Burien’s City Council moved forward with several key administrative and infrastructure decisions during its Mar. 9, 2026, session, though not without significant internal friction.
While the council unanimously approved $10,000,000 for a future Public Works facility, much of the meeting was characterized by a sharp division among members.
Key highlights included a formal inquiry into the confidentiality of executive sessions, a dispute regarding the potential removal of City Manager Adolfo Bailon, and a series of split votes that determined the new lineup of the city’s various advisory boards.
Executive Session Leak
At the start of the meeting, Councilmember Kevin Schilling described his concerns around recent privacy issues following an executive session. He said that anything discussed while the council is in executive session should not be shared publicly. Later, Councilmember Linda Akey got support to hold a discussion – in a future executive session – about a potential breach of executive session.
Notice To City Manager
Councilmember Schilling also addressed Mayor Sarah Moore and Deputy Mayor Hugo Garcia, who he said had presented notice to City Manager Adolfo Bailon. Moore had told Bailon that she believed that the majority of the council is behind changing city leadership.
Schilling said it was completely inappropriate for the mayor to take steps when there has been no official council action on this, and that this process requires that city rules and regulations be followed. In her defense, Mayor Moore said she had not been taking an official action, and that she planned to discuss this move at the next executive session.
Backlash To Small Business After Public Comments
One speaker said that after sharing her concerns years ago during Public Comments regarding the homeless camp in front of her small business, she has experienced years of backlash. Online trolls have harassed both her and her husband, and their business, and denigrated them for speaking out. She said that there had been a particularly distressing post, which named and ridiculed herself, her husband, and their business. She said this post directly resulted in loss of business, and is still public. The post has supportive comments by many involved in the city in an official capacity.
She added that Councilmember Sam Mendez had created a meme directly mocking her business, and the mayor as well as former city staff had shown support for the meme, commenting and laughing at it. She expressed concerns for the welfare of her business, family, and clients after having brought this issue forward publicly, hoping that speech remains free in Burien.
New Public Works Facility Coming
The council unanimously approved $10,000,000 to fund a future Public Works Maintenance Center. The long-term lease on the current maintenance facility is nearing its end, and the city would like to be able to respond to potential opportunities for a new facility, whether that is leasing short-term or purchasing a longer term option. Councilmember Kevin Schilling said that the city has needed a public works facility for decades, and that this is a good and responsible use of public dollars.
Advisory Board Candidate Selection
The council conducted interviews with candidates for the Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Arts Advisory Board, Business and Economic Development Partnership (BEDP), and the Human Services Commission. In a 6-1 vote, they appointed Erica Beatman to the Parks board. In a more divided vote, Roxana Pardo Garcia was chosen for BEDP. This vote was taken in a 4-3 split, with Moore, Garcia, Mendez, and Devito in the majority and Schilling, Andrade, and Akey in the minority; this split recurred in nearly all the candidate selection votes.
For the Human Services Commission, there were seven candidates for five open seats. Three of the seats are for 4-year terms, and two are for just one year terms. In the split vote described above, Cecelia Martinez-Vasques, Mike Heinisch, and Patricia Hudson were chosen for 4 year terms, and Cathy Jimenez and Sandy Restrepo were chosen for one year terms.
This so called majority on the Council is clearly unfit to serve, it can’t even follow rules or decorum and certainly not serving the needs of Burien’s residents, instead special interests and egos are the only focus while the City crumbles.
This so called majority has an axe to grind and they are not fit to serve. We need competence and fair minded people. They did not come into the job with an open mind. Resign, please!
100% agree that the majority of the candidates on the Burien council have only their own agendas (not the Burien residents), their faults are popping up left and right while we watch it unfold. Burien is nose diving because of their “leadership” aka special interests
What a fine bunch of upstanding CM’s and Mayor we have!
Kevin: Saying to the city manager that you had talked to other city councilmembers personally and a majority had indicated a desire to replace him is NOT the same thing as starting OFFICIAL proceedings.
It’s because of Adolfo’s leadership that the City of Burien weathered the pandemic and has stayed fiscally responsible, he also stood up against the ridiculous actions of King County and it’s puppet Sheriff. The sidewalks are now virtually free of junkies and filth and plans for metered inevitable growth are being vetted along with more natural space protection.. What’s your plan, hire someone who brings about the collapse of the City and bows to outside interests and progressive minions? Don’t be daft and foolish, feelings and misguided ideals doesn’t pay the bills and causing senseless disruption for talking points is nothing to be proud of.
Who you’re replying to IS one of the minions it is going on deaf ear and even more so along with the other minions we have as council and mayor.
Free speech doesn’t mean free from consequences. If you say offensive things as a business owner people who are offended won’t want to patronize your business. It’s really that simple.
Oh, so your saying that the vandalizing of property and the cutting of utility wires is ok because someone’s feeling got hurt by words they disagreed with. If you yell louder does it make you feel more important and where’s the squatters camp outside your house you’ll adopt for the cause?
It isn’t simple at all. If you don’t like a business, don’t patronize it. Any kind of destructive behavior is criminal.
Speaking of the fact that some council members want to replace our city manager after just a few months; it would be a lot cheaper for the city if they resigned and found people in life they are compatible with.
Where would they even find someone willing to take that job after all the negative press they have caused Burien? The job application would read “must bow down to local activists and disregard all common sense when dealing with financial stability and public safety, blue hair earns extra credit”
True, true, true. Some people are addicted to chaos. Also, it would read; be open to control by unions and outside money. Thinking for yourself not allowed.
I am from Midwest, so I am still learning how you do things here. So, if you perform your job well, you could lose it? Then, if you stink at your job, you get to keep it? Very confusing here.