Burien Council Approves $67,000 Settlement Amid Ethics, Transparency Questions

The Burien City Council voted 4–2 on July 13 to approve a $67,000 settlement ending the city’s lawsuit against the Transit Riders Union, but questions remain about how the agreement was reached and whether ethics concerns were considered before the vote.

The settlement, approved following an executive session, ends litigation filed by the previous council after it challenged the legality of Burien’s voter-approved minimum wage Initiative 1.

Mayor Sarah Moore, Deputy Mayor Hugo Garcia, and Councilmembers Sam Mendez and Rocco DeVito voted in favor of the settlement. Councilmembers Kevin Schilling and Alex Andrade voted against it.

City Declines to Answer Questions About Process

Before publication, The Highline Journal asked the City of Burien whether any councilmember sought or received guidance about whether prior political endorsements from the Transit Riders Union required disclosure or recusal before participating in the vote.

The Journal also asked what led the council to conclude settling the lawsuit for $67,000 was in the city’s best interest rather than continuing the litigation.

Communications and Public Engagement Manager Devin Chicras responded that discussion on those topics occurred during executive session and that “the decision was made by the Burien City Council, not staff.”

As a result, the public still does not know whether councilmembers received guidance regarding possible recusals, how the $67,000 settlement amount was determined, who proposed it, or what the payment specifically covers.

Schilling Raises Ethics Questions

Before the vote, Schilling said he opposed both the settlement and the participation of the four councilmembers voting in favor.

Schilling noted that Mayor Sarah Moore, Deputy Mayor Hugo Garcia, Councilmember Sam Mendez and Councilmember Rocco DeVito had all received political endorsements from the Transit Riders Union during the 2025 election. He argued they should have recused themselves from discussions and the vote.

"I have some serious concerns over the ethics of this," Schilling said.

He continued, saying:

"I want the public to know that I'm voting no on this—not just because I disagree with it and think that we should have continued the lawsuit in court—but that I think the council majority here has been endorsed by this organization, campaigned alongside this organization, [and] received support from this organization."

Schilling also criticized the city's legal and administrative leadership.

"Quite frankly, I'm concerned... that our city attorney and our interim city manager... have allowed this process to continue this way over the last few months without ensuring or requiring these four to recuse themselves from this process."

Watch: Settlement discussion begins at 3:27:20. Following executive session, the public discussion, motion and vote lasted about four minutes.

No other councilmember responded to Schilling's comments before the motion passed.

The Highline Journal will continue following this story as more information becomes available.

References:

Updates on Burien’s Minimum Wage

The Burien City Council approved Ordinance No. 892 on May 18, 2026, to clarify the minimum wage and to assure compliance with Burien’s fair labor standards ordinance, Burien Municipal Code (BMC) Chapter 5.16.

City of Burien Logo

Minimum Wage

City of Burien Logo

Highline Journal Comment Guidelines
We believe thoughtful conversation helps communities flourish. We welcome respectful, on-topic comments that engage ideas, not individuals. Personal attacks, harassment, hateful comments, directed profanity, false claims, spam, or sharing private information aren't allowed. Comments aren't edited and may be removed if they violate these guidelines.