{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Tom Weeks | image = Seattle City Council member Tom Weeks, 1991.jpg | alt = | image_size = 175 | caption = | office = Member of the Seattle City Council<br>from Position 6 | term_start = January 1, 1990 | term_end = August 2, 1996 | predecessor = Virginia Galle | successor = Charlie Chong | birth_date = | birth_place = Seattle, WA | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | relations = | spouse = | children = | occupation = | signature = | website = | alma_mater = {{plainlist| *Middlebury College (BA) Harvard University (MA,PhD)}} | other_party = }}
'''Tom Weeks''' is a former Seattle City Council member from 1990 until he resigned in 1996.
==Early life and education== Weeks was born and raised in West Seattle.<ref name="slinging">{{cite news |last1=Balter |first1=Joni |title=SLINGING, SLUGGING BUILD IN GALLE-WEEKS RACE |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB533A28F69EF18?search_terms=Tom%2BWeeks&text=Tom%20Weeks&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&pdate=1989-10-23|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=October 23, 1989}}</ref> He is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School graduate program, where he was also a teacher's assistant.<ref name="slinging" /> Before his running for city council, he owned a conflict-negotiation consulting business.<ref name="outsider">{{cite news |last1=Balter |first1=Joni | title=GALLE'S CHALLENGERS SAY SHE'S 'OUTSIDER' - INCUMBENT'S TRIES TO CAP INITIATIVE COULD HELP HER |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB5337F5EB052E9?search_terms=Tom%2BWeeks&date_from=1989&date_to=1989&text=Tom%20Weeks&content_added=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&p|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=August 3, 1989}}</ref>
==Seattle city council== ===Elections=== In 1989, Weeks ran for Seattle city council for Position 6 against incumbent Virginia Galle.<ref>{{cite news |title=CANDIDATES FILE FOR OFFICES |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB5337D7A91046B?search_terms=virginia%2Bgalle&date_from=1989&date_to=1991&text=virginia%20galle&content_added=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&sort=old&page=3&pdate=1989-07-29|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=July 29, 1989}}</ref> In the September primary election, he and Galle advanced to the general with 30% and 43% of the vote, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |title=ELECTION RESULTS |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB53394C4C12A52?search_terms=virginia%2Bgalle&date_from=1989&date_to=1991&text=virginia%20galle&content_added=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&sort=old&page=5&pdate=1989-09-20|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=September 20, 1989}}</ref> Galle accused Weeks of padding his resume when he claimed he taught at Harvard, "He talks about teaching when he means teaching assistant."<ref name="slinging" /> Weeks defended his experience, saying he did teach courses until Harvard released a statement saying he was not on the faculty and did not teach complete five-month courses.<ref name="slinging" /> Weeks said Galle was too much of an outsider and ineffective at coalition building.<ref name="slinging" /><ref name="outsider" /> In the general election, Weeks defeated Gale, 55% to 45%, and he outspent her on a 2-1 ratio.<ref name="SMA">{{cite web |title=General and Special Elections |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/historical-election-results#19801989historicelectionresults |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archives |access-date=29 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Balter |first1=Joni |last2=Hatch |first2=Walter |title=BREAKING TRADITION - WEEKS TRIUMPHS; 2 INCUMBENTS ON THE RUN |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB533A85AAC8175?search_terms=Tom%2BWeeks&text=Tom%20Weeks&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&pdate=1989-11-08|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=November 8, 1989}}</ref><ref name="AW">{{cite web |title=Tom Weeks Subject Files, 1989-1996 |url=https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv367761 |publisher=Archive West |access-date=29 September 2024}}</ref>
