Seattle mayor responds to council demand over police chief's resignation

SEATTLE - Mayor Katie Wilson's office has formally responded to Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle’s demand for a written explanation regarding the forced resignation of former Police Chief Shon Barnes.

The City Charter controversy

Timeline:

Kettle sent Mayor Wilson a letter on Aug. 21, citing the Seattle City Charter and setting an August 28 deadline. That deadline passed without a response until Thursday evening, when the Mayor's legal counsel sent a written reply to Kettle and shared it with FOX 13 Seattle.

The political dispute follows the aftermath of the July 26 Bite of Seattle mass shooting. On July 30, amid ongoing investigations, Wilson announced Barnes had stepped down after she requested his resignation—a deal that ultimately included a $700,000 severance package for the outgoing chief.

In his August letter, Kettle maintained that requesting a resignation under threat of dismissal triggers Article VI, Section 2 of the City Charter, which requires the mayor to file an official statement of reasons with the City Council.

"As the city chief executive, you made the decision to request Mr. Barnes' resignation, and had he declined to resign, he would have been terminated from his employment," Kettle wrote in part. "In doing so, you have exercised your removal authority under Article VI, Section 2 of the City Charter, thereby invoking the requirement that you file a written statement of reasons with the City Council. That obligation cannot be avoided simply because the separation was ultimately documented as a resignation."

The mayor’s office responds

What they're saying:

In the response sent Thursday, Wilson’s General Counsel, Caedmon Magboo Cahill, argued that the charter does not require a formal filing for a chief's resignation, but offered the administration's official reason regardless.

"Though the Mayor is not obligated to file a reason for the Chief of Police's resignation, we want to refer the Council to the Mayor's public statements regarding the resignation of the police chief and repeat those reasons in this letter," Cahill wrote.

"After careful consideration, the Mayor requested his resignation due to the need to build a cabinet that is aligned with her administration's values, policy goals, and vision for the Seattle Police Department," Cahill added.

Looking ahead on public safety

What's next:

On Friday, Kettle reiterated his disagreement with both the decision to remove Barnes and how the situation was handled, but acknowledged the Mayor's authority under the charter.

"I understand her ability to do so based on the Seattle City Charter to which we both swore an oath to uphold," Kettle said. "It is critical for us as city leaders to respect our City Charter in contrast to what we are seeing in the other Washington with respect to our U.S. Constitution."

Kettle added that the Mayor’s Office and City Council must now work together to navigate the search and confirmation process for Seattle's next permanent police chief.

"Given Seattle’s ongoing public safety challenges, we need to take these matters very seriously for the health and safety of our communities," Kettle said.

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

Family of Belltown shooting victim says nobody would help him

Salmonella outbreak linked to broccoli sprouts sickens 16 in Washington

Driver rams police with stolen semi-truck, injures 4 officers in Everett

Deadly Belltown shootings prompt response from Seattle leaders

Pregnant Amazon workers sue, accusing retailer of systematic discrimination

Reward offered in unsolved 2006 Kirkland murder case

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

Katie WilsonSeattleNews