Bellingham mayor shares results of vaccination mandate for city workers

Bellingham lost 27 city employees because of COVID-19 vaccination mandates from Mayor Seth Fleetwood and Gov. Jay Inslee, according to data shared with city employees Monday, Dec. 6. Biggest losses were in the Public Works, Police and Fire departments, according to a chart attached to Fleetwood’s emailed message to the city’s 924 employees. Six employees resigned rather than get vaccinated, 17 were dismissed for violating the city’s new terms of employment that require vaccination against COVID-19, and four were dismissed for violating Inslee’s vaccination order for state employees, teachers and health care workers such as firefighters.

Nearly 98% of Bellingham employees are now fully or partially vaccinated, according to a chart that Fleetwood attached to his letter.

The city of Bellingham was sixth among Whatcom County’s top 10 employers in 2020, according to a report from Western Washington University’s Center of Economic and Business Research.