Public hearing taking place Tuesday for Seattle residents to comment on Katie Wilson’s budget proposal

A public hearing is happening Tuesday on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposed two-year budget.

The $9.1 billion plan includes 50 million dollars in cuts. It would also cap police staffing at levels Councilmember Bob Kettle said could leave Seattle with about 1,100 deployable officers by the end of 2028.

Wilson’s budget priorities are shelter and homelessness response, public safety and Vision Zero, food access, affordable housing, and support for youth, immigrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ+ community, according to a blog post.

Wilson says Seattle budget will stay balanced through 2030

Wilson said Tuesday that the city’s budget will be balanced for the first time since the pandemic began and will stay balanced through 2030.

“When I took office, I inherited a General Fund deficit estimated at $175 million,” Wilson stated. “That gap had been growing since the pandemic began, through years of high inflation, as the needs in our city rose while the funding to meet them did not keep pace. For years, that deficit was papered over rather than faced head-on. That ends today.

“We cannot keep lurching from shortfall to shortfall, year after year,” she continued. “We cannot keep kicking the can down the road, because there is no more road. This budget tells the truth about where we are and still dares to point toward where we are going.”

Wilson noted new progressive revenue options, including a local capital gains tax, remain under consideration for the future but are not included in this year’s budget plan.

Amazon expressed support for Wilson’s budget in a statement to KIRO Newsradio, backing the mayor’s focus on using existing resources more effectively.

“We appreciate Mayor Wilson putting forward a budget that focuses on making use of existing resources,” a spokesperson stated. “Like Mayor Wilson, we believe the city’s first priority should be making sure those resources are used effectively and deliver results for residents.”

Budget proposal would cut 128 full-time city positions

Wilson’s proposal would cut 128 full-time city positions. She said all but 15 are vacant.

“I do not say that number lightly as the people in those filled positions, each with a family budget of their own, navigate their options,” Wilson said. “I am not touching this city’s reserves. We live in Seattle — there’s always rain in the forecast. That is the discipline.”

$183 million for homelessness programs and funding to enforce rental junk fee ban

Wilson’s budget proposal includes $183 million for homelessness programs, with $37 million for new shelter capacity. She vowed to add nearly 1,000 shelter beds by the end of 2027, enough to serve approximately 1,750 people per year.

“Seattle deserves affordable and abundant housing,” Wilson said.

The budget also funds enforcement of Seattle’s new ban on rental junk fees. Wilson said renters deserve clear and predictable housing costs.

“Renters deserve to know what their monthly rent is going to be, so they can find a home they can afford,” she stated.

Police hiring and public safety funding

Wilson wants to fully fund the current Seattle Police Department (SPD) hiring plan, allowing the department to reach 1,250 police officers. She said that is 66 more than this year’s budget allotted.

Her proposal also called for spending $100 million a year on efforts such as community safety, violence prevention, and survivor services.

Seattle Center upgrades include $500,000 for security

Wilson’s budget includes $3 million for upgrades at Seattle Center, plus $500,000 for security upgrades.

The proposal comes two months after the deadly Bite of Seattle shooting, which Wilson did not mention directly in her budget address.

Transportation budget would close $110 million deficit, Wilson says

Wilson said her proposed budget would close a projected three-year, $110 million transportation fund deficit without affecting voter-approved transportation levy projects.

“I will not pretend that that is painless,” she said. “Some maintenance projects will experience delays, and my office will be working closely with SDOT to right-size projects to current resources and streamline effective delivery of these complicated capital programs.”

The budget maintains funding for transit speed and reliability improvements, neighborhood traffic-calming projects, pedestrian safety work, and upgrades along Aurora Ave. N and Rainier Ave. S.

The hearing begins at 1 p.m., starting with remote public comment. In-person public comment begins at 5 p.m. at Seattle City Hall.

Contributing: Frank Lenzi, KIRO Newsradio

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