Committee forwards Q4 2024 Employment Ordinance after requesting details on 13 civil‑service changes

Seattle’s Governance, Accountability and Economic Development Committee voted to recommend passage of Council Bill 12925, the Q4 2024 Employment Ordinance, during its Jan. 9 meeting but required additional information about 13 positions before the measure goes to the full City Council.

The ordinance, which amends civil service status for city jobs, creates and retitles positions and adjusts pay steps, was described by Central Staff Director Ben Noble as a routine quarterly personnel measure that nevertheless requires council review when it changes civil service protections or ordinance-established pay ranges. “There are 13 vacant positions within the, in the civil service side where there's a potential for this shift in the body's work,” Noble said, noting the executive was working to provide more detail on those vacancies.

The committee’s request for supplemental information echoed concerns from several council members about oversight and fiscal transparency. “If the departments are not able to provide a couple of…