Mayor Durkan's Proposed 2020 Budget
Friends and Partners,
Today, Mayor Jenny Durkan is releasing her 2020 Proposed Budget. In the second year of the two-year budget biennium, this budget maintains core services while at the same time increasing investments in priorities like public safety, affordable housing, homelessness, transit and transportation safety, and opportunity and jobs for Seattle’s young people.
The following is a summary of the Office of Sustainability & Environment’s key changes in the 2020 Proposed Budget:
Reducing Hunger and Improving Health for Seattle Residents
In 2020, an additional $2,000,000 is provided to expand the Fresh Bucks voucher program, supported by new revenue from the Sweetened Beverage Tax. These additional funds triple the number of eligible residents for the voucher component of the program to 6,000 recipients, for a total of over 12,000 served by all Fresh Bucks services. The voucher program is a key element of the Fresh Bucks Program's strategy to reach residents who experience food insecurity but do not qualify for other food assistance programs.
Building on Success of Municipal Building Energy Efficiency Program
While emissions from our City owned building stock have been trending steadily downward, Mayor Durkan’s 2018 Climate Action Strategy called for an overall 40 percent energy and carbon emissions reduction in municipal buildings by 2025. To meet this ambitious goal, two new positions are added to the Citywide Municipal Building Energy Efficiency Program team.
Heating Homes with Clean Electricity
Pending legislative action, the City will impose a new tax on residential heating oil to reduce carbon emissions and increase programmatic support to help homeowners convert from oil heat to clean electric heat pumps. The City estimates that about 18,000 homes rely on oil heating within the city limits and this program expansion is projected to convert most households to electric heat pumps by 2028.
Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s proposed budget. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Monday, November 25. More information about details in the budget can be found at www.seattle.gov/budget and you can also direct any questions to jenny.durkan@seattle.gov.
Thank you again for your ongoing partnership,
Jessica Finn Coven, Director
Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment
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