Seattle Select Budget Committee Considers 2027-2028 Budget Proposals on October 27, 2026

The Seattle City Council Select Budget Committee, chaired by Dan Strauss, met on October 27, 2026, from 9:30 AM to 2:18 PM to discuss council member budget proposals (Council Budget Actions and Statements of Legislative Intent) for the 2027-2028 biennial budget. The meeting featured extensive public comment from over 70 in-person and remote speakers, followed by the review of 10 initial budget proposals across several city departments. Chair Strauss emphasized that the proposals represent community needs and that a chair's balancing package would be released the following week.

Public Comments & Testimony

• City Attorney Erica Evans expressed strong support for Councilmember Foster's proposal to add $1 million for the city attorney's office to address a backlog of over 5,000 cases, and for Councilmember Kettle's proposals to add four prosecutors and fund DUI testing. She stated that approximately one-third of the backlogged cases are domestic violence related, making timely resolution a survivor safety issue.
• Several speakers representing artists and cultural organizations (including Arts Corps, Seattle Composers Alliance, Town Hall, Theater Off Jackson, Taproot Theater, and Scarecrow Video) urged support for Council President Hollingsworth's $3 million proposal and Councilmember Foster's admission tax proposal for the arts and culture sector. They framed the investment as crucial for the city's economy, identity, and public safety.
• Marsha Wright-Soyka (Family Works) and Susan Boyd (Bellwether Housing) supported Councilmember Rivera's request for $300,000 in capital funding for the Sunbreak Family Resource Center, citing the proven model of pairing affordable housing with deeply supportive services that generate $4 in public value for every $1 invested.
• Representatives from the Seattle Human Services Coalition, PDA, Evergreen Treatment Services, and Plymouth Housing strongly advocated for Councilmember Lynn's proposal for a 3% wage equity increase for human services contractors. They noted a 37% pay gap compared to other sectors, arguing it is essential for retaining skilled staff and ensuring quality of care.
• Speakers from the Transit Riders Union, Housing Justice Project, and Seattle Renters Commission supported Council President Hollingsworth's amendment to add $500,000 for tenant services, stressing that eviction prevention is a key strategy to combat homelessness. One speaker noted their organization can only help 10% of those who call for assistance.
• Kate Garvey (King County Sexual Assault Resource Center) and Amarintheotoris (Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence) urged support for Councilmember Rink's $8 million budget amendment for gender-based violence prevention, accountability, and survivor services.
• Lars Erickson (Seattle Metro Chamber) supported Councilmember Foster's and Kettle's proposals for the City Attorney's Office backlog, citing a business climate survey where nearly two-thirds of respondents identified public safety as a major challenge and 70% said improved safety would make them more likely to invest in Seattle.
• Multiple speakers (Zach McCarty, Jonathan Gonzalez, Gordon Pedelford) opposed a proposed $1.25 million cut to the Safe Routes to School program, arguing that revenue from school speed cameras should be reinvested into pedestrian and bike safety infrastructure rather than backfilling other budget holes.
• Eleonora Arakaki (Friends of Little Saigon) requested restoration of the SAIL fund to continue safety and activation investments, noting over 2,500 people attended events in Huamai Park supported by the fund.
• Carlos Ortiz and Kelly O'Brien Burford (Nicholsville participants) requested $500,000 for tenant protections and $300,000 for a new Nicholsville Tiny House Village, contrasting the cost of a village with the salary of one police officer.
• Hamdi Abdulle (African Community Housing and Development) requested $3 million under OPCD to support the Seattle International Public Market in South Delridge, describing it as an anti-displacement and economic development strategy.
• Commenters also raised concerns about police accountability, the need for trans refugee funding, and broader grievances regarding city spending priorities.

