Seattle City Budget
Harrell Swipes Affordable Housing Dollars to Backfill Budget, Reduce Service Cuts
Under the budget for the next two years proposed by Mayor Bruce Harrell, around half of the JumpStart funding originally earmarked for affordable housing and other investments would instead fund Harrell Administration priorities.
Policy Lab: Tax the Filthy, Stinking Rich
Seattle has a $258 million budget deficit to solve. Mayor Bruce Harrell said he rejects notions of austerity. Good for him! I’m here to help. Let’s chart a way out of this crisis that doesn’t involve slashing services and laying off city workers.
Op-Ed: Councilmember Rivera Plans To Defund the Equitable Development Initiative
Councilmember Maritza Rivera aims to raid the money allocated to Seattle's Equitable Development Initiative. Here’s what you can do to fight this budget raid.
Seattle Police Contract Passes Despite Limited Accountability Measures, Budget Hit
With a 24% raise and backpay, Seattle police officers are collectively earning an extra $96 million in compensation from the City in 2024. City leaders hope to spur hiring, but the contract did little to increase police accountability and blew a bigger hole in the City's quarter-billion-dollar budget deficit.
Policy Lab: Will Last Progressive in Seattle Turn On the Lights
Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson celebrated a shift to the right and an end to "ideological experimentation." But progressives are pioneering lots of innovative ideas and should be stockpiling programs for friendlier climes. What are yours?
Seattle Leaders Eye JumpStart Housing Funds to Close $230 Million Budget Hole
Mayor Harrell and the city council are contemplating budget cuts and raiding JumpStart payroll tax revenue to address a $230 million budget deficit. But nonprofit leaders are warning of the impact of reducing affordable housing funding.
$230 Million Deficit Hangs Over Annual Harrell Speech
In his state of the city speech Tuesday, Harrell eschewed new taxes and promised yet-to-be identified budget cuts. He pledged a long-delayed draft of the Seattle Comprehensive Plan and an incentive package for office-to-housing conversions will be released in March.
Op-Ed: The Seattle Police Department Has an Efficiency Problem
SPD’s refusal to offload low-priority calls is undermining its ability to solve serious crimes.
Over recent decades, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has increasingly handled...