The Seattle government is looking for new employees: “social justice” advocates who would earn six-figure salaries working as administrators.
The city is advertising multiple roles within the library system, in public utilities, and as city auditors, all of which pay six-figure salaries and as much as $215,000. Unlike private sector jobs, the tax-payer funded roles aren’t subject to city taxes on salaries over $150,000, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
To be hired as the director of administrative services at the Seattle Public Library, candidates must be “knowledgeable in the area of race and social justice, and developing policies with stakeholder involvement for better community and staff equity.” The full-time position pays up to $182,155 annually, according to the job posting.
Seattle Public Utilities is looking for a “Deputy Director of People, Culture, and Community.”
The deputy director will be responsible for promoting “racial and social equity and inclusion.” The posting says a well-qualified employee will deliver environmental justice and service equity by “working to embed race and social justice and service equity policies and practices across the utility, by positioning equity at the core of decision-making at Seattle Public Utilities.” The position will pay up to $215,000.
A position at the Office of the Inspector General calls for “an understanding and appreciation of the intersection of policing and race and social justice.”
The public utility company provides water, sewage, and garbage services for over 1 million residents of Seattle in King County. The county was originally named to honor William Rufus DeVane King, who served as vice president of the United States for six weeks in 1853. In 1986, the county council changed the namesake to honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Under Seattle’s “JumpStart” tax on six-figure salaries, which was passed in early July, companies would be taxed at rates between 0.7% and 2.4%, depending on the size of their business. The $200 million expected to be raised from the tax is earmarked for coronavirus relief and affordable housing. Government employees are not subject to the tax law.
