Sara Nelson

Position 9 · Citywide

Sara Nelson

Former councilmember · 2022–2025

Status
Former councilmember
Representation
Position 9 · Citywide

Overview and record

Activity at a glance

2015–2026 official records

Sara Nelson received credit for 121 passed matters in 2015–2026, earning 410.2 points—within the available comparison group. The largest single contribution is CB 120957 (2025), worth 7.0 points: Sends voters a ten-year property-tax levy funding Seattle’s Democracy Voucher program. The credited record leans most toward Labor & City Workforce, especially electricity. Of those, 16 originated in an executive department before Council sponsorship.

2015–2026 LegisRate points

410.2

Within the available comparison group

16 credited measures originated in an executive department.

How scoring works

Outcome, voting, and attendance describe the record; they do not add to or subtract from the LegisRate score.

Sponsored outcomes 121 passed

98.4% passage rate

Final voting choices 746 in favor

20 opposed · 9 abstained

Full Council attendance 97.9% present or late

185 of 189 records

Sponsorship record106 prime · 5 co-sponsor · 10 unranked · 120 early-recorded

Record details Outcome, voting, attendance, and sponsorship context
Sponsored outcomes2 unsuccessful · 0 pendingPending measures are not included in the passage rate.
Final voting choices775 recorded decisions2.6% opposed · 1.2% abstained · 2 not voting
Votes on contested matters97 recorded choices68 supported · 20 opposed · 9 abstained
Attendance detail184 present · 1 late4 excused · 0 unexcused. Excused absences remain visible and are not treated as unexcused.
Sponsorship timing120 early · 1 after committee · 0 after passageFirst appearance in the official sponsor record.
Council-wide voting context93.4% without recorded opposition or abstention2904 of 3109 eligible final tallies; 205 contested.

Only the latest recorded legislative vote per matter is used; a missing structured tally is not counted as an absence.

What the work concerns

Policy-area mix

Share of scored work

Sara Nelson's policy-area mix Hover or focus a policy-area slice for its point total and share of scored work. 410.2 points

Hover or focus a slice for detail.

Labor & City Workforce

105.6 points · 25.7%

View related bills

By year

Annual work

YearPointsPassedPass rateOriginalCo-sponsoredOpposedAbstainedAttendance
2025155.448100.048131.10.098.0
202485.82596.22422.00.797.9
2023102.02996.72904.42.697.7
202267.019100.01902.30.997.9
Career total410.212198.4120152.61.297.9

Rates are shown only when the relevant official record exists. Vote and attendance measures describe participation; they do not affect points.

Council roles

Committees & positions

Point-by-point audit

Contributing bills

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Sends voters a ten-year property-tax levy funding Seattle’s Democracy Voucher program.CB 120957 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2025 · Civil Rights & DemocracyElectionsAccessibility +7.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to publicly-financed election campaigns; providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City at an election to be held on August 5, 2025, of a proposition authorizing the City to levy regular property taxes for up to ten years in excess of the limitation on levies in chapter 84.55 RCW for the purpose of funding the cost and administration of the City’s Democracy Voucher program and other City purposes; outlining a process for contemplation of changes to the program; applying RCW 84.36.381’s senior citizens and disabled persons exemption to such levy; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

ElectionsAccessibility

Reach 2: the rule or service directly applies citywide or through a citywide system. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $45,000,000. Durability 0: the action is transactional, technical, advisory, or one-time. Institutional scope 2: implementation crosses departments or affects a core citywide governmental function.

Factors [2, 2, 0, 2]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(6 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share7 in favor · 0 opposedaffected service or requested subjectSigned ordinance 127204
Approves a collective-bargaining agreement with machinists employed by the City.CB 121001 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2025 · Labor & City WorkforceCollective Bargaining +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to City employment; authorizing execution of a collective bargaining agreement between The City of Seattle and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District Lodge 160, Local 79; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

Collective Bargaining

Reach 1: the direct beneficiaries are a defined population, place, or multi-neighborhood area. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $19,123,574. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share9 in favor · 0 opposedemployment or labor actionSigned ordinance 127233
Approves a 2023–2028 labor agreement with City transportation electrical workers.CB 121088 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2025 · Labor & City WorkforceCollective Bargaining +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to City employment; authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement between The City of Seattle and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 77 (Seattle Department of Transportation), effective from January 23, 2023, through January 22, 2028; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

Collective Bargaining

Reach 1: the direct beneficiaries are a defined population, place, or multi-neighborhood area. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $31,005,556. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share9 in favor · 0 opposedemployment or labor actionSigned ordinance 127330
Approves a 2023–2026 labor agreement with AFSCME Local 21SP.CB 120784 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2024 · Labor & City WorkforceCollective Bargaining +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to City employment; authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement between The City of Seattle and the Washington State Council of County and City Employees, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 21SP, for the period from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2026; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

