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League Releases Review of Port of Seattle
The Municipal League of King County today released recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the Port of Seattle. The report follows a year-long study by a committee of citizens with expertise in public policy and Port-related issues.
For Immediate Release
June 25, 2009
Contact: Municipal League
206-622-8333
Municipal League Publishes Review of Port of Seattle
The Municipal League of King County today released recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the Port of Seattle. The report follows a year-long study by a committee of citizens with expertise in public policy and Port-related issues.
“Already there are encouraging signs of change at the Port,” said Municipal League Chair Brad Meacham. “This review finds room for further improvement to make the Port more accountable and to better perform its mission for the citizens of King County. We hope this helps accelerate the pace of reform.”
The review, conducted under the auspices of the Municipal League Foundation, made
findings and recommendations in four areas:
- The Port’s overly broad mission should be revised to focus on the core responsibility of supporting freight, passengers and the maritime industry.
- Use of public resources is a prime concern. The Port’s rationale often isn’t well justified to the Commission or public, and prime real estate remains underutilized. The levy should be utilized in a more transparent manner and noncore property should be sold or transferred to other governments.
- When making major investments, the Port should improve accountability and transparency by presenting costs and benefits of all viable options for Commission and public consideration.
- The Commission should reaffirm its emphasis on the public interest by making ethical culture and best practices an explicit Commission oversight function and key management responsibility of the CEO.
The Municipal League thanks the Port of Seattle for its extensive cooperation during the review. Click here for a PDF of the report
About the Municipal League
The Municipal League of King County is a nonpartisan volunteer organization that
has worked to ensure good government that is open, effective and accountable since
1910. The Municipal League is dedicated to improving the caliber of public officials
and the quality of public decisions. See www.munileague.org.
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Click here for a PDF of this press release
News Coverage:
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: “Port of Seattle’s use of tax money rapped in report”
Seattle PostGlobe: “Harsh Municipal League report steers Port of Seattle in new direction”
KUOW, The Conversation: "Port Report" Download the show here. Interview is at 4:45 minutes.
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