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 sentences to explain why positions need to be reclassified … it makes it difficult for us to be able to approve,” Councilmember Teresa Rivera said. Rivera added she would move the legislation out of committee only with the caveat that the requested information be provided before the full council vote.

Why it matters: changes in civil service status require a higher legal threshold at full council (a two‑thirds vote), and quarterly employment ordinances can cumulatively alter the city’s payroll baseline. Noble told the committee the ordinance covers 15 positions with civil‑service status changes (four being removed from civil service and 11 being added), establishes 13 new job titles, revises two job titles and adjusts pay for two titles. He also said some pay ranges for broadband and step employees are set by ordinance and therefore require council approval.

Discussion and fiscal context: Committee members pressed for short written explanations from departments describing whether a reclassification represents a new body of work, repurposing of a vacant position, or restored civil‑service protections. Chair Sarah Nelson, introducing the item, framed the change in committee practice: “anything that has to do with money … I believe that it needed a little bit more robust oversight,” she said. Nelson cited 2023 figures from Seattle Department of Human Resources (SDHR) to underscore cumulative fiscal effects: SDHR completed 568 requests for classification review in 2023, issued determinations for 530 position changes, and projected financial impacts of about $2.9 million (with actual fiscal impacts reported as about $1.8 million). Nelson said the quarterly ordinance discussed previously had a smaller, single‑quarter financial impact (she estimated roughly $67,000 for one quarter and said she “believe[d] the impact of this legislation is, I believe, $90,000,” while noting she was not certain).

Public comment: Two members of the public spoke. David Haines criticized regional homeless‑services oversight and raised broader accountability concerns at the King County Regional Homeless Authority. Alberto Alvarez, identified as a member of the public, said he supported returning civil service positions called out in the executive memo and asked for information about how long three Office of Economic Development positions have been vacant; “these positions in the OED are much needed,” he said.

Committee action and next steps: Council President Sarah Nelson moved to recommend passage of Council Bill 12925; the motion was seconded (second not named on the record). On a roll call the committee voted Hollingsworth — Aye; Kettle — Aye; Rivera — Aye; Saka — Aye; Nelson — Aye, producing a 5‑0 committee recommendation. Committee staff said the committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to full council for final consideration once the executive provides the requested information; members discussed aiming for placement on a subsequent council agenda when answers are available.

The meeting closed with scheduling notes: the committee’s next meeting was moved to 9:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24.