Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact Information
Alex Hudson
206-806-1602
Alex.Hudson@seattle.gov

Mayor Wilson Releases 2027-2028 Proposed Budget, Prioritizing Stability, Safety, and Affordability

Balanced budget protects essential services, expands shelter and food access, and invests in public safety, while making disciplined decisions to close an inherited structural deficit

Seattle — A city reveals its values not in what it says, but in where it chooses to invest. That belief sits at the center of Mayor Katie B. Wilson's first proposed budget, transmitted to the Seattle City Council today for the 2027-2028 biennium.

The $9.1 billion total proposed budget for 2027 makes the difficult, disciplined choices needed to make progress toward closing a structural General Fund deficit inherited from prior administrations, while protecting and expanding the services Seattle residents rely on most: shelter and homelessness response, public safety and Vision Zero, food access, affordable housing, and support for youth, immigrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ+ community. It is the first budget since the pandemic began to project four consecutive years of balance, from 2027 through 2030.

"When I took office, I inherited a General Fund deficit estimated at $175 million. That gap had been growing since the pandemic began, through years of high inflation, as the needs in our city rose while the funding to meet them did not keep pace. For years, that deficit was papered over rather than faced head-on," said Mayor Wilson. "That ends today. We cannot keep lurching from shortfall to shortfall, year after year. We cannot keep kicking the can down the road, because there is no more road. This budget tells the truth about where we are and still dares to point toward where we are going."

Read the mayor's budget remarks. 

Closing the Deficit While Protecting Core Services

Since 2020, Seattle’s budget has opened with a projected deficit and closed it with one-time funding, restricted revenues, and temporary measures like hiring freezes. Mayor Wilson's proposed budget breaks that cycle by aligning department budgets to actual spending, eliminating long-vacant positions, and being honest that programs funded with one-time money cannot simply be carried forward as though that money still exists.

This approach results in nearly $50 million in reductions to General Fund spending each year and eliminates 128 full-time positions, 15 of which are currently filled.

"I do not take reductions lightly," said Mayor Wilson. "Every filled position represents a person with a family budget of their own. I made this decision because the alternative was worse, delaying the inevitable would only dig a deeper hole, and lead to deeper cuts."

The proposed budget does not draw down the City's fiscal reserves and continues to make required contributions to the Revenue Stabilization Account, Emergency Fund, and JumpStart Payroll Expense Tax Reserve.

Revenue: Solving for Now, Building Toward the Future

Rather than raising the JumpStart Payroll Expense Tax during a period of economic uncertainty for Seattle's business community, the proposed budget balances primarily through spending discipline, systemic reform, and operational efficiencies. While JumpStart revenue continues to support the General Fund and other essential services, this budget dedicates over 30% of annual JumpStart revenue to affordable housing, a share Mayor Wilson has committed to growing in future years.

Mayor Wilson remains intent on pursuing new progressive revenue options, including a local capital gains tax, but the state timeline for implementing such a tax means it cannot close today's gap.

Bringing People Indoors and Keeping Neighbors Housed

Unsheltered homelessness remains one of the most urgent challenges facing Seattle, and the proposed budget backs Mayor Wilson's recently announced shelter accelerator plan with the resources to deliver it. The budget funds $183 million in ongoing investments to address homelessness, including $37 million to add nearly 1,000 new shelter beds by the end of 2027, serving an estimated 1,750 people annually.

The budget also sustains rental assistance and homelessness prevention investments to help people stay housed in the first place and preserves the Office of Housing's $140.2 million allocation of JumpStart funding, more than 30% of projected 2027 JumpStart revenue, along with a new Housing Ombud position to help affordable housing developers navigate permitting.

"My budget takes on a crisis that has escalated for far too long. It is too easy for people to fall into homelessness and too hard for people to get the care and support needed to get out," said Mayor Wilson. "This budget doesn't promise quick fixes that paper over real problems. It invests in the shelter and services that give people a genuine path to stability, not just a night indoors."

A Comprehensive Approach to Public Safety

The proposed budget funds 1,250 sworn Seatle Police Department positions in each year of the biennium, 66 more than the current year’s budget, while continuing more than $100 million in annual investments in community safety, violence prevention and intervention, diversified emergency response, and survivor services.

The budget also delivers the resources behind Mayor Wilson's newly announced Gun Violence Plan, including a new Director and a new Coordinator of Gun Violence Reduction at the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department, the transfer of community violence intervention contracts to CARE for a more coordinated response, and a new City Attorney's Office position dedicated to Extreme Risk Protection Orders.

