Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell delivered his first budget address and transmitted his 2023-2024 Proposed Budget to the Seattle City Council. This is the first biennial budget since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emphasizing the importance of essential services provided by the City, Mayor Harrell delivered his speech at the City’s Charles Street Vehicle Maintenance Facility in front of City employees who serve the people of Seattle every day. Responding to a $140 million revenue gap, the budget proposal focuses on addressing the urgent needs of Seattle’s communities, getting the basics right, and delivering the essential city services that residents expect as we continue to build One Seattle.
READ: Mayor Harrell’s One Seattle Budget Speech Remarks as Prepared
WATCH: Mayor Harrell Delivers One Seattle Budget Proposal
EXPLORE: Budget Summary and Full Proposed Budget
“After two very long pandemic years, today we stand at a pivotal moment in our city’s history. It’s at this intersection of change and challenge where we know the investments we make in this One Seattle budget proposal can chart Seattle’s course for years to come,” said Mayor Harrell. “Our guiding principle is how best to meet the urgent needs of our communities and empower our employees to deliver essential services. I’m proud to say that we’re able to propose a budget that sustains the high-quality City services our residents expect, protects critical staffing, and makes smart funding decisions to address community priorities including safety, homelessness, access to opportunity, and more.”
The proposal makes key investments in creating safe, healthy, and thriving communities by supporting efforts to deliver effective public safety, build affordable housing and address the homelessness crisis, and drive opportunity and equity for all. This budget responds to the City’s ongoing and long-term revenue gap, balancing immediate priorities with the resources available while also identifying improvements and efficiencies.
Select highlights include:
- Increasing Seattle Fire Department’s recruitment class by 50% for 2023 and funding the Comprehensive Police Recruitment and Retention Plan
- Adding victims’ advocates to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes
- Funding an additional $4.5 million in community safety solutions and the Regional Peacekeepers Collective, as part of a $47 million overall investment in the Human Services Department to support safe communities
- Reestablishment of the Park Ranger Program through the Parks District and $2 million to fund programs exploring 911 response diversification
- Nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to support affordable housing – an unprecedented investment toward addressing the city’s housing and homelessness crises
- Investments to maintain thousands of shelter units and creation of additional options, including tiny homes and safe lots
- $88 million investment in the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to support outreach, shelter, and other critical programs
- $13 million for the City’s Unified Care Team – supporting ongoing efforts to ensure a clean city and transition from a citywide focus to geographically-based teams, providing tailored support to neighborhoods
- $5 million to support bonuses for Seattle’s 4,600 childcare workers serving over 20,000 Seattle kids and $5 million to support future generations of kids and educators through UW’s Rainier Valley Early Learning Campus
- $17 million dollars to support small businesses and economic revitalization programs through the Office of Economic Development
- A pilot program for the mayor’s Healthy Seattle Initiative, helping connect vulnerable residents to needed health care
- Over $20 million toward Green New Deal investments and the One Seattle Climate Justice Agenda, supporting a clean energy economy, good jobs, climate resilient communities, and pollution reduction
- Investments in a Tree Equity and Resilience Plan, increasing tree planting capacity, and greening of industrial properties
- $8 million to make traveling safer for our most vulnerable residents by funding Vision Zero projects in busy corridors like Rainier Ave S and Aurora Ave N
More information on key budget priorities for 2023-2024 can be found in fact sheets below:
- Public Safety
- Housing and Homelessness
- Access to Opportunity
- Healthy Communities
- Climate and Environment
- Safe and Reliable Transportation
- Parks District
The proposed budget includes approximately $7.4 billion in appropriations overall, including $1.6 billion in General Fund. Explore the Mayor’s 2023-2024 Proposed Budget here.
