The Seattle City Council is in the midst of deliberating how to spend $9.1 billion next year, and the councilmember who represents most of Fremont is leading the process.
District 6 Councilmember Dan Strauss chairs the council’s Select Budget Committee. The committee is reviewing Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposed 2027-2028 budget released Sept. 22.
The budget pays for police and fire, parks, libraries, arts grants, and much more. But most of that money is spoken for. Utility bills, voter-approved levies, and grants all have to be spent on specific purposes.
$2 billion of the budget is general fund money the council can freely move around, according to the mayor’s office. The city is also closing a $175 million general fund deficit. Thus new spending in one area usually means cuts somewhere else.
“My focus in this budget is safety, affordability, and stability,” Strauss said in a council news release. He also said he has concerns about proposed cuts to CARE Community Crisis Responders and the Seattle Fire Department.
Fremont Fridays in the budget news
Marshall Hugh of Fremont Fridays, the summer Friday night music and arts series, has urged followers to sign an open letter led by artist Julie Chang Schulman. It asks the council to move $8 million of the mayor’s proposed $68 million Seattle Police Department increase into arts grants.
The letter argues that city-funded arts events during the World Cup summer helped make neighborhoods safer. More than 800 people and 115 organizations had signed as of Oct. 5, KIRO 7 reported.
Not everyone agrees. Councilmember Bob Kettle said in a Sept. 28 statement that the mayor’s police funding doesn’t go far enough. The mayor’s proposal does include increases for some arts grants and arts education, KIRO 7 and The Stranger reported.
How to comment on the city budget
There are three ways to chime in: at committee meetings, at public hearings, or by email. The first hearing has passed, but these dates remain:
- Committee meetings with public comment: Oct. 13, Oct. 27, and Nov. 13 at 9:30 a.m.
- Public hearing, Nov. 5: remote comment starts at 1 p.m., in-person comment at 5 p.m. at City Hall
- Final vote, Nov. 20: public comment at 1 p.m.
Sign up to speak remotely on the council’s public comment page. To speak in person, sign in at Council Chambers at least 15 minutes early.
Email Strauss at dan.strauss@seattle.gov or all nine councilmembers at council@seattle.gov with written comments anytime.
New to all this and want to learn more? Start with the council’s Budget Basics page.
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