The Seattle City Council is set to vote on compromise hiring incentive legislation hoped to break a stalemate on Seattle Police funding and give City Hall more flexibility in recruiting new police officers and other “hard-to-fill city jobs.”

Sponsored by West Seattle’s Lisa Herbold, the legislation up for a final vote Tuesday afternoon would change city rules to allow departments to more easily pay moving expenses for recruits for jobs like police officers, carpenters, truck drivers, The bill also allows SPD to spend funds already in its budget to help with those expenses for new police hires and to add a police recruiter to SPD, among other things.

It comes amid increased attention and skepticism around the bonuses. CHS reported here on the council’s earlier decision to approve hiring bonuses doled out by former Mayor Jenny Durkan’s unsuccessful order attempting to boost SPD’s ranks as she left office. A City Hall report examining the use of hiring bonuses for city jobs including Seattle Police officers called the incentives “a one-time quick fix” that may not help keep people in the hard to fill jobs while also risking alienation of those already in the positions.

Herbold’s proposal approved by a council committee earlier this month would lift a 2022 budget proviso allowing SPD to spend $1.15 million from unfilled positions to pay hiring incentives. Citywide Councilmember Sara Nelson had been advocating to free up the estimated more than $4 million in unspent SPD budget from unfilled positions. Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office had also been pursuing its own plan for freeing up the funds.

The Seattle Times reports the amended ordinance includes up to $350,000 for a “national ad campaign to market police officer positions to potential candidates,” and up to $150,000 to pay for a national search to hire a permanent chief of police.

Last week, Harrell announced the 14-member search committee to identify candidates to lead the Seattle Police Department. It includes Seattle City Council President Debora Juarez and Councilmember Lisa Herbold and a mix of city, business, and community representatives including former SPD chief and city council candidate, police reform advocate Jim Pugel. CHS reported here on the search including Mayor Harrell’s championing of current Interim Chief Adrian Diaz to apply for the job.

Meanwhile, the full council is also expected to vote on a resolution from Nelson supporting SPD’s development of a “staffing incentive program” and stating “the Council’s intent to consider lifting a proviso allowing SPD to spend money in its budget to fund the program.”

Amid a nationwide challenge for employers, SPD hiring and staffing projections continue to trail goals from Harrell and SPD leadership to reverse what they say are dangerous trends in the number of officers available to patrol the city.

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