Image copyright Jeri Ryan Image caption Sawant delivers the motion on taxation on large businesses
A “no” vote could trigger a recall of the Seattle City Councilwoman who was the first Green Party elected in the US.
In a stormy council meeting on Tuesday, Kshama Sawant voted against a proposal to reinstate a quarter-cent sales tax on large businesses, which was voted down.
If two-thirds of Seattle voters approved a recall, Ms Sawant would become the first mayor in the country to face a recall.
But there are no plans for a recall vote yet.
In an opinion piece published in the Seattle Times on Wednesday, Ms Sawant was quoted as saying: “I do not need your votes. I made history in November 2012 because I have the courage to stand for what I believe.
“Yes, I made some mistakes in 2012, and I was wrong about big things. I will admit that to myself and make important changes.”
Mayor Ed Murray told the BBC that the anti-pollution plan was “doable”, and the city would probably collect the extra sales tax revenue in the next year.
“If we did what she was voting for, the people of Seattle are still going to be better off and we’re going to get a lot of pollution out of the air we breathe,” he said.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Seattle’s top officials meeting in September 2014
When asked about a recall, the mayor said: “There have been a number of recalls where there were mistakes made, sometimes where it seemed like her vote was about what [Mayor John] Maynard wanted to do.”
According to The Seattle Times, the city has never had a mayor who has faced a recall.
On Wednesday morning, Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell sent out a tweet saying: “After our 3-2 vote last night that will drive unemployment higher, we’ll be taking votes every Tuesday night for a year.”
Image copyright Jeri Ryan Image caption In October 2013, Seattle voted to outlaw micro-dosing in marijuana stores
Ms Sawant and Mr Murray are sitting at opposite ends of the City Council’s political spectrum.
Mr Murray is a liberal former state senator who voted for a controversial legislation to legalize marijuana. He served as Mayor from 2004 to 2008.
Kshama Sawant’s Green Party was founded in 1990, and Ms Sawant is the third member to be elected to the council.