Editor's note: The above interview between Chris Daniels and Councilmember Bagshaw was published in September 2018, before the closure of KeyArena.
One of Seattle City Council's longest-tenured council members announced she will not seek re-election in 2019.
Sally Bagshaw will end her time on the council after serving the city for three terms. She currently represents District 7, which makes up Seattle's neighborhoods between Pioneer Square and Magnolia.
“I have truly enjoyed my work on the Seattle City Council these past nine years, and have been honored to serve as the Councilmember for D7," Bagshaw said in a statement. "For the next twelve months I will work hard to implement the projects of importance to those of us who live in D7 and make some bold moves for the people living and working across our city and region."
It was widely believed by many City Hall insiders that Councilmember Sally Bagshaw would not run for re-election, although no formal announcement had been made before Tuesday.
Bagshaw is not the only council member stepping down. In early November, Councilmember Rob Johnson told KING 5 he would not seek a second term.
Bagshaw was elected to the council alongside Mike O'Brien, just two years after Bruce Harrell. Before joining the city council, she served for eight years as Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Mayor Jenny Durkan said Tuesday, "Over the remainder of Councilmember Bagshaw’s term, I look forward to continuing to work with her to deliver for the people of Seattle."
Read Councilmember Bagshaw's full statement:
I have truly enjoyed my work on the Seattle City Council these past nine years, and have been honored to serve as the Councilmember for D7. I will not be running for a fourth term.
For the next twelve months I will work hard to implement the projects of importance to those of us who live in D7 and make some bold moves for the people living and working across our city and region.
At the top of my list is to work with my Council colleagues and other leaders, including the Mayor, King County Executive and King County Council, and visionaries across our tri-county area, to fund and implement a regional housing plan. As multiple studies have already demonstrated and other major West Coast cities have shown, we must fund and build 100,000+ units of housing in Seattle, King County, and around the Puget Sound over the next decade and beyond. My goal is to build on these studies, come together with leaders from other cities, counties, and the State to provide good housing for the people who are here now and for those who are coming. Whether we create units for our kids who are coming back home to live near us, for a new graduate looking for her first apartment, or for new neighbors coming to join us from afar, we all deserve a place to call home in a vibrant neighborhood. It is our duty to get engaged anew and get the housing funded and built.
Specifically within D7, after 15 years of involvement, I am delighted that in 2019 our Waterfront will finally be reconnected to our Downtown and other neighborhoods. With the reconstruction of the Seattle Arena, Seattle Center again will become the Center of Seattle bringing a new sports team and renewed energy to a very important part of our city. I will work hard to assure we are able to move more people and more goods in and through our Downtown, even though we are facing a period of maximum transportation constraint. Yes, that includes more connected bicycle lanes, safer and greener pedestrian connections and renewed transportation options for all of us.
This next year my Belltown neighbors and I will work to implement some of their "Greener Belltown, Bluer Sound" ideas; within Pioneer Square I am pleased that neighbors have already come together to reinvigorate their community. New life will be breathed into Yesler Crescent near the Courthouse and east-west connections between the International District and the Waterfront will make Pioneer Square walkable and attractive to all. And more housing options will be made available to those who are living on our streets, making our streets healthier and safer for everyone.
And yes, to my Magnolia friends, we will continue to work with our 36th Legislative delegation, Port, Sound Transit and others on a regional funding plan for the 1 for 1 bridge replacement; and along with my Uptown, Queen Anne and South Lake Union neighbors we will work together to reduce traffic and promote each neighborhood's character while shaking hands with more and more people and businesses that are moving in.
We live in a growing city with increasing demands. Those listed above are just a few I will be addressing in 2019. My commitment to you is to get things done with you, for the good of us all.
