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Seattle City Council holds public hearing on 2025 budget

The Seattle City Council will host the first of two public hearings on the 2025 budget Wednesday evening.

CHS reported here on Mayor Bruce Harrell’s budget proposal which leans heavily on the JumpStart tax and City Hall job cuts to overcome a $250 budget deficit from growing costs related to inflation and soaring wages.

Council staff analysis shows a belt-tightening plan for the next two years that would shift to focus on new workers at Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light and new officers in the Seattle Police Department while reducing headcount in the Seattle Department of Human Resources, Finance and Administrative Services, Department of Construction and Inspections, and the city’s Information Technology department.

The council is now taking public comment and forming its amendments to shape the final budget across issues large and small.

The 2025 budget gap has been looming. A review of the city’s spending showed the city is facing the same pressures as the rest of the nation when it comes to ballooning costs. A city audit reveled nearly 80% of Seattle’s $1.7 billion budget increase is due to inflation and soaring wages. New programs accounted for only 19% of the jump with the remaining two percent of spending being powered by one-time revenue injections like federal aid during the pandemic.

Seattle has seen continued cost increases with new agreement on higher wages for its workers and a new deal with 23% raises for its police officers.

Officials have been eyeing revenue from the city’s JumpStart tax on its largest employers as a potential source to patch the hole. More than $200 million in JumpStart tax dollars were earmarked for affordable housing and human services in the city’s 2024 budget.

Under president Sara Nelson, the current council has closely aligned with the mayor’s policies and initiatives and is not expected to make significant changes to the administration’s proposed spending package though a few issues like Nelson’s pledge to preserve Seattle Channel spending are likely to be reflected in the final amendments.

The process will run through a final vote planned for November 12th.

City Council to host public hearing on Seattle budget tomorrow at 5 p.m.

 

SEATTLE – The Seattle City Council will host the first of two public hearings on the city’s budget tomorrow, Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. Members of the public are encouraged to participate.

How to participate

People can participate either in person at Seattle City Hall or remotely. In-person participants can use sign-up sheets at the front of Council Chambers to register to speak. People participating remotely should follow the instructions on this webpage.

For those attending in-person, a childcare option will be available. It will be provided by A-List Nanny Services from 4:30 – 7 p.m. Please RSVP via email at [email protected].

Budget Background

Mayor Bruce Harrell transmitted his proposed budget to the Seattle City Council on Sept. 24. Since then, the Council’s Select Budget Committee, chaired by Councilmember Dan Strauss(District 6), has been leading the Council’s process for reviewing and amending that proposal.

A final public hearing will be held on Nov. 12. The Select Budget Committee will then take its final votes on the budget on Nov. 19, followed by a final vote of the City Council on Nov. 21.

View the City Council’s full budget calendar.

 

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LandlordGay
LandlordGay
2 months ago

So in 2026 they’ll spend $700mm more than this year. What problem will be solved or significantly addressed with this additional money?

At this point it seems like accountability is a word our government at all levels no longer knows the meaning of.

Vote Out Sara Nelson
Vote Out Sara Nelson
2 months ago
Reply to  LandlordGay

Start by not giving any to cops

Glenn
Glenn
2 months ago
Reply to  LandlordGay

It looks like that increased spending will be devoted almost entirely to negotiated pay increases for city employees, police officers included.

Recline Of Western Civilization
Recline Of Western Civilization
2 months ago

swear to god police is the only thing in the world that can fail and fail and fail and just get it’s budget increased in perpetuity.

Boris
Boris
2 months ago

Homelessness nonprofits seem to do a pretty good job at this too.