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Hello Neighbors,
We are officially halfway through our City's budget cycle! This is my regular email during budget season to make sure you are getting up-to-date and accessible information about this process.
Today's email will include:
💰 My proposed amendments to the Mayor's budget
🗓 Schedule for Budget Deliberations (so you can tune in for the departments you're most interested in hearing about!)
🔍 New tool from our Central Communications staff to demystify the budget process
🔊 Upcoming Public Hearing opportunities
As always, if you have any questions or if there is anything my office can assist you with, please reach out.
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My Proposed Amendments for the
2023-24 Budget
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Throughout my professional life, I have worked on the front lines of addressing displacement in low-income neighborhoods, ensuring food access for vulnerable people, and building healthy neighborhoods where families can truly thrive. As someone who was raised by a single mom who always worked two jobs, I understand the stake that families across our city have in this budget cycle. Too many people have struggled hard these past two years and continue to experience frustration and anxiety. Whether it's the climate crisis, finding childcare, or being able to put food on the table, there's no shortage of issues that we as elected officials are tasked with solving.
These past two years on Council, I've worked to address the root causes of poverty, mental illness, and crime.
Each year, I've secured funding to support restorative justice programming in our schools, gun violence prevention in partnership with King County, invest in job growth and workforce development, provide public health services such as street sinks and trash pickup at encampments, strengthen commercial and residential tenant protections, and improve our streets & sidewalks to ensure safety for all who use them. Our city is experiencing increased crime and community safety issues - as is every major city across the country. That's why my focus this budget cycle will continue to be to do no harm; to focus on real solutions that can prevent problems; and to work toward systemic changes that can build alternatives.
This year, we face a $140 million deficit that is projected to increase in the coming years. As we begin deliberations, Council will focus on how we invest in our communities while balancing the budget. Here are some of the amendments I'm proposing this year:
- $9.4 Million to fund a Services and Shelter Gap for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA).
- Context: The Mayor's 2023-24 proposed budget discontinues funding provided to shelters, day centers, rapid rehousing, and diversion programs that have been provided for the last two years to make service delivery safer and more person-centered. Without this funding, these services would be cut entirely and people will have even fewer safe options for getting off the streets.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Pedersen and Lewis
- $3.6 Million to fund traffic calming and home zones in areas most affected by vehicular violence. This money would come from traffic camera revenues.
- Context: For the past three years, nearly half of all traffic deaths that occur on Seattle streets occur in District 2. Last year, 56% of traffic deaths occurred in Southeast Seattle. Pedestrians are increasingly dying for simply attempting to move around the city by walking, rolling, or biking. This funding is urgent and critical to decrease traffic collisions and fatalities.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Pedersen and Lewis
- $2.5 Million to sustain a Green Building Tradesperson Apprenticeship Program
- Context: This funding would expand and continue pre-apprenticeship scholarships, and create a Green Housing Construction Tradesperson Apprenticeship Program
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Strauss and Lewis
- $1.5 Million for the design and development of JazzHouse, an affordable housing development in Northern Rainier Valley that will include JazzED youth music education programming on the first 2 floors.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Lewis and Herbold
- $1.3 Million to create protected bike lanes across the South end
- Context: This funding would replace plastic bollards that are currently used for protected bike lanes with concrete barriers to ensure maximal safety across D2.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Lewis and Strauss
- $1 Million to support the capital costs of the new Station Space at King Street Station which will become an arts incubator for BIPOC youth
- Context: This funding would support Totem Star, Red Eagle Soaring, and the Rhapsody Project as they create their new homes at King Street Station.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Herbold and Lewis
- $500K to support abortion access in the City of Seattle
- Context: This is one-time funding to provide public health funding for abortion care in Seattle.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Herbold and Strauss
- $500K for the creation of a mixed-income municipal housing administration team and fund
- Context: These funds would create a Municipal Housing Administration Team of 4 full-time employees to oversee a number of functions related to real estate services in the development of permanently affordable mixed-income cross-subsidized housing by a public developer.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Lewis and Pedersen
- $440K for two full-time street outreach workers designated to the CID neighborhood
- Context: This funding request comes in partnership with the Friends of Little Saigon, CID business owners, service providers, and mutual aid groups. Community members spent the last year creating a Neighborhood Safety Model proposal based off successful outreach models from REACH to address the lack of behavioral health support and the need for de-escalation services in the neighborhood. These funds would support two FTEs for two years to perform dedicated outreach and provide referrals for people experiencing homelessness and mental health crises in the Chinatown-International District.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Herbold and Lewis
- $250K for Phase Two of launching a Community Investment Trust (CIT) in the city of Seattle.
- Context: A CIT strengthens communities by offering a path to collective and communal ownership of real estate. Our office has been working to build up this model in the City of Seattle for the past year and is currently in Phase 2 of the project. This one-time investment would create equity, financial inclusion, economic revitalization, and generational wealth-building for BIPOC and other underserved communities.
- Co-Sponsors: Councilmembers Lewis and Strauss
People deserve a budget to address their ability to live, work, and play in this city they call home. This budget cycle will determine whether the city spends money on treating the symptoms of the issues our city faces or its root causes. As we begin our deliberations on Tuesday, I hope to engage in a robust discussion with my colleagues on the ways we can provide holistic services, ensure the health and safety of all residents, and build thriving neighborhoods that lead to shared prosperity for south end communities.
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Schedule for Budget Deliberations
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This week, we will be in all-day budget committee meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Tuesday 10/25: We start off with some of our smaller departments on Tuesday, covering the budgets of: Office of Arts and Culture, the City Auditor's Office, Seattle Center, Department of Education and Early Learning, Finance General, Seattle IT, Office of Emergency Management, Office of Housing, Office of Intergovernmental Relations, Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Office of Labor Standards, Waterfront, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, and the Mayor's Office.
- Public Comment at 9:30AM: Sign up to provide remote or in-person public comment. The portal to sign-up will open at 7:30AM.
- 🚨 This will be the only public comment period for the week so you can address any department or issue during this time. There will also be two public hearings in November.
Wednesday 10/26: We get into the Department of Neighborhoods, Finance and Administrative Services, Office of Economic Development, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Planning and Community Development, Office of Sustainability and Environment, Department of Construction and Inspections, Seattle Fire Department, and Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Thursday 10/27: On this last day, we will be covering the budgets of the Community Safety Communications Center, the Human Services Department, Seattle Department of Transportation, and the Seattle Police Department.
☕️ Suffice to say, I will have a tall glass of water and coffee ready each day.
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Demystifying the Budget Process
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The new site, launched by City Council’s communications division in partnership with Budget Chair Mosqueda, creates a more streamlined visual of the City Budget process. As you scroll through, you will notice details on how and when people in Seattle can participate in the budget process itself. The City Council is currently between “Step 2: Budget Hearings” and “Step 3: Budget Deliberations.”
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Participating in the Budget Process
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Mark your calendars: There are 2 remaining Public Hearing opportunities during this budget cycle:
- Tuesday, November 8 at 9:30 AM
- Tuesday, November 15 at 5:00 PM
Written public comment will also be accepted at all meetings of the Budget Committee. Comments intended for the full council can be sent to council@seattle.gov.
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Our office is working to keep you, our constituents, and the general public, up to date with the budget process. For more regular updates, please feel free to check out our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. These social media channels provide more frequent updates and opportunities to engage.
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Tammy J. Morales
Seattle City Councilmember, District 2
(206) 684-8802
tammy.morales@seattle.gov
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