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City of Seattle
Seattle City Council
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Seattle City Council: “The 2005-2006 Budget Will Put People First”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
9/14/2004 2:24:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy Roberts (206) 684-8146
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Seattle City Council:
“THE 2005-2006 BUDGET WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST”
SEATTLE –Today, less than two weeks before the Seattle City Council invites Mayor Greg Nickels into City Council Chambers to present his proposed 2005-2006 biennial budget, all Council members collaborated on the following statement, setting a clear agenda for the upcoming budget process:
“During this 2005-2006 budget process, the Seattle City Council will work hard to present a budget that puts people first.
“We will demonstrate a commitment to a humanitarian and fiscally responsible budget that has passed through a widely inclusive process, responsive to the needs Seattle citizens express to us in our Council meetings and Public Hearings.
“We, the members of the Seattle City Council, will work hard both independently and with each other to achieve a fiscally sustainable budget, understanding fully the human costs of our decisions and knowing we have examined all possible alternatives.
“In less than two weeks we invite Mayor Greg Nickels to present in Council Chambers a proposed budget that is fiscally sustainable. In these challenging economic times, when we know many Seattle families are struggling with economic issues of their own, we expect the Mayor to present a budget that protects health, human and social services for those in need.
“This is a time to put people first—their health and safety. That’s why we also expect a budget that protects funding for the essential services of our sworn officers in our Police and Fire Departments.
“When we examine the Mayor’s proposed budget, we will see it through a very particular lens—a lens that cares first about the people of Seattle. A lens that is fair, kind and fiscally responsible.”
“It’s clear that in difficult times,” said Jan Drago, “the Council must prioritize and put people first by protecting health, human and social services, and public safety.”
Richard McIver added, “There is no doubt that the expectations of the Mayor’s budget expressed here, are expectations that everyone in the City Council shares.”
The Mayor will present his proposed budget in Council Chambers on September 27th. The Council will have until December 1st to approve the 2005-2006 Biennial Budget. Three Public Forums are scheduled. The schedule for the Budget process is posted on the City Council’s website at www.cityofseattle.net/council.
The City Council meets in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue (entrance on Fifth Avenue). Meetings are all cablecast live on Seattle Channel 21 and Web cast live at www.cityofseattle.net/council.
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City Council
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