By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-11 14:50:54 | Updated at 2026-06-14 05:41:49
2 days ago
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson boasted about being driven around by her assigned security detail after a worried resident asked how she plans to clean up the crime-ridden public transportation system.
Wilson, who entered office in January, took the stage at the 'Civil Cocktail' event with Fox 13's Hana Kim on June 3 to discuss the affordability and housing crisis plaguing the liberal city.
After speaking with Kim on topics such as the new millionaire tax Wilson is pushing on the city's wealthiest residents, the floor opened up for locals to ask their mayor questions.
The very first resident, Julie Kang, kicked off the session by sharing how unsafe she feels on the RapidRide buses that travel around King County.
'So I took the E Line here, and I hope to get back safely,' Kang said as she looked directly at the politician.
'But, I am all for taxes when the system is working. But I'm not sure if I'm going to get home safely tonight because on the way here I already had two incidents where I should not [sic] have looked around and got[ten] next to another person carefully.'
'What can we do to make sure public safety is ensured as we are expanding transit riders? Because I want to go home safely,' Kang asked Wilson.
'As an inveterate transit rider myself, and you know I spent the last few years - I mean now I get driven around by my security detail,' the 43-year-old mayor replied, pausing for a moment and smiling.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson gloated about having the luxury of being driven around by her private security detail after a worried resident asked what she's going to do to fix unsafe transit issues
The very first resident, Julie Kang, kicked off the June 2 Q&A session by sharing how unsafe she feels on the RapidRide buses that travel around King County
She continued: 'But as a transit rider, especially with a young daughter, riding the bus and train almost every day for the last few years - definitely hear the safety and security concerns, I've definitely had experiences that were uncomfortable to say the least.'
Wilson then dove into why she and her administration have focused so much on addressing the surging homeless crisis in Seattle.
'Because we know part of our safety issues on public transit have to do with the fact that we have thousands of people sleeping unsheltered, often with complex needs related to substance use disorder, mental illness.. And when people have nowhere to go, they often end up using our buses and trains as shelter, and if they have unaddressed problems, that can spill over into unsafe situations,' the Democrat explained.
'So the big answer is we need to address that crisis, because it's not a public transit problem, it's a public space problem and a housing crisis problem,' she continued.
Seattle is one of the top three US cities experiencing the largest homeless crisis as of 2025, according to data collected by USAFacts.
Her comments about public transit safety came during the same speaking engagement where she chuckled when she was asked if she thinks the new millionaire tax is pushing the city's richest people out.
Wilson, who announced a 9.9 percent tax on people who make more than $1 million in annual income, shrugged off the inquiry and doubled down on her belief that the claim is 'overblown'.
But before that, she laughed when questioned about her being 'dismissive' over millionaires leaving the state in April.
'I don't remember this,' Wilson told the same Fox 13 reporter as she snickered, and members of the audience joined her.
Her comments came during the same speaking engagement where she chuckled when she was asked if she thinks the new millionaire tax is pushing the city's richest people out
'So, I still think that claims of a large exodus of rich people due to our statewide millionaire tax that the legislature passed this year are overblown. I do believe that,' the controversial politician added.
Her latest comment comes as two of the city's richest residents, Rich Barton and Howard Schultz, fled Washington State's Emerald City in recent weeks.
Barton, who co-founded Zillow two decades ago in Seattle, packed up and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, he shared on Friday.
'Officially a Las Vegas resident. Kids are launched, empty nest achieved, and we're excited to start this next chapter,' the entrepreneur, who is worth an estimated $1.2 billion, shared on X.
Similarly, Schultz, the former owner and CEO of Starbucks, announced he was ditching the city for sunny Florida in March.
Schultz, who is worth an estimated $3.5 billion, revealed the big move in a lengthy LinkedIn post.
Seattle is one of the top three US cities experiencing the largest homeless crisis as of 2025, according to data collected by USAFacts
He wrote, in part: 'We are enjoying the sunshine of South Florida and its allure to our kids on the East Coast as they raise families of their own.'
Although neither Barton nor Schultz specifically addressed the tax hike in their farewells, the ex-Starbucks CEO hinted at the state of Seattle's economy in his statement.
'It is our hope that Washington will remain a place for business and entrepreneurship to thrive, creating essential opportunity for those in Seattle and the surrounding areas,' he wrote.
