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Two years ago this week, I had the amazing honor of being sworn in as the 56th Mayor of Seattle ? and the first woman to lead the City of Seattle in nearly a century.
From Day One, my goal has been to deliver the essential services our growing city needs, and to turn our shared progressive values into action that makes people?s lives better. Together, over the last two years we?ve done just that. Some of the steps we?ve taken together are:
- Navigated historic challenges like the February 2019 snowstorms, and the first three chapters of the Seattle Squeeze;
- Delivered two free years of college through our Seattle Promise program;
- Expanded the Seattle Preschool Program and Child Care Assistance Program;
- Given more than 14,000 students and low-income neighbors a passport to Seattle ? free transit ? through our ORCA Opportunity program;
- Made new, unprecedented investments in housing for our low- and middle-income neighbors;
- Taking new steps to ensure Lyft and Uber drivers are paid fairly, and to invest more in housing near transit and transportation projects through my Fare Share plan;
- Expanded emergency shelter and outreach for our neighbors experiencing homelessness; and see the first decline in people experiencing homelessness since 2012.
I hope you?ll take a minute to look back at all we?ve done together over these past two years here.
 This week has been another one of action. On Tuesday, I signed our Fare Share plan into law. It invests in first-in-the-nation protections for drivers, more housing near transit, and transit projects that will help keep Seattle moving. It is the right thing to do.
And earlier today, I had the chance to sign my 2020 budget plan into law after it was approved in an 8-1 vote by City Council. Working with City Council, this budget invests in our shared priorities like expanding access to opportunity for young people, more affordable housing, addressing homelessness, advancing public safety, and more transit.
 I also pledged to you that I would get out of City Hall and listen. Over the last two years, I?ve listened at 76 roundtables and town halls, 25 neighborhood walks and tours, and 315 community events.
Each?of?these events ? not to mention the conversations at the coffee shop and the grocery store ? reaffirm my belief that Seattle is the best city anywhere. Because everywhere I go in Seattle, I always here the same thing: ?What can I do to help??
So what?s next? In Year Three of my first term, above all, ?I?ll keep getting out of City Hall and keep listening and keep working with communities to build a more affordable and inclusive city?of?the future.
Most importantly, I want to say thank you for the honor of being your mayor, and thank you for your commitment to making Seattle a better place for all. I have so appreciated all of you who took the time to reach out to write me, to sit down with me, and to say hello as I?m out in community.
What?s most important to you and your loved ones in 2020, and what else can the City of Seattle do to help create a better future for you and your loved ones?
Please write me at?[email protected], reach out via?Twitter?and?Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we?re doing for the people of Seattle on my?blog. I look forward to hearing from you.
I hope that you and your loved ones have a safe and very happy Thanksgiving. I know that this holiday, I?ll be feeling grateful to be with my family and for the opportunity to live and serve the public in the greatest city in America.
Happy Thanksgiving ? and thank you,
 
Last week, the City of Seattle acted to protect transit and transportation safety by joining a lawsuit with other cities, counties, associations, and individuals from across Washington State to challenge Tim Eyman?s unwise and unconstitutional I-976.
This morning, a King County Superior Court judge granted a preliminary injunction that will help to prevent irreparable harm to our region?s communities and move forward building a transportation system capable of carrying us forward into Seattle?s future.
?This is good news for transit, safety, and equity in Seattle. We are pleased that the Court recognized the severe and irreparable harm to our residents that would have occurred without this injunction,? said Mayor Durkan. ?A supermajority of Seattle voted this irresponsible measure down in Seattle. That is because Seattle votes every day with our feet and with our dollars to invest in more transit. The City will continue to fight against this unconstitutional initiative.?
 On Monday, Mayor Durkan stood alongside Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and community leaders to condemn the Trump administration?s effort to dramatically increase citizenship fees.
?This president is trying to remake our immigration system to exclusively serve the rich and powerful. Seattle rejects his ?pay-to-play' approach to citizenship, and we will continue to welcome people seeking to build a better, safer life for themselves and their loved ones? said Mayor Durkan.
The Trump administration?s proposal would increase naturalization fees to $1,170, which represents an 83 percent increase for some green card holders. In addition, this proposed rule would charge a fee to people fleeing violence and persecution and seeking asylum.
Residents have an opportunity to submit a public comment in response to the proposed rule here.
Mayor Durkan stopped by the KOMO News studios to surprise longtime weathercaster Steve Pool and present him with a proclamation declaring November 26, 2019 to be ?Steve Pool Day? in the City of Seattle.
Steve has been reporting the weather to Seattle-area families for over 40 years, and he?s one of the most respected and beloved people in Pacific Northwest broadcast reporting. After giving his final forecast on Thursday, Steve retired from broadcasting.
 Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle are grateful for Steve?s long career, and we are so excited to see what comes next! Thank you, Steve!
 
 Just a reminder that the City of Seattle will be closed on November 28 - December 2 in observation of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Normal operations will resume on Monday, December 2nd!
From all of us on Mayor Durkan?s team, we wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving!
 For this edition of the Weekend Read, we encourage you to check out Crosscut?s article on Trump?s new proposed fee hikes for immigrants and refugees. If enacted, it would increase the cost of citizenship applications by 83% and add a fee to asylum applications for the first time ever. It begins:
For the second time in less than a month, the city of Seattle is at odds with the Trump administration.
With a slew of immigrant rights advocates standing behind them, Mayor Jenny Durkan and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, joined forces to condemn the Trump administration?s attempt to dramatically increase fees for immigrants trying to gain citizenship and make the United States only the fourth country to charge a fee for asylum applications.?
At a Monday morning press conference at Seattle City Hall, Jayapal referred to the Trump administration?s immigration strategy as one ?defined by its cruelty, its xenophobia, its racism.? She called out White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center has pointed to as the administration?s architect of ?extremist, anti-immigrant ideology.?
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