‘I can do a better job there’ Seattle council member says during quick apology

A quick public apology by a Seattle City Council member is apparently all that was needed to put a mistake in the past.

Council member Mike O’Brien told council member Debora Juarez that he was sorry for not properly counting her vote during a committee meeting regarding the future of the bike-share program, Pronto!

“I will publicly apologize,” he said Monday. He added that he could “do a better job there.”

Related: How did the Seattle council really vote on the bike-share program?

That apology followed a quip by Juarez, who made sure everyone knew she was at the meeting.

“I am here, so I’ll just raise my hand so everyone can see me,” she said.

The quick apology followed a miscount during a vote made by the committee on sustainability and transportation last week when a 4-2 vote in favor of purchasing the bike-share program was reported as 3-3 by O’Brien.

You can watch the video of the vote here and decide for yourself where the confusion was.

Though the committee voted in favor of saving the struggling bike program, the council has yet to make its decision. The ordinance that will effectively allow the City of Seattle to purchase Pronto! will now go to the full city council with an official recommendation from the committee. The council as a whole will then ultimately decide whether or not to buy the bike share system for more than $1 million.

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