By Jean Godden

Jenny Durkan will be sworn in as Seattle mayor on Nov. 28, as soon as the results of the Nov. 7 election are certified. She will be the city's second woman mayor and the first elected here since Donald Trump's election to the presidency. 

Trump's erratic handling of the presidency obviously had a large influence on the voters' decision to select an experienced candidate, one who has already worked to counter the administration's missteps on immigration. 

Because of her early move into the mayor's office, Durkan will not have much transition time. She will almost immediately take up the reins of power, managing a city of 700,000, a municipal budget approaching $6 billion and a workforce of 12,000 employees. It will be an enormous challenge, but one that voters sensed she could handle.

In coming days, many will be offering advice to the mayor-to-be. Some of that advice will be worth taking, other ideas best discarded. The hope is that Mayor Durkan will be able to sort through the many suggestions and come up with the best next steps for Seattle. 

Here are the seven things that I would tell the new mayor from my perspective (humble though it is) after serving the city as a councilmember for a dozen years and watching over Seattle as a journalist for a couple of decades: 

Respect for Seattle values: A good mayor must honor the Seattle brand, keeping the city true to its unsinkable spirit. Ensuring government transparency and encouraging citizen input is part of that respect. Also needed is respect for the city's 90 distinct neighborhoods. Do not neglect the neighborhoods -- one of Seattle's greatest strengths. Do not allow them be smothered under a rush to add density everywhere. 

Dedication to justice and a safe city: The mayor's top job is to oversee police and fire departments, something that you, as a former U. S. Attorney, understand well. These services command the lion's share -- some 65 percent -- of the city's budget and are vital factors in how the city relates to its citizens. Are streets safe? Is policing fair and unbiased? Are we adequately policing the police?

Stewardship of resources: The city's infrastructure requires constant upkeep. That means attention to roads, bridges and sidewalks. It means mundane chores like filling potholes. And it means overseeing Seattle City Light, the nation's greenest electrical utility, and Seattle Public Utilities with its dedication to recycling and drainage. Do not ever neglect the Seattle Library and its 26 branches, a magnificent resource for which the city is justly famous.

Fiscal responsibility: Each year the mayor sends a budget proposal to the City Council. Once the revised budget is passed, the mayor must ensure city funds are spent prudently. Listen to the city budget office (CBO), one of the city's secret successes. It was the CBO that helped keep city bond ratings high during the ruinous recession. It also wouldn't hurt to read the Municipal League Foundation's recent study: "The Seattle Budget -- A Looming Crisis." 

Compassion: The mayor must have a strong sense of what can be done for the less fortunate. During your campaign, you said that you would "scrub the budget" for funds to provide many more tiny houses and shelters. At the same time, you should not sacrifice other important services -- parks, health clinics and community centers -- in an effort to achieve worthy, but untested new aims. 

Political muscle: When needed, the mayor must defend Seattle against the Trump administration's alarming misdirection on immigration, the environment and health care. The city has taken vigorous positions. There must be no relaxation of that willingness. On election night, you expressed your determination telling President Trump: "Keep your hands off Seattle." 

Vision of the future: At a time when private forces are making grandiose plans for stadiums, business complexes and community redevelopment, the mayor should have long-range goals that will benefit the entire city and not favor opportunistic plans to turn Seattle into a concrete jungle.  As mayor, you must work to unite labor, business and community in common goals for the future. 

This list makes a good mayor sound like a super-person, something that many of us expect that you will become. But, in doing so, you should never hesitate to ask for the assistance of the citizens and the hard-working city family. Best of luck: You have our backing.