Collective Bargaining

Reach 1: the direct beneficiaries are a defined population, place, or multi-neighborhood area. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $26,421,000. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share9 in favor · 0 opposedemployment or labor actionSigned ordinance 127023
Approves a labor agreement with IBEW Local 77 information-technology professionals.CB 120796 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2024 · Labor & City WorkforceTechnology & BroadbandCollective Bargaining +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to City employment; authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement between The City of Seattle and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 77 Information Technology Professionals’ Unit; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

Technology & BroadbandCollective Bargaining

Reach 1: the direct beneficiaries are a defined population, place, or multi-neighborhood area. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $83,431,000. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share6 in favor · 0 opposedemployment or labor actionSigned ordinance 127043
Approves collective bargaining agreements with IBEW Local 77 units.CB 120801 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2024 · Labor & City WorkforceCollective Bargaining +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to City employment; authorizing the execution of collective bargaining agreements between The City of Seattle and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 77; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

Collective Bargaining

Reach 1: the direct beneficiaries are a defined population, place, or multi-neighborhood area. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $77,943,000. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share7 in favor · 0 opposedemployment or labor actionSigned ordinance 127047
Establishes a new ten-year Business Improvement Area to be known as the Metropolitan Improvement District.CB 120537 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2023 · Economy & Small BusinessNeighborhoodsProcurement & Contracts +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to downtown business improvement areas; establishing a new ten-year Business Improvement Area to be known as the Metropolitan Improvement District; levying special assessments upon owners of commercial property, multifamily residential property, and mixed-use property within the area; providing for the deposit of revenues in a special account and expenditures therefrom; providing for collection of and penalties for delinquencies; providing for the establishment of a Ratepayers Advisory Board; providing for an implementation agreement with a Program Manager; disestablishing the existing Metropolitan Improvement District that was established by Ordinance 124175 (“2013 MID”); suspending the issuance of assessments and providing for the continuity of services under the 2013 MID; providing for the transfer of any remaining funds from the 2013 MID Account; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

NeighborhoodsProcurement & Contracts

Reach 1: the direct beneficiaries are a defined population, place, or multi-neighborhood area. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $18,000,000. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share7 in favor · 0 opposedbusiness regulation or improvement-area actionSigned ordinance 126817
Authorizes the transfer of certain funds in the Light Fund into the Rate Stabilization Account in 2023.CB 120556 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2023 · Utilities & TechnologyElectricity +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; authorizing the transfer of certain funds in the Light Fund into the Rate Stabilization Account in 2023; and superseding certain provisions of subsection 21.49.086.E of the Seattle Municipal Code.

Electricity

Reach 1: the action serves a defined program, department, or user group rather than every resident directly. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $140,000,000. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share9 in favor · 0 opposedaffected service or requested subjectSigned ordinance 126819
Amending rates, terms, and conditions for the use and sale of electricity supplied by the City Light Department for 2022, 2023, and….CB 120411 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2022 · Utilities & TechnologyElectricity +6.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; amending rates, terms, and conditions for the use and sale of electricity supplied by the City Light Department for 2022, 2023, and 2024; amending Sections 21.49.020, 21.49.030, 21.49.052, 21.49.055, 21.49.057, 21.49.058, 21.49.060, 21.49.065, 21.49.083, 21.49.085, and 21.49.086 of the Seattle Municipal Code.

Electricity

Reach 1: the action serves a defined program, department, or user group rather than every resident directly. Fiscal 2: the largest detected official amount is about $44,000,000. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [1, 2, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(5 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share7 in favor · 2 opposedaffected service or requested subjectSigned ordinance 126677
Extends temporary floodplain rules for six months so residents can obtain federal flood insurance.CB 120927 · Ordinance (Ord) · 2025 · Environment, Climate & Parks +5.0 pts

Official titleAN ORDINANCE relating to floodplains; eighth extension of interim regulations established by Ordinance 126113, and as amended by Ordinance 126536, for an additional six months, to allow individuals to rely on updated National Flood Insurance Rate Maps to obtain flood insurance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Flood Insurance Program.

Reach 2: the rule or service directly applies citywide or through a citywide system. Fiscal 0: no appropriation, revenue change, or specific expenditure is identified. Durability 1: the action changes an ordinary policy, code provision, plan, or limited-duration program. Institutional scope 1: one department or city system is principally responsible for implementation.

Factors [2, 0, 1, 1]reach · fiscal · durability · institutional

(4 factors + 1 sponsor) × 100%Original sponsor · primary share8 in favor · 0 opposedaffected service or requested subjectSigned ordinance 127179