Council's Balancing Package for the 2021 Budget

Summary

The Council puts together its version of the City budget after receiving a proposal from the Mayor in late September. Each Councilmember offers amendments, and the budget chair - Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda - puts together a draft budget, or balancing package, that reflects the Council's shared values and priorities. The balancing package may then changed by the Council as a whole and later adopted. You can find more detailed information about the budget process here.

Contents

Interactive Budget Tool

The tool below allows you to view the amendments that comprise the draft Council budget. You can filter the the amendments to view them by sponsor / Councilmember, category, or voting groups.

Interactive Budget Tool

Budget Animations

Below are two aniamtions that illustrate various parts of the budget. The first is animation about the proposed budget submitted by the Mayor. The second illustrates the Council's intiial balancing package.

Chair Mosqueda's Budget Principles

Council’s 2021 Draft Budget

It was no easy task to tackle COVID needs, an economic downturn, the civil rights uprising and to do so remotely with 2 back to back budgets, all on the heals of passing the historic progressive JumpStart payroll tax this summer-but the country is demanding more of its elected leaders now, and in many ways we are stepping up to deliver on many priorities. Working together, we were able to restore the reserves to a relatively healthy level, helping ensure we are ready for 2021.  We were also able to make significant investments into the issues that face our City and that need resolution: homelessness, equity, community safety, affordable housing, small business support, and supporting our workers.

To remind us, the budget that was transmitted by the Mayor, due to timing issues, had an almost 13 million hole we needed to fix, she didn’t account for the 3m that the council had committed to funding BIPOC investments in 2020 so in reality her budget let just $3.1 million in reserves. That is less than the amount during any year during the great recession and leaves us woefully unprepared for any the health and economic turbulence ahead.

The Council’s draft budget builds back the reserves to around the great recession emergency reserve levels. Replenish the emergency reserves just as JumpStart spend plan envisioned until those dollars were swept. The Council now has about $38 million in emergency reserves at this point - just short of our goal of around $40 million that we sought to improve. Why, because it’s our low wage workers, our elders and kiddos, our Black, Indigenous and People of Color community members who are hardest hit by COVID and the worsening economic inequality and collapse – and investing in the reserves is an investment in protecting our most vulnerable and most marginalized in the worst case scenario to come next year. Even with tens of millions more, we see the rates of COVID skyrocketing and with that comes an uncertain and worsening fiscal future.

The Council’s draft budget prevent against austerity budgeting. Restorations and investments are included in the budget to stop cuts to core governments services and public sector workers who provide those services. Every budgetary layoff that was planned in the proposed budget has been replenished to ensure continuity of services in critical areas especially to our most vulnerable in times of crisis now and for what’s to come. Every data point shows that you cannot cut your way out of a recession, when cuts are made it prolongs the economic downturn and further harms private sector businesses. The Council’s draft budget takes an anti-austerity approach, builds back all of the proposed cuts to budgetary changes in an effort to make sure that our city core services in childcare, libraries, transportation and infrastructure have the people they need to carry out services and that we promote economic resilience, recovery and equity in our budget.

The pillars of this budget are centered on driving a more equitable economic recovery by focusing on ensuring more Seattleites are housed, healthy and safe.

”We can choose to battle systemic racism, the climate crisis, and COVID-19, or we can follow a status quo that will further racist policies, allow more of our earth to burn, and push our neighbors onto the street when they cannot receive COVID relief…”
- Emily Graham, public commenter from District 3

Equitable Economic Recovery

The economic impact of COVID-19 on individuals, families and businesses poses a complex and urgent challenge for our city. Unfortunately, while this crisis will impact all of us, we also know BIPOC communities bear a disproportionate impact in this economic downturn. We must name these disparities so we intentionally plan a recovery that will prioritize a more equitable and just local economy. This budget invests resources into our parks, streets, sidewalks, small businesses and public sector workers to create greater stability and a faster road to recovery. These investments not only support local workers and economic infrastructure, but also creates a faster recovery for small local businesses, the tourism and hotel industry, and other activities that can restart our economy.

