Mayor Katie Wilson: Learning on the Job?

After six months on the job Mayor Katie Wilson is still learning. Although she campaigned as a democratic socialist, Wilson initially allayed concerns when she appointed Brian Surratt, an experienced moderate, as her deputy mayor. She navigated her first few weeks with unusual transparency, even going public with personal news like her trip to a hair salon for a hair trim.

But along the way, Wilson also has stumbled; she’s made at least three significant blunders. Her first mistake came early. Days after winning election as mayor, she showed up at a Starbucks labor rally and told striking baristas that, out of solidarity with workers, she wasn’t buying Starbucks and “neither should you.” Wilson compounded that early error when attending a forum on the state’s new “millionaire’s tax.” She called potential business departures due to the tax “overblown” and waved an offhand “bye” to anyone planning to exit. The mayor’s business unfriendly remarks have been highlighted in scolding articles carried in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

In a second serious misstep, Mayor Wilson abruptly fired Dawn Roth Lindell as Seattle City Light superintendent, one of the city’s most critical jobs, and then appointed Dennis McLerran, an environmental attorney who lacked direct industry experience, as interim superintendent. In so doing, Wilson not only ignored months of vetting the city had devoted to Lindell’s hiring in 2024 but also neglected to consult leaders at local 77 of the IBEW, City Light’s powerful union.

Wilson’s third slip-up came with her office’s callous disregard for relations with the city council. Tensions erupted over a bill in Councilmember Eddie Lin’s Land Use Committee designed to boost the number hosted in tiny home villages from 100 to 150. The mayor favored the expansion but failed to have the bill properly introduced by any of the councilmembers and then pressured the council to either strip the bill of amendments or delay passage. Councilmembers resented the mayor’s high-handed tactics in disregarding the separation of powers.

In her favor, Mayor Wilson acted quickly to repair chilly relations with the council. She responded by undertaking her first staff shake-up since taking office and replacing Kate Brunette Kreuzer, a long-time personal friend, as her chief of staff. Instead she appointed Esther Handy, a City Hall veteran, to the important role and moved Kreuzer to a job “supervising special projects.” At the same time, Wilson moved to consolidate council relations under Brian Surratt, who is well regarded by councilmembers.

On another front, Wilson traveled an unusual route for a politician and apologized for her remarks about Starbucks. During an interview with the New York Times concerning her dismissive statements, she said, “Those remarks were not productive in the sense that they did more harm than good. I am sorry.” Wilson pointed out that in the meantime she’s been working with Starbucks and has enlisted the corporation as a co-sponsor for a new tiny home shelter in South Park. She said, “I hope and believe they want to be here.”

Prior to Wilson’s apology, there had been widespread speculation that Starbucks Coffee Company, now under CEO Brian Niccol, would move its corporate headquarters to Nashville. Those rumors now seem somewhat overrated. While Starbucks is indeed moving 2000 employees to Nashville, the move may have been made partly to take advantage of Tennessee’s contribution of $100 million, a ploy used to lure businesses to the southeastern city, and also to focus on establishing more Starbucks outlets throughout the region.

Wilson’s inept handling of the City Light leadership also has prompted her to change course. Faced with a strong backlash from the union and confronting concerns from city councilmembers, the mayor backed away from her appointment of Dennis McLarren as interim superintendent. Instead she appointed Rob Santoff, chief operating officer, to interim leadership of City Light and named McLarren as deputy general manager. In backing away from her original plan, Wilson said that — even if she didn’t fully agree with the changed lineup — it was more important “to find a path forward.”

There is no disputing Mayor Wilson has had some troubled early months in the job. She lacked prior experience in elected office and there is no school for neophyte mayors. But Wilson is winning points for trying to repair damage caused by her rookie mistakes. Her quick reorganization of her staff, her work with Starbucks and her apology have earned admiration from surprising sources. One political pro – no supporter of Wilson – issued an unsolicited confession: “I’m more impressed with her than I expected to be.”