News Release

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2026

FROM THE OFFICE OF: Councilmember Maritza Rivera

CONTACT: Wendy Sykes, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Rivera
206-684-8804 or wendy.sykes@seattle.gov

Councilmember Rivera calls for audit of Seattle Human Services contracts

SEATTLE – Following her comments at Monday’s Council Briefing, Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) announced today she is calling for an audit into the City’s Human Services contracts after a recent King County audit found a lack of oversight and potential misuse of funds within the County’s own human services contracts.

“The City works with many of the same human service organizations as the County, so it is important for us to ensure our contracts have adequate oversight and accountability,” said Councilmember Rivera. “What is happening at the County is serious and I want to thank Executive Zahilay and Councilmembers Dembowski, Perry, and Dunn for taking action to get to the bottom of these issues. This is not to say that our organizations are not doing good work. But in light of the issues at the County, we would be remiss if we did not conduct our own due diligence.”

Councilmember Rivera reached out to Acting City Auditor Arushi Thakorlal to discuss next steps.

About the City Council
The Seattle City Council is the elected legislative branch of the city’s government. It’s comprised of nine councilmembers serving four-year terms and representing 800,000 constituents — seven selected by districts and two through citywide positions. For the latest news and information, please visit seattle.gov/council.

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