Recovering equitably from the COVID-19 recession means maintaining our workforce, providing supports for impacted businesses, and investing in infrastructure for essential workers to get to their jobs and people to get around their neighborhoods safely. Examples include:

  • Restoring positions proposed for budgetary layoffs in HSD, OED, OPCD, SDOT, and SFD (CW-001-A-002) (Mosqueda)
  • Developing strategies to support farmers markets (OED-002-A-002) (Strauss)

Overall Effective Government Service investments includes: $2.18 million GF to restore positions proposed for budgetary layoffs in HSD, OED, OPCD, SDOT, and SFD; • $150,000 GF to Create an Independent Economics and Forecasting Office • $32 million GF to Emergency Fund (amount not included in $46.9 m total) • $60,000 GF to LEG to supplement a King County survey on countywide human service wage inequities • $150,000 GF to LEG to fund transportation impact fee studies • SLI: OED Report on construction impacts mitigation program for small businesses • SLI: SCERS Report on sources and uses of City retirement funds and performance of the SCERS II plan • SLI: SDOT provide monthly reporting on the West Seattle Bridge Immediate Response program

“The Coalition of City Unions and PROTEC17 fully supports CM Mosqueda’s employee restoration amendment that reinstates funding in the 2021 budget for the employee’s facing budgetary lay-offs. During these trying and unprecedented times, the worst thing the City can do is engage in austerity measures or cut vital services, services that are in greater demand thank ever by the residents of Seattle. The data is clear that public sector employers are major drivers in recessions and increased public-sector spending drastically increases the speed of recovery over all. We are proud to support this add and thank CM Mosqueda and the 7 other Councilmembers who “raised their hands” to advance it into the final balanced budget."
- Protec17

Housed

Staying home to stay healthy is the mandate, but that requires a place to call home. Seattle was already in its fifth year of an affordable housing and homelessness declared state of emergency prior to COVID-19. As we head into the second year of the public health crisis and compounding economic COVID crisis, the need to invest in housing is greater than ever. This budget prioritizes stability infrastructure and homelessness responses to prevent more vulnerable neighbors from falling into homelessness, helps get folks who are in unsafe congregate shelters and on the streets into safer non-congregate shelter and housing options, and supports more deeply affordable housing to prevent people from cycling back in to homelessness—is greater than ever.

In this package, the Council prioritizes investments to keep people in their homes during this pandemic and beyond, respond to homelessness, and advance affordable housing for our community.

Immediate Investments in Housing and Homelessness Prevention

The economic impacts of COVID are adding additional pressures on households who were already on the brink of homelessness. The Council is adding funding to support elders, school-aged families, and renters stay in their homes and stay healthy. Immediate homelessness prevention and response must be paired with investments in permanently, deeply affordable housing for our community. To complement the new revenue for affordable housing passed by Council through JumpStart this year, the Council’s revised budget includes funding to move forward important long-term affordable housing proposals, coupled with community amenities. Examples of Council-added investments in immediate housing and homelessness prevention include:

  • The Home for Good program (OH-003-A-002) (González)
  • Homelessness Prevention for Families with School-Aged Children (HOM-015-A-001) (González)
  • Tenant Outreach, Education, Eviction Defense, and Counseling (SDCI-004-A-001) (Strauss)
  • Aurora Commons Redevelopment (OH-002-A-002) (Juarez)
  • Central District Shelter and Housing (OH-004-A-001) (Sawant)

Overall Housing investments include: $30 million GF to restore funding for the Strategic Investment Fund • $200,000 of fund balance in OH to fund the Home and Hope Program • $1.7 million GF to OH for property acquisition and feasibility study for Aurora Commons Redevelopment Project • $200,000 of fund balance to OH for the Home for Good Program • $100,000 GF to OH for predevelopment costs for property in the Central Area • Proviso: $30,000 in OPCD for the Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Statement • Proviso: $100,000 in OPCD for Comprehensive Plan outreach and engagement in 2021 • SLI: Report by SDCI on permit processing times • SLI: Report by SDCI and OH on Mandatory Housing Affordability Program production • $34,000 GF to HSD to fully fund the landlord liaison program • $99,033 GF and 1 FTE Housing and Zoning Technician to SDCI for tenant outreach and Property Owner and Tenant Assistance Group staffing • $500,000 GF to SDCI for tenant outreach, education, organizing, and other services • SLI: Report by SDCI on transferable rental histories • SLI: Report by SDCI on standard residential lease terms • $460,000 GF to SDCI for eviction legal defense