"Belonging means feeling safe in your own neighborhood, on your own block, walking to the bus or the park. A city can't thrive if people are scared to enjoy it," said Mayor Wilson. "My budget affirms that public safety is about the essential work of our first responders, and also about prevention, intervention, and upstream investment, so that fewer moments become crises in the first place."

Standing Up for Seattle's Values

The proposed budget puts Seattle's values into practice through direct investment in the communities and residents most affected by rising costs and targeted federal actions. As grocery prices climb and federal food assistance faces cuts, the budget adds $10 million to make permanent the Fresh Bucks expansion and support for food banks and meal delivery programs that were added with one-time funds in 2026. It also guarantees every child in Seattle Public Schools access to free breakfast and lunch at school.

The budget also sustains $4 million in ongoing support for immigrant and refugee communities, including legal defense services and rapid response programs, and makes a new $500,000 ongoing commitment to support queer and trans communities, building on recommendations from the City's Queer and Trans Stabilization Interdepartmental Team.

"Seattle welcomes people fleeing oppression, wherever they are from," said Mayor Wilson. "A city is not measured by how it treats the people already thriving. It is measured by whether the person struggling the most can still look up and see a future that includes them."

Investing in Affordability and Community

Beyond these priorities, the proposed budget supports transit and library hours, nearly doubles recreational scholarships for income-eligible residents, adds 12 new public restrooms across the city, and funds planning for a 2027 bond measure to support the redevelopment of Seattle Center. It also funds enforcement of the City's newly signed ban on rental junk fees and implementation of Seattle's first-in-the-nation Fair and Transparent Pricing policy to address algorithmic price discrimination on groceries and essential goods.

"This budget is about the basics that make life in Seattle work: getting to work and school on time, having a library open when you need it, and knowing your kids can play at a park with a restroom nearby," said Mayor Wilson. "These are the investments that keep Seattle affordable and livable for everyone who calls it home."

Next Steps

Mayor Wilson's total proposed budget for 2027 is $9.1 billion across all funds. The General Fund — the City's most flexible revenue source — totals $2 billion, or 22% of the total budget, with more than half of General Fund spending going to public safety services.

The Seattle City Council will review the proposed budget over the next two months, hold public hearings, and consider amendments before a final council vote, typically in late November. The budget must be adopted by early December under state law.

What People Are Saying

Lisa Daugaard, Co-Executive Director, Purpose Dignity Action

“In a very challenging budget year, we applaud Mayor Wilson's approach. Facing an affordability crisis, growing income inequality, a budget cliff, & federal attacks, prioritizing those who rely on City services to meet basic needs is easy to say, but very difficult to do--she has our respect and support.  We are particularly thankful for her bold action to meaningfully expand shelter with strong supportive services--a necessary element in an improved homelessness response.”

Jon Scholes, President and CEO, Downtown Seattle Association

“The mayor’s proposed budget makes important investments in some of Seattle’s most pressing challenges, including public safety, bringing more people indoors and getting better results from the resources we already have. We appreciate the continued focus on rebuilding police staffing through sustained hiring and recognizing the CARE team as an important component of our public safety system as we respond to increasing acuity in our communities. The proposed budget also expands shelter capacity and builds on proven models, including the piloted Streets-to-Housing initiative, weaving that approach into a broader strategy to help more people move off the streets and toward stability.

Just as important, the proposed budget recognizes the economic environment Seattle is operating in. At a time when our economy and employers face stiff headwinds, not layering on additional business taxes is important and a helpful signal to the business community. That fiscal discipline, coupled with a focus on making existing resources work harder and deliver better results, is important for Seattle’s long-term health.”

Lam Ho, General Manager, Transit Riders Union

“We thank Mayor Wilson for delivering a thoughtful, resourceful budget that provides real improvements for transit riders. In a difficult deficit year, Mayor Wilson made necessarily tough choices so that her budget still expands transit service, still strengthens funding for transportation safety, and still invests in the critical needs of the workers and families that rely on transit every day. Combined with a bolder, bigger Seattle Transit Measure renewal, she’s giving Seattle nearly 100,000 more hours of bus service and free transit to over 20,000 low‑income residents. This is the kind of needed strong leadership that will keep our city moving forward.”

Rob Johnson, Executive Director, Seattle Center Foundation

“The Seattle Center Foundation wants to thank Mayor Wilson for prioritizing the cultural heart of our city in her 2027 budget proposal. As we prepare for a 2027 ballot measure, this is a long overdue investment to make Seattle Center safer, upgrade critical infrastructure, and better care for Seattle’s preeminent public gathering space. This critical step ensures Seattle Center’s best days are still ahead of it.” 

