposal that increased flexibility for builders, Bellevue is only set to exceed the state minimum in a few areas.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# On Wednesday, Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck unveiled a proposal overhauling the city's Business and Occupation tax that she hopes to put before voters this November – if she can win over her colleagues. Dubbed the Seattle Shield Initiative, it would broaden the exemption for small businesses, but raise taxes on larger businesses.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Check out the key takeaways from the Seattle City Council candidate forum focused on mobility and housing issues that happened earlier this month. An urbanist consensus emerged among some, but not all issues.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# RSVP to The Urbanism on the Eastside Panel and join representatives from across the Eastside as they answer questions about housing, land use, and transportation.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Despite heavy attention on challenges funding transportation at the state level, shortfalls are projected to hit transit agencies and city transportation networks hardest. With few tools available to raise progressive transportation revenue at the local level, the future looks bleak without reform.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Reviving community court isn’t a simple fix for Seattle’s criminal legal system — pre-filing diversion programs are more effective, cost less money, and avoid the harmful consequences of prosecution. Here's one Seattle City Attorney candidate's plan.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.