"The Home for Good program was designed to help support folks who have been housed after experiencing homelessness, but are still struggling to pay their rent. [We've] been reaching out the past few weeks to potential clients who are expressing how hopeful and thankful they feel to be able to have a program that's going to keep them housed and give them the security that they need."
- Catholic Community Services of Western Washington

"Histories of generational poverty, domestic violence, mental illness, family history in the sex trade, and violence and crime, have condemned [homeless] people to the mercy of systems that do not understand them or make the space for them."
- Karen Salinas, Coordinator for Reach Program, North Seattle (via public comment)

Housing the Homeless

Seattle has been in a state of homelessness emergency for the last five years—an emergency that’s playing out in our streets in every neighborhood in Seattle and in the lives of thousands of our neighbors. The crisis of homelessness has become even more visible throughout 2020 as individuals are afraid to contract COVID in traditional shelter models, and as more individuals are falling into housing insecurity as they lose their jobs. Seattle saw its highest level of unemployment this summer that surpassed the great recession numbers.  This budget prioritizes our City’s responsibility to shelter those without a home, provides harm reduction strategies to improve outreach, and create greater long-term success with keeping folks off the street.  In this package, the Council makes investments in humane, effective, and immediate homelessness response – examples include:

  • Homeless Outreach and Provider Ecosystem  (HOPE Program) (HOM-005-B-001) (Morales)
  • Supporting 24 hour Operations at Basic Shelters (HOM-010-A-002) (Sawant)
  • Adding Tiny Home Villages (HOM-008-B-001, HOM-009-B-001) (Lewis/Sawant/Pedersen)

Overall Homelessness investments include: $1,068,000 GF to HSD to increase homelessness outreach services • Repurpose 8.0 FTE for a new Homeless Outreach and Provider Ecosystem • $1,000,000 GF to HSD for mobile crisis teams • $109,187 GF 1.0 TLT FTE in HSD for grants and contracts administration • $286,000 GF to SPU to expand the Encampment Trash program to 13 additional sites • $100,000 GF to SPU for a publicly accessible sink program • $2,800,000 GF to HSD to expand tiny home villages • $1,400,000 GF to HSD for a temporary tiny home village • $655,000 GF to HSD to support 24hour operations at basic shelters • $750,000 GF to HSD to increase funding to maintain rapid rehousing caseloads • Proviso to restrict $400,000 GF in HSD for homelessness prevention services for families with school-age children

“[Georgetown Tiny House] village took me out of 15 years of staying in a tent. I was in and out of shelters that made me feel unsafe and go right back to living in a tent... Here, I have a space of my own, I can shower daily, I have a place to put my clothes, I can sleep warm, and not wet and cold like I was always in Washington State when it rained... I feel safe here…I need you to fund the current villages and add more. Everyone should feel safe.”
- Teresa Mettler, Georgetown Tiny House Village (via public comment)

Climate Justice

Even as we act with urgency to respond to pressing health, housing, and economic recovery needs associated with COVID-19, we must not lose sight of the biggest threat to the health to our community and economy in front of us—climate change. Now is not the time to slow down on our efforts to respond to climate change—which we know has a disproportionate impact on low-income households and BIPOC communities. We must act with urgency to shore up climate resilient communities and a greener economy. In this package, the Council adds critical climate response investments into Green New Deal priorities:

"[The Green New Deal Advisor position] is absolutely an important and necessary component to addressing Seattle's greenhouse gas emissions and being a global leader in addressing the climate crisis."
- Matt Remle, Mazaska Talks

