Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss response to mayor’s veto of Vehicle Resident Assistance Program

Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6) released the following statement after Mayor Katie Wilson vetoed CB 121283, legislation he sponsored as part of his Vehicle Resident Assistance Program (VRAP).  

“Before we passed this legislation, Mayor Katie Wilson promised me not to veto it and to work together to implement. Now, thirteen days after we passed it, the mayor gave me a call at 4 p.m. to let me know she was breaking that promise,” said Councilmember Strauss.  

“The status quo is not working. It’s not working for people living in RVs and it’s not working for their neighbors. The city has few resources and no strategy for helping people living in their RVs get into safer shelter and housing. We can’t continue to leave people forgotten on our streets. That’s why I proposed this legislation, and that is why the Council passed it,” said Councilmember Strauss.  

“I am disappointed that Mayor Wilson has vetoed this legislation at the eleventh hour. I am disappointed that she broke her commitment to work together to implement this legislation. And, I am disappointed by the lack of leadership from the executive,” Councilmember Strauss concluded.

Communication with the Mayor’s Office 

Councilmember Strauss has been working with frontline service providers and has been meeting with City Departments since January to shape this legislation. This included months of meeting with the mayor’s office.  

Prior to today, the last communication Councilmember Strauss received directly from Mayor Katie Wilson was on Oct. 15, five days before the legislation passed, after a meeting in which her office promised not to veto.  

In that email, Mayor Wilson said, “If the proposed legislation is adopted by the City Council, my office will work with you through the Vehicle Resident Assistance Permitting Program Review Work Group to implement this program.”  

Mayor Wilson also listed three areas for continued discussion, all of which have been addressed:  

1. The need to create an additional safe lot (which is funded through Councilmember Strauss’ budget proposal).  
2. The need to fund the additional services and implementation of VRAP (which is funded through Councilmember Strauss’ budget proposal). 
3. Addressing no-notice towing of vehicles (which the mayor said the departments plan to address through implementation by giving 24-hours notice).  

Finally, the mayor also signaled her support for a Vehicle Resident Assistance Program Work Group to help implement the legislation and address any additional issues. Councilmember Strauss supported an amendment to create that workgroup and it was approved by the City Council.  

What’s next 

Under the City Charter, the Seattle City Council must consider whether to override a mayoral veto between five to 30 days from now. Overriding a veto requires a vote of six councilmembers. 

# # # 

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.