By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell recently released summary reports detailing his administration’s achievements in 2025 and progress made over the last four years to enact his One Seattle vision of a safe, equitable, and thriving city.
“Over the last four years together, as City staff, community leaders, and neighbors, we took a vision for One Seattle and turned it into a reality,” said Harrell.
When Harrell first took office, Seattle was emerging from a global pandemic, police staffing was at a historic low, encampments and open‑air drug use made public spaces feel unsafe, and downtown’s economy and spirit were depleted. Now, Harrell said, the city has seen record progress in many areas.
“Today, our police department has reached record hiring of new recruits and crime is trending down across the city; we’ve seen promising decreases in overdose deaths through our innovative public health interventions and made record referrals to shelters to bring vulnerable people indoors,” Harrell said. “Downtown is bustling again with new businesses, arts and cultural events, and the new world‑class Waterfront Park.”
During his four years in office, Harrell attended 1,065 community events throughout all City Council districts to hear directly from residents and community leaders about their top priorities. He also spoke at 364 press and media engagements, demonstrating a commitment to open communication, transparency, and accountability.
Harrell maintained a strong working relationship with the Seattle City Council throughout his tenure. His administration transmitted 639 pieces of legislation that were passed by the council, and over 90 percent of those bills were unanimously approved. Harrell also appointed 29 department directors approved by the council, placing diverse, community‑focused leaders in more than half of the city’s 40 departments.
Over the course of four years, the Harrell Administration created, preserved, and funded 8,200 affordable homes, reduced unauthorized tent encampments in public spaces by 80 percent, and hired more than 350 police officers while reducing crime, including a 42 percent decline in homicides in 2025. One of the most significant innovations was establishing the Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department, known as CARE, Seattle’s unarmed crisis response team, now a national model.
In 2025 alone, Harrell remained active across a wide range of initiatives and policy areas. Highlights reported by the mayor include:
• Historic investments in housing, including the largest affordable housing investment in City history in the 2026 budget.
• Record progress on police hiring, with ongoing recruitment and Seattle Police Department staffing returning to healthier levels.
• Expansion of diversified emergency response options, including enhanced CARE capacity.
• Public health strategies addressing the fentanyl crisis, resulting in decreases in overdose deaths.
• Increased protections for LGBTQ+ residents, including legislation safeguarding gender‑affirming and reproductive care.
• Defense of immigrant and refugee communities with expanded funding for legal services, training, and workforce development.
• Educational support with the renewed Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy expanding childcare, school supports, and college access.
• Community revitalization and economic support, including tax relief for small business and new programs in key neighborhoods.
• Government efficiency improvements, such as permitting reforms and new platforms to connect residents with services.
• Investments in food access and healthy communities to address rising needs and environmental health priorities.
Reflecting on these accomplishments as he prepares to hand over leadership to Mayor‑elect Katie Wilson, Harrell emphasized both the progress made and the work ahead for the city.
“We have much to celebrate in this city, and there remains plenty of work ahead,” Harrell said. He thanked residents and community partners and expressed his best wishes for the future administration.
“Thank you for being part of this journey together. It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your mayor,” Harrell said.