Safe and Accessible Mobility Options

Equitable investments in safe infrastructure for frequent transit service and for people biking and walking on our busiest transportation corridors are Green New Deal investments, will help provide safe alternatives to driving, and improve our environment and overall health. Investments that support access to busses provide critical options for essential workers—who disproportionately rely on transit—to get to their jobs, and for families to get around their neighborhoods safely as we weather the impacts of COVID-19. By focusing Council’s budget priorities in long-underserved areas—such as the Lower Duwamish and South Seattle neighborhoods—these transportation assets will be key to our equitable economic recovery and are critical to continuing to combat climate change. Vehicles are the number one polluter of greenhouse gas emissions, so we must make alternatives accessible and reliable; simultaneous to our efforts to create additional housing options in our city. GND Infrastructure investments include

Overall Green New Deal Investments include: $777,000 of REET I for the Thomas Street Redesign − $500,000 of REET I for the Route 44 TransitPlus Multimodal Corridor − $5.2 million of REET I for the Georgetown to South Park Trail − $943,000 of REET I Capital Projects Fund for the Route 7 TransitPlus Multimodal Corridor Project − $400,000 of GF for the Bike Master Plan Protected Bike Lanes − $4 million (REET I, REET II, and General Fund) for the Bridge Load Rating CIP Project  • SLI: Request that the Executive recommend strategies for consolidating urban forestry functions • $132,000 GF to OSE for the Green New Deal Advisor position • $150,000 GF and 1.0 FTE to OSE for Energy Benchmarking and Building TuneUps • $140,000 GF to OSE for the Climate Policy Advisor position • SLI: Request SPU to explore an expansion of the Tree Ambassador program

"Broken sidewalks are not only a barrier to people who use wheelchairs and walkers, they’re a tripping hazard to our elders and make it nearly impossible to walk with a grocery cart or stroller. Accessible sidewalks are critical, especially on Rainier, one of the busiest bus corridors in our city. Those of us who rely on walking, rolling and transit are so glad to see this important piece of our transportation infrastructure getting the investment it deserves."
- Anna Zivarts, Director, Disability Mobility Initiative

"Sidewalk upgrades on Rainier Avenue, the Georgetown-to-South Park Trail, Southeast Seattle bike route planning, and Route 44 improvements address key gaps in our transportation network and these investments will advance equitable access to mobility and safe streets for all. The Georgetown-to-South Park Trail is a climate justice win in one of the most polluted neighborhoods in Seattle that the community has advocated for many years —even before West Seattle Bridge detours brought more congestion to the area. We appreciate the Seattle City Council elevating our budget requests and championing zero-emission people-first mobility."
- MASS Coalition

Health

This year has reminded us why it’s critical to invest in the public’s health and maintain access to services that promote healthy communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has infected almost 31,000 people and taken the lives of over 800 people in King County.  We are tremendously proud of our region’s Public Health leaders for slowing the spread initially, but the growing numbers show we are still very much vulnerable and must act with urgency. Our health is compromised when we don’t have access to clean water to wash our hands, regular meals to keep our families healthy, access to mental health or substance abuse counseling, and support to find a safe place.

Hand Washing and Trash Clean-up

With this pandemic still underway, we need to increase hygiene services for all our community. In this budget we are increasing access to hygiene satiations and hand washing stations as well as expanding the Encampment Trash program to 13 additional sites across the city.

Food Security Assistance

Before COVID-19 hit Seattle, 1 in 4 children were already food insecure – meaning they did not have enough food throughout the day. That affects a child’s ability to learn and grow into a healthy adult. Since COVID-19 began to impact our communities, we’ve seen a significant increased need for food security programs. Council’s budget includes:

  • Expansion of the Fresh Bucks program (OSE-005-B-001) (Strauss)
  • Senior Congregate Meal programs (HSD-002-A-002) (Sawant)
  • A Statement of Legislative Intent asking to identify a potential location for a food bank in Belltown (FAS-001-A-001) (Lewis)

