Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka says it’s time to right the ship with new leadership

SEATTLE – On Tuesday, seven Seattle City Councilmembers were sworn in, and Rob Saka is one of the new faces to now lead the city.

Prior to his swearing in, FOX 13 News sat down with Saka to find out about his priorities and goals.

“I’m the family guy, I’m the dad from Delridge,” said Saka.

The ‘dad from Delridge’ chose to meet at a West Seattle park.

The desire to make parks and neighborhoods safer is the number one reason Rob Saka says he ran for Seattle City Council.

“[For] 9 out of 10 people, it was about public safety, not about revenue. I am going to be honest about that from everyday people,” said Saka.

He says it’s time to right the ship.

READ MORE: Seattle City Council undergoes significant change as 5 new members sworn in

With three young kids, Saka has a parent perspective that he says you don’t hear a lot during public hearings.

“Quite frankly, they are rarely there,” said Saka.

Saka says that’s because working-class parents are busy and often cannot make it to public hearings in the middle of the day.

He told FOX 13 News that he plans to open a field office, so that his constituents who can’t make it to City Hall have more options to reach him.

“I’m going to be around and accessible,” said Saka.

Saka is now representing nearly 106,000 people in District 1, spanning from Alki to South Park up to Pioneer Square.

“I am here to prioritize three things; public safety, affordability and action on homelessness,” said Saka.

The council member says his life experiences will help guide him as a policymaker.

For the first nine years of his life, Saka was in the foster care system. He joined the military and quickly rose up the ranks in the Air Force until he left to become a lawyer.

“I was able to avoid the foster care-to-prison pipeline. I am grateful for that,” said Saka.

He says he works hard to practice an attitude of gratitude.

One of his first priorities is to increase the number of Seattle Police (SPD) officers.

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“We are not going to get there just by hiring new recruits, rookies off the street alone, so we need more lateral recruits,” said Saka.

He says attracting good officers from other jurisdictions will be pivotal in solving SPD’s staffing crisis.

“The number one way to do that is to get a competitive bargaining agreement with the [Seattle Police Officers] Guild,” said Saka.

“I plan to, you know, fully fund our police and all of our first responders to effectively carry out the public safety mandate, plan to empower them,” said Saka.

On the flip side of that, he wants to push for more oversight of police.

“I am going to advocate for stronger civilian oversight principles and making sure we enshrine and bake [that] into this contract,” said Saka.

From the big things to the small, Saka says it’s time for a new direction.

“Potholes, public safety and public parks,” said Saka.