Tech companies such as Amazon opposed Seattle’s short-lived head tax on large businesses to pay for homeless services and housing, but Mayor Jenny Durkan now says they can assist the city in other ways.
Rather than tap the companies’ bank accounts, she wants Seattle to tap their know-how. For example, they could help the city design apps for social services, Durkan says.
The mayor has convened an Innovation Advisory Council to seek advice on challenges such as homelessness and transportation, she announced Thursday during a news conference at Zillow’s downtown headquarters. She described the panel as a “new collaboration with Seattle’s technology community that will better highlight technology solutions.”
Cool. An App.