Harm Reduction for Addiction

This country is grappling with the opioid epidemic that has taken too many lives and caused tremendous harm to families and our community. Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC) has some of the best models and partners to prevent overdoses, increase access to treatment, and provide harm reduction services to improve the health for people with substance use disorder and help people get clean. This budget - based on science, data and public health best-practices – treats addiction as the health crisis it is.  Council budget revisions include:

  • A Contract with Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC) for drug user health services. (HSD-009-B-001) (Herbold)
  • Increased services and harm reduction programs at social service agencies that serve people who use drugs (HSD-050-B-001) (Herbold)

Supporting our Fire Fighters

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) provides critical services that ensure public safety and protect the wellbeing of all our city residents. SFD members provide fire protection and prevention services, as well as technical rescue and emergency medical services, and they are trained  emergency medical technicians who provide basic emergency medical care to save lives and provide a warm-handoff to trusted community and regional partners. These first responders take care of us and it is our responsibility to ensure they also have the resources they need. Our investments include:

  • Expanding the Health One Unit (SFD-001-A-001) (Mosqueda)
  • Adding a Crisis Counselor that would provide trauma-informed counseling services and referrals (SFD-005-A-002) (Mosqueda)
  • Providing funding for life saving equipment like Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), Lucas Devices, and Ballistic Sets (SFD-002-A-002) (Herbold)
  • Adding a Consulting Nurse to assist with dispatching at the Seattle Fire Department’s 911 Fire Alarm Center (SFD-004-A-002) (Lewis)
  • Restore SFD recruit class and testing cuts (SFD-003-A-002) (Herbold)

“Health One responds to individuals in crisis or medical need – frequently, these clients are among the most vulnerable and underserved in the City. 9-1-1 alternative response is critical because our clients have frequently exhausted every other resource and safety net. Dedicated teams such as Health One offer the opportunity to break out of cycles of crisis with targeted interventions, referrals, warm handoffs, and case management. As Health One does its works, it alleviates the impact of these responses on SFD Operations.”
- Seattle Fire Department

“Health One is presently using end-of-life vehicles on medium-term leases. New equipment will give the program an opportunity to deliver service with custom-designed vehicles that will meet program needs for years to come.”
- Seattle Fire Department

“SFD firefighters are daily exposed to significant secondary trauma and witness heartbreaking tragedy with sad regularity. Professional-led debriefings and group sessions has proven to be a highly effective and sought-after resource for the Health One team and promises similar benefits for all SFD firefighters.”
- Seattle Fire Department

Overall Heatlh Investments: SLI: FAS report on potential space for a food bank in Belltown • SLI: Request that HSD carry forward unspent funding for senior congregate meal programs to 2021 • SLI: OED develop strategies to support farmers markets • $1.8 million to OSE for the Fresh Bucks program ($500k of SBT monies, $1 million GF) • $80,000 GF to HSD for commercial sexual exploitation services • $1.12 million GF to HSD for drug user health services  • SLI: Add Internet for All section in the 2021 Adopted Budget Book • $550,000 of 2011 FEL to DEEL for a study and onetime programmatic funding for Black girls and young women and Black queer and trans youth • $130k GF to add position in DON to staff a new Indigenous Advisory Council • $1.6 m to HSD to increase services at agencies specializing in American Indian and Alaska Native populations • $60,358 GF to HSD for Age Friendly Seattle • $46,800 GF to HSD to provide safe services at a cultural center serving the Native and Indigenous community and impose a proviso • $200,000 GF to HSD to increase harm reduction programs and impose a proviso • $383,000 GF to SFD to fund Automated External Defibrillators, Lucas Devices, and Ballistic Sets • $141,000 GF and 1.0 FTE to SFD to fund a Consulting Nurse • $150,000 GF and 1.0 FTE to SFD to fund a Crisis Counselor • $33,000 GF to HSD and $67,000 GF to DEEL for programs supporting Native and Indigenous children and families • SLI: Request that the Executive participate in a work group regarding implementation of the 2019 Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) report • $190,000 GF to OIRA for the Legal Defense Network • $100,000 GF to SDOT for a Public Life Study of Capitol Hill • SLI: Request SPR to design and place signage at Licton Springs •  SLI: Request SPD to report on traffic stops • SLI: Request SPD to report on cost effectiveness of using PEOs for special events, contracted sporting events, and flagging • SLI: Request SPD to report on 911 call response times • Proviso on SPD and request out-of-order layoffs of 35 SPD Officers (any savings would support for Participatory Budgeting process) • Cut $6.1 million GF from SPD for vacancy savings, add $6.1 million GF for Participatory Budgeting process • Cut $3.7 million GF from SPD for overtime savings, add $3.7 million GF for Participatory Budgeting process • Impose a proviso on $5 million GF in SPD for potential salary savings (any savings would support for Participatory Budgeting process)

