The Seattle City Council finalized its changes to the 2023 budget Monday including ending a short-lived experiment by returning the city’s parking enforcement officers to the Seattle Police Department.

CHS reported here on the spending constricted package from council budget chair Teresa Mosqueda who called the spending plan an “anti-austerity” approach to “keeping our community cared for and housed, connected and resilient, and healthy and safe” despite a predicted downturn in city tax revenues.

Mayor Bruce Harrell also saw his plan for a new Unified Care Team that will help maintain “clean and accessible Seattle neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces” including sweeping encampments and clearing tents from public spaces like parks make it through the budget process intact.

But there were changes including a significant shift moving JumpStart tax revenue back to its initial purpose of addressing the city’s resiliency and homelessness crisis including an important cost of living adjustments planned for salaries for workers at human service providers that will nearly double the $15.5 million the mayor was aiming to spend.

The council highlighted its passed amendments to the Harrell budget in a statement Monday night:

A detailed summary of what is in the final package can be found here, but some highlights include:

• Human service provider inflationary wage increases to stay true to previously passed legislation and ensure our city’s domestic violence, homelessness, and food security providers do not fall further behind;
• Funding the Seattle Fire Department emergency response capacity by funding the medic unit at Fire Station 26 and the ladder truck at Fire Station 27 to continue to serve West Seattle and South Park;
• $20 million 2023 and 2024 in Equitable Development Initiative projects that advance economic opportunity, prevent displacement, and meet community needs with developments that include things like housing, childcare, space for small business, cultural and community space;
• Nearly $20 million in 2023 and 2024 for Green New Deal investments including nearly $4 million in investments to create community climate resilience hubs, $3.7 million for indigenous-led sustainability projects, and $1.8 million to community-led environmental justice projects in 2023. Amendments made to further align GND Oversight Board priorities.
• Created a combined total of $1.5 million in 2023 for abortion care to ensure access to comprehensive reproductive care for uninsured individuals in Seattle;
• An historic $253 million investment into the Office of Housing for affordable housing – that is a near $50 million increase over last budget for building affordable rental housing, more supportive services, and first-time homeownership opportunities, only made possible by JumpStart – and that amount is just for 2023, with an increase in 2024; and
• Includes a combined $4 million in mental health investments across the biennium for youth mental health needs in partnership with the Mayor’s office, begin the path towards meeting student needs and demands.

Still, the process isn’t quite complete. The full council will vote on the final budget proposal the week of November 28th.

Mayor Harrell can then choose to approve the budget, veto it, or let it become law without mayoral signature. He must veto the entire budget or none of it. Even then, the council can override the veto as it did with Mayor Jenny Durkan in 2020 as the sides clashed over reduced police spending.

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