Budget Process

City Budget Office & Department Presentations

The City’s Budget Office presents details on the Mayor’s proposed budget to the Council on Sept. 30, 2020. You can view CBO’s presentation here.  Councilmembers are able to ask questions of various City Departments. This year, Council focused on the following City departments and issues:

• Dept. of Education and Early Learning (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Office of Sustainability and Environment (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Seattle Economic Development (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Seattle Police Department (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Reimagining Community Safety (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Seattle Municipal Courts (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Citywide Homelessness Response (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Office of Housing (View Presentation | Watch Recording)
• Seattle Department of Transportation (View Presentation | Watch Recording) 
• Seattle Parks and Recreation (View Presentation | Watch Recording)

Public Hearing #1

The Council’s first public hearing is an opportunity to hear from the community about their priorities. Sign up for Public Comment starting at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, October 6.

Issue Identification

During issue identification, Council's policy exports present an independent analysis of budget issues flagged for discussion, and presents initial budget proposals submitted by Councilmembers.

Public Hearing #2

The Council’s second public hearing is an opportunity to hear from the community about their priorities. Sign up for Public Comment starting at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, October 27.

Council Budget Actions & Statements of Legislative Intent

During this time, Councilmembers officially propose their budget ideas. These happen in two formats:

Council Budget Action: a mechanism to modify the Mayor’s proposed budget to increase or decrease revenues; increase or decrease expenditures for specific programs; increase or decrease staff positions; add or delete a Capital Improvement Project; increase or decrease funding for a Capital Improvement Project; impose a budget proviso on an appropriation

Statement of Legislative Intent: gives guidance on city policy; explains an action, such as providing the rationale for a budget cut.

During committee, Councilmembers discuss in open session their budget proposals, and learn through open discussions whether they have support from their Council colleagues.

Chair's Package

Budget Chair Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda will present the Chair’s Package, crafted after considering her colleagues’ proposals and considering the Council’s shared priorities and values.

Chair's Package

After the chair presents her budget package, Councilmembers are able to offer amendments. However, if Councilmembers want to propose additional changes to the Chair’s package, those proposed changes must be self balancing. In other words, if they’re requesting additional dollars toward a certain program, department, initiative or capital project, they must also propose a cut from elsewhere in the budget.

Once all amendments are considered, Council will vote the entire budget package out of committee, and refer it to the Full City Council meeting.

Council Vote

The Seattle City Council is expected to take its final vote on the budget on Nov. 23.