Community Safety

With the Black Lives Matter uprising, the discourse around what is policing and what strategies we should be investing in to be safe has been brought to the forefront. Over the last 8 years, our policing budget has grown by 47% and our city has expanded its reliance on policing as the solution to the complex, intersecting challenges that our city faces. What that has looked like is police officers showing up to calls for people who are experiencing mental health crisis, homelessness, elder neglect, or substance abuse.  Diverting these calls away from SPD has become a priority for the community and the Council.  This summer, the Council took important steps towards actualizing the vision of a right-sized police force and scope of work, and investments into BIPOC community based alternatives. In this budget, we continue that careful balancing act of scaling down the police department budget while we make concurrent investments into community based alternatives. We are getting critical dollars out the door to bolster these alternatives and putting the decision-making process back into the hands of our residents. This Budget creates 3 important buckets that generate community safety:

Participatory Budgeting

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members from across Seattle will decide how to spend part of the public safety investments. This includes investments in community strategies to meet peoples basic needs (housing, food, mental health care, domestic and gun violence prevention, education and job service), all of which reduce police interactions and entanglement with the criminal legal system. As we continue to do the essential work to reduce the need for a large police force with a community-centered safety response, the Participatory Budgeting process will help us create a balance of divestment and investment strategies that will begin to address years of over-investment into and reliance on punitive systems.

Scaling Up Community-Based Solutions

When there is a call for help, we want the response to match the need. For example, when someone is having a mental health crises, mental health workers, not armed police should be the response. These response systems and solutions already exist within our community. We must strengthen the existing community solutions all along the spectrum of need, meaning investments upstream to reduce the need for emergency response, immediate responses for those in crisis, and restorative responses if harm has occurred.

  • Scale up community based public safety programs/services (HSD-008-A-002) (Herbold)
  • Community based alternatives to addressing harm created by the criminal justice system (OCR-001-B-001) (Herbold)
  • Restorative justice pilot program (DEEL-002-A-002) (Morales)
  • Programming for Black girls and young women and Black queer and trans youth (DEEL-001-A-002) (González)
  • Allocate funds from SPD cuts to a Participatory Budgeting process (FG-004-A-001) (Morales)

Overall Community Alternative to Policing Investments Include: $550,000 GF to DEEL for a restorative justice pilot program • $75,000 GF to DON for a South Park safety coordinator • SLI: Request that HSD provide a report on demand and costs for citywide diversion program by August 2, 2021 • $65,000 GF to OIG for Sentinel Event Review • $479.976 GF to SFD + HSD for Health One expansion • SLI: Request SPD to provide the reports requested in Ordinance 126148 and Resolution 31962 • SLI: Request SPD to provide reports on its overtime use • SLI: Request SPD to provide monthly reports on police staffing • Proviso $30 million for the Equitable Communities Initiative • $18 million GF to a Participatory Budgeting Process and impose a proviso (in addition to $12 million for PB Process added by reductions to SPD’s budget) • $10 million to HSD for community-led public safety investments, and impose a proviso • $1.08 million GF to restore funding in OCR for community-based organizations providing alternatives to or addressing harm created by the criminal justice system