Weeks ran for reelection in 1993 and faced seven challengers.<ref name="1993primary">{{cite news |last1=Lilly |first1=Dick |title=IMPRESSIVE SHOWING BY WEEKS; OPPONENT LIKES CHANCES IN NOV. |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB536ACA5882046?search_terms=Tom%2BWeeks&date_from=1989&date_to=1997&text=Tom%20Weeks&content_added=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&pdate=1993-09-15|url-access=subscription|access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=September 15, 1993}}</ref> In the September primary, Weeks came in first with over 63% of the vote, with businesswoman Pam Roats coming in second with 16%.<ref name="1993primary" /><ref name="uphill">{{cite news |last1=Angelos |first1=Constantine |title=ROATS IN UPHILL BATTLE FOR COUNCIL SEAT - WITH BIGGEST CHUNK OF PRIMARY VOTE, INCUMBENT WEEKS LOOKS TOUGH TO BEAT |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB536C052D63177?search_terms=Tom%2BWeeks&date_from=1993&date_to=1993&text=Tom%20Weeks&content_added=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&pdate=1993-10-20|url-access=subscription|access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=October 20, 1993}}</ref> Weeks ran on his record and his overwhelming win in the primary, while Roats attacked him over a $10,000 ethics complaint against Weeks' from the Ethics and Elections Commission.<ref name="uphill" /> In the general election, Weeks defeated Roats, 65% to 35%.<ref name="SMA" />
===Tenure=== During his tenure, Weeks was chair of the Housing and Human Services, Finance, and Personnel and Labor Policy Committees.<ref name="AW" /> As chair of the Finance committee, he oversaw the merger of the community development and human services departments, and, separately, the melding of the comptroller's and treasurer's offices.<ref name="uphill" /> Weeks was active in the budget process and used savings for increased "...investment(s) in human capital and human services as crime prevention.<ref name="uphill" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lilly |first1=Dick |title=BUDGET AGREEMENT MINIMIZES CUTS, INVESTS IN YOUTH |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB535F834F1FFE9?search_terms=tom%2Bweeks&date_from=1991&date_to=1992&text=tom%20weeks&content_added=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&page=1&pdate=1992-11-14|url-access=subscription|access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=November 14, 1992}}</ref>
In 1993, a city employee lodged an ethics complaint against Weeks for mailing a newsletter at city expense to 35,000 households.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lilly |first1=Dick |title=COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST WEEKS OVER NEWSLETTER - CITY WORKER CLAIMS VIOLATION OF ETHICS, ELECTION LAW |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB536423109E2D8?search_terms=Tom%2BWeeks&text=Tom%20Weeks&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&pdate=1993-02-18|url-access=subscription|access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=February 18, 1993}}</ref> He denied that he broke any laws, but there was a perspective that he had, saying "The perception here was almost as important as the facts."<ref name="repay">{{cite news |last1=Birkland |first1=David |title=CITY COUNCILMAN TO REPAY $10,000 COST OF NEWSLETTER |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB536520D19BC67?search_terms=Tom%2BWeeks&text=Tom%20Weeks&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=STIW&page=1&pdate=1993-03-18|url-access=subscription|access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=March 18, 1993}}</ref> Weeks repaid the city $10,256.19 over three installments.<ref name="uphill" /><ref name="repay" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Seattle City Council -- 'Truth Squad' Ignoring Roats-Weeks Campaign |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19931029&slug=1728671 |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=October 29, 1993}}</ref>
Weeks announced he would resign from the council, effective August 2, 1996, to take a job as Seattle School District's director of human resources.<ref name="AW" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Peter |title=New Challenges Await Tom Weeks In School District |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19960710&slug=2338524 |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=Jul 10, 1996}}</ref>
==Post-council== After working at the Seattle School District, Weeks became chairman of the board of the Seattle Monorail Project.<ref name="resigns">{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=Monorail leaders resign |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/monorail-leaders-resign/ |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=July 4, 2005}}</ref><ref name="believes">{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=Monorail mess: He's moving on |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/monorail-mess-hes-moving-on/ |access-date=30 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=November 13, 2005}}</ref> Voters rejected the Monorail project initiative, on a 2–1 margin due financial problems.<ref name="believes" /> Project leaders, including Weeks, resigned after the vote.<ref name="resigns" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weeks, Tom}} Category:Living people Category:Washington (state) Democrats Category:Seattle City Council members Category:20th-century Washington (state) politicians Category:Middlebury College alumni Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)