{"id":20947,"date":"2024-11-19T15:08:16","modified":"2024-11-19T15:08:17","slug":"seattle-city-council-select-budget-committee-approves-2025-2026-budget-proposal-sends-it-to-final-council-vote","link":"https:\/\/council.seattle.gov\/2024\/11\/19\/seattle-city-council-select-budget-committee-approves-2025-2026-budget-proposal-sends-it-to-final-council-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Seattle City Council Select Budget Committee approves 2025-2026 budget proposal, sends it to final Council vote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, the City Council\u2019s Select Budget Committee, chaired by <strong>Councilmember<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattle.gov\/council\/strauss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Dan Strauss<\/strong><\/a> (District 6), approved the City\u2019s 2025-2026 budget package, sending it to the full Council for a final scheduled vote on Thursday, Nov. 21.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The budget proposal would make the biggest investment in affordable housing in Seattle\u2019s history \u2013 more than $340 million in 2025. It would also make important investments in public safety, affordability, and other critical services.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s included in the budget proposal?<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the funding included in Mayor Bruce Harrell\u2019s proposed budget, the Council\u2019s proposal includes, but is not limited to:\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Helping people stay housed<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increasing rental assistance by $7.1 million to help people avoid eviction (HSD-001-A, HSD-041-A-1)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increasing investments to the Homeownership Capital Production Program by $3.4 million in 2026 (OH-002-A)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restoring funding for tenant services by $710,000 (SDCI-002-A)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Requesting that the Office of Housing explore using bonding, similar to King County\u2019s recent Workforce Housing proposal, to fund affordable housing (OH-004S-A)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Investing in shelter and homelessness services<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Funding the creation of new, non-congregate shelters with built-in services to help people get off the street and into housing (HSD-002-A-2)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restoring investments in legal services for homeless youth (HSD-003-A-2)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Helping to preserve transitional housing programs (HSD-006-A-1)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Strengthening public health and safety<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Investing in additional treatment for people experiencing substance use disorder (HSD-026-B)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increasing investments in community-based safety programs like We Deliver Care, with an emphasis in the Chinatown-International District (HSD-017-A-2)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiring firefighters faster by increasing resources to get recruits through the exam process (CIV-001-A-1)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Answering 911 calls faster by hiring four new 911 Emergency Communication Dispatchers (CARE-001-A-2)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increasing funding for community safety coordinators throughout the City (DON-002-A-1, DON-004-A-1)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Funding the creation of a new community safety hub (HSD-016-A-2)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Addressing unaffordability\u202f<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increasing investments in food banks and meal programs by $3 million (HSD-004-B-1, HSD-001-A-1, and HSD-010-B-1)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expanding access to childcare for working-class families, getting them off the waitlist and into the Seattle\u2019s Child Care Assistance Program (DEEL-001-A)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restoring funding to support services for people trying to access public assistance (HSD-022-A) and free tax preparation services (HSD-005-A)\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reducing and delaying layoffs<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reducing the number of proposed layoffs of City staff and delaying layoffs for the remaining positions by six months to create a stronger transition\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restoring full funding for original programming and staff positions at the Seattle Channel (<a href=\"https:\/\/council.seattle.gov\/2024\/11\/13\/council-announces-details-on-plans-to-save-seattle-channel-programming-create-plan-for-continued-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more info<\/a>)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And much, much more.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>* Information in parentheses denotes the Council Budget Action number<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s next<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Seattle City Council will take a final vote on all budget legislation on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held at Seattle City Hall and streamed live via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattle.gov\/council\/watch-council-live\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Seattle Channel<\/a>.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em># # #<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false}}