Discussion Items

• Process and Overview: Director Lish Whitson and Calvin Chow from Central Staff outlined the process for reviewing 36 proposals that day across 16 departments. Chair Strauss set firm procedural rules for debate, indicating that over 170 total proposals would be heard over three days. He stated he would look at co-sponsorships to gauge priority and noted the budget has a structural deficit.
• Seattle Municipal Court (SMC 1A1): Councilmember Kettle sponsored an amendment restoring $410,000 and 2.0 FTE for an information technology professional and a manager. He argued these positions are necessary to support court functions for programs like the automated traffic camera system, which create unfunded mandates for the court.
• City Attorney's Office:
  • LAW 1A1 (Foster): A $1 million one-time appropriation to address the criminal case backlog. Councilmember Foster stated 33% of the backlog involves domestic violence, elder abuse, assault, or stalking cases, and the funds would help ensure the statute of limitations doesn't expire on valid cases.
  • LAW 2A1 (Kettle): A $562,000 (2027) and $715,000 (2028) increase for 4.0 new Assistant City Prosecutor FTEs. Councilmember Kettle framed this as complementary to Foster's surge funding to prevent a new backlog. Councilmember Juarez spoke in strong support, detailing persistent gun violence on the Aurora Avenue corridor.
  • LAW 3A1 (Kettle): A $277,000 annual increase for toxicology testing and witness travel to support prosecutions under the state's new DUI law.
  • Vice Chair Rivera asked Chair Strauss for clarity on how co-sponsorship would influence the chair's package, given the uncertainty of total funding availability. Chair Strauss responded that no decision had been made, but that consensus and co-sponsorship would be heavily weighted in his balancing calculations.
• Office for Civil Rights:
  • OCR 1A1 (Rink): $50,000 one-time for the Seattle Human Rights Commission to establish an 'affected person's work group.' This group would develop recommendations for supporting individuals and families who have suffered life-altering injuries or lost a family member due to an interaction with the Seattle Police Department. Councilmember Kettle supported the concept but urged working with existing accountability partners. Councilmember Rivera expressed concern about potentially bifurcating the existing accountability system.
  • OCR 2A1 (Juarez): $30,000 annually for contracted facilitation and interpretation services for the Seattle Disability Commission, whose budget was cut in half in the mayor's proposal.
  • OCR Temporary (Foster): Legislation to restrict the use of do-not-solicit penalty revenue for specific community benefit uses, directing funds back to communities negatively impacted by the practice.
• Office of Labor Standards:
  • OLS 1A1 (Rink): $192,000 (2027) and $194,000 (2028) to restore a policy analyst FTE proposed for elimination in the mayor's budget. Councilmember Rink stated the OLS has recovered nearly $70 million for over 120,000 workers since its inception.
  • OLS 2A1 (Rink): $120,000 one-time for outreach and education on the newly updated Domestic Workers Ordinance, ensuring workers and employers are aware of their new rights and responsibilities.
• Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA 1A1): Councilmember Juarez sponsored $300,000 annually for the Refugee Artisans Initiative (RAI). She detailed the organization's growth, noting it has generated $1.7 million in income for refugee women artisans and currently has a waitlist of over 320 women despite having produced over 167,000 upcycled products since 2017.

Key Outcomes

• The committee formally heard and discussed 10 budget proposals (CBAs and SLIs) during Session I, allowing sponsors to make their case and colleagues to ask questions.
• Co-sponsorships were formally recorded for each proposal. Chair Strauss stated he would use co-sponsorship levels as one metric among several in developing the Chair's Balancing Package.
• No formal votes were taken on the proposals today; they will be considered for inclusion in the Chair's Balancing Package, which is scheduled to be released the following week and reviewed at a subsequent public hearing.
• The committee recessed at 12:07 PM and reconvened at 12:55 PM to begin Session II, which covered remaining departments (Office of Housing, OPCD, Finance General, SDCI, OSE, DEEL, DON, SCL, SPU, ITD, FAS).
• Chair Strauss committed to a transparent process, pledging to publish the balancing package with enough time for the public to read it before the public hearing.