”People are concerned about public safety, but public safety is not more police. We need to address the root causes, including poverty, income inequality, and lack of support or resources. We need to stop treating poverty as if it’s a crime.”
- Hanna Wan, public commenter from District 7

“This summer, our organization fought alongside Black Minds Matter—a youth-led advocacy group consisting of brilliant SPS scholars in our community—for School Resource Officers to be removed from all Seattle Public Schools, and replaced with investments in Restorative Justice programming to uproot the racist and punitive practices that continue to target Black youth. While there is more work to be done, this budget amendment is one small step in divesting from systems that continue to funnel our students through the school-to-prison pipeline, and instead, offer new opportunities for institutions to be accountable for investing in true community healing.” 
- Washington Building Leaders of Change

Divesting from SPD

The movement for Black Lives has made it clear that policing as it stands can no longer continue. As we continue to work to shrink the size of our police presence in community we are simultaneously scaling up the alternative community based solutions that have long existed and just needed increased capacity to meet the need. The right-sizing of our police department is undoing years of structural racism; policing is one of the oldest institutions in our Country. This year was the first time our Council did not vote to expand the budget, and in fact took steps to divest from the policing budget and invest in BIPOC communities.

Overall Community Alternative: Abrogate 93 police officer positions in SPD • Cut $175,000 GF from SPD for travel and training, add $175,000 GF to FG Reserves for Participatory Budgeting process • Cut $300,000 GF from SPD for discretionary purchases, add $300,000 GF to Finance General Reserves, and impose a proviso • Cut $450,000 GF from SPD for contracted mental health providers (MHPs), add $1.5 million to HSD for 11 additional MHPs • Impose a proviso on SPD regarding Harbor Patrol functions. • Create new Community Safety and Communications Center • SLI: 911 Call Center • SLI: Request SPD to report on traffic stops • SLI: Request SPD to report on cost effectiveness of using PEOs for special events, contracted sporting events, and flagging • SLI: Request SPD to report on 911 call response times • Proviso on SPD and request out-of-order layoffs of 35 SPD Officers (any savings would support for Participatory Budgeting process) • Cut $6.1 million GF from SPD for vacancy savings, add $6.1 million GF for Participatory Budgeting process • Cut $3.7 million GF from SPD for overtime savings, add $3.7 million GF for Participatory Budgeting process • Impose a proviso on $5 million GF in SPD for potential salary savings (any savings would support for Participatory Budgeting process)

“I’ve heard many opponents [of divesting from SPD] argue that we can’t make rash decisions without having the answers, but those people don’t realize how long this conversation has been going on. They aren’t listening to the countless organizers and community leaders who already know from the work they’ve been doing that investing in people, jobs, housing, transportation, and programs like restorative justice are the answers, and the longer we wait, the more people suffer."
- Alyssa Webster, public commenter from District 6

This budget makes some changes in key policies that are needed across the country. It scales up community-led alternatives to police models, and address the intersectional harms of the lack of access to housing, sidewalks, safe streets, good jobs and the impact of environmental racism that we have seen only worsen as our wealth gap grows in Seattle. This budget responds by prioritizing investments in housing, shelters, food assistance, and ensuring a just response to COVID is possible by protecting emergency funds given the uncertainty of the upcoming year.

We are protecting living wage jobs at the city and providing key supports for essential minimum wage earners in the community. We have maintained and expanded access for small businesses to have capital funding to adapt in this time of COVID and to be able to open again when it’s safe. We are taking key steps to rectify the harms of the criminal justice system, and building on our investments from this summer. We are working on building back our local economy, but building it back better and more equitable way. And for that I am proud, though I know there is much more work to be done. I look forward to the public comment and your ideas as we discuss amendments before finalizing the budget, but thank you again for all your work on this shared proposal.

City Council

Address: 600 Fourth Ave. 2nd Floor, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34025, Seattle, WA , 98124-4025
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The Seattle City Council establishes City policy through enactment of ordinances (laws) and adoption of resolutions. The City Council also approves and adopts the City's budget. The nine Council members and their legislative assistants are part of the City of Seattle Legislative Department.