This Week in the Budget This week there are no meetings of the Select Budget Committee, as Councilmembers and staff comb through and consider the Proposed 2022 Budget.  The first public hearing is Tuesday, October 12th at 5:30 p.m. Sign up begins at 3:30 p.m. at bit.ly/council-comment.    This is the first of three public hearings. The other […]

This Week in the 2022 Budget On Monday the Mayor, as required by state law, sent a Proposed 2022 budget to the City Council, as well as a Proposed 2022-2027 Capital Improvement Program. Both links allow you to download the entire proposal, or to select a specific department. The Council’s review of the proposed budget began this week, with an overview from […]

Next Week in the Budget  Next week, the City Council will begin the 2022 budget process.  The Council’s process begins after the Mayor presents her proposed 2022 budget on Monday, September 27th.   Beginning on September 29, the Council will begin to meet as the Select Budget Committee to hear presentations from the City Budget Office and some departments.   This […]

West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force Updates The West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force met on September 15, and includes two key updates. First of all, the bridge repair remains on schedule for mid-2022. Secondly, the West Seattle Water taxi will maintain daytime operating hours during the winter, instead of going to the regular winter […]

2022 Budget Meeting Schedule/Process  Consideration of the 2022 budget will begin in a few weeks. The City Council will meet as the Select Budget Committee from September 27 through November 22 to consider and adopt a 2022 budget for the City of Seattle.  Other Council committee meetings will be suspended during this time.  “Select” signifies that it is not a regular committee, and […]

West Seattle Bridge Funding Update On Wednesday, the Transportation and Utilities Committee approved legislation accepting grants to SDOT for transportation projects. The legislation now moves to the Full Council for a final vote. Included are four grants related to the West Seattle Bridge. Two of these grants have been announced before: $11.26 million INFRA grant […]

West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force Update The West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force met on August 12. Bridge Updates First of all, SDOT confirmed the project remains on schedule for completion in mid-2022, and provided an update about how future schedule and cost estimates will be determined. As I’ve explained in past blog posts, […]

Sound Transit Board Action on ST3 Realignment Yesterday the Sound Transit Board took action to adopt a realignment plan framework for the 2016 ST3 ballot measure, which includes West Seattle light rail. Sound Transit currently faces a $6.5 billion affordability gap, so some projects are being delayed. The framework allows for consideration of adjustment if, […]

Sound Transit Board Action on ST3 Realignment Yesterday the Sound Transit Board took action to adopt a realignment plan framework for the 2016 ST3 ballot measure, which includes West Seattle light rail. Sound Transit currently faces a $6.5 billion affordability gap, so some projects are being delayed. The framework allows for consideration of adjustment if, […]

Gun Violence, SPD Budget, Regional Peacekeeper Program The recent uptick in gun violence in our community and being felt across our nation cannot become our new normal. Here and in other big cities across the U.S., the economic and health impacts of COVID-19 have exacerbated deep inequities in our communities, leading to a mental health crisis, […]