At a press briefing this morning, Mayor Mike McGinn said he and his wife had contributed to the campaign for a referendum that would overturn three agreements the city council signed with the state allowing a deep-bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct to move forward, but said he'd back off from his opposition if voters reject the referendum.

"I work for the people, and if the people ... say they think [the tunnel is] worth it, they have the last word [and] I have to accept that," McGinn said, adding that his position "really puts me in contrast with the city council," with its "vested interests, getting together in a back room to make decisions without public input. ... Council president Richard Conlni said [council member Mike] O'Brien," a tunnel opponent, "and I were cutting a back-room deal. That's astonishing to me. ... I don't think [Conlin] gets this issue."

McGinn acknowledged that he planned to work to support the referendum campaign, and said his wife had written a check to the campaign. "If you want to see what my wife is pissed off about, that tunnel pisses her off," McGinn said. However, McGinn wouldn't say how much the check was for, allowing only that "It will be disclosed" in campaign finance documents in the future.