Appollonia Washington, Central District Public Safety Association, A 4 Apple Learning Center

“I believe the Mayor’s Office and the Seattle Police Department are moving in the right direction by coming into the community, listening to our concerns, and having honest conversations about public safety. We know public safety is about more than enforcement. It also requires transparency, accountability, prevention, and real partnerships with the people who are directly impacted. I am encouraged by their willingness to listen and work with us, and I hope these conversations continue to lead to meaningful and measurable change in our communities.”

Crystal Lee, Director of School-Based Safety, Community Passageways

“Our young people deserve to know their voices matter. At Community Passageways, we’re committed to showing up for youth and families in Southeast Seattle and being part of the larger community effort to make our neighborhoods safer. We’re seeing the impact of that collective work. Shootings in the Rainier Beach corridor have decreased by 71%. No one organization can take credit we’re one piece of a much larger ecosystem of community organizations, leaders, families, and young people working together. There’s still more work to do, and we appreciate Mayor Wilson for listening to our young people, recognizing what has been built in Southeast Seattle, and investing in our Southeast Street Team so this work can continue.”

Alison Eisinger, Executive Director, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness

“Mayor Wilson’s proposed budget demonstrates clear-eyed understanding that many Seattle residents are hard hit by rising costs, economic uncertainty, federal cuts and hostility. Strengthening shelter, food, and other core services is the right thing, and we think Mayor Wilson has made significant, thoughtful investments. I wish there weren’t painful gaps in this budget, but there are. Coming to grips with a huge structural budget deficit requires setting course and taking tough decisions now to get to better future budgets.”

Tsegaye Gebru, Executive Director, Horn of Africa

“For years, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs has partnered with organizations like Horn of Africa and OneAmerica and dedicated immigration attorneys who volunteer their time to host naturalization clinics throughout Seattle. Together, we guide community members through the legal process of becoming U.S. citizens. And with the Mayor’s latest budget announcement reaffirming support for this work, we are reminded that these achievements are a testament to what we can accomplish when we stand united.”

Valerie Tran, Interim Executive Director, Friends of Little Sài Gòn

“I’m encouraged to see that even in this challenging budget cycle, Seattle maintains its strong commitment to the Equitable Development Initiative, established over a decade ago to respond to community calls to counter displacement pressures and promote community ownership of critical places. Funding from EDI helps organizations like Friends of Little Sài Gòn to seize our own futures and uplift our neighbors and our families, through visionary buildings like the Little Saigon Landmark Project.”

Lee Lambert, Executive Director, Cascade Bicycle Club

"We thank the Mayor for her focus on traffic safety in the 2027 budget. Today's announcement puts dollars behind last month's Executive Order to speed up and re-commit to the city's Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic related deaths and serious injuries by 2030. We recognize the challenging budget environment the city is in. This budget takes a pragmatic approach to advancing bike and pedestrian safety and completing safety projects that are already underway."

Tiffany Kelly-Gray, EDI Advisory Board co-chair, Byrd Barr Place

“EDI exists because communities of color in Seattle organized to build their own answers to displacement, and they earned this funding. The Mayor's decision to keep EDI intact through a $175 million shortfall honors that work. On behalf of the EDI board, I appreciate the commitment, and I look forward to seeing these projects open their doors.”

Jamie Madden, EDI Advisory Board member, 77 Stoop Collective

“The Equitable Development Initiative is an innovative model for economic development with community. I am pleased that the Mayor’s budget continues to support this uniquely flexible and impactful program.”

Roxanna Noruzi, Executive Director, OneAmerica

"In this moment when immigrants and refugees are facing growing challenges and targeted attacks, it is more important than ever for local leaders to stand up for our communities. We thank Mayor Wilson for safeguarding the $4 million investment in refugee and immigrant services in the 2027-28 budget. This commitment demonstrates that our city stands firmly behind its values as a welcoming community.

We also celebrate the collective efforts of immigrant-serving organizations, advocates, and community leaders whose dedication helped secure this investment and the ongoing work to keep these critical resources in place. This funding is about more than services. It is about ensuring that refugee and immigrant families can access opportunity, stability, and a sense of belonging. We look forward to continuing to partner with Mayor Wilson to advance a vision of a city where all residents, regardless of immigration status, are welcomed, included, and supported."

Patience Malaba, Executive Director, Housing Development Consortium

“This budget makes important investments to advance affordable housing in Seattle. Funding the Affordable Housing Ombudsperson will help address permitting barriers that add cost and delay projects, while protecting PET investments helps preserve the resources needed by the Office of Housing to build and preserve affordable homes. We thank Mayor Wilson for her leadership and look forward to working together to move more affordable housing forward, faster.”

Ollie Garrett, President and CEO, Tabor 100

“Small businesses are the backbone of Seattle’s economy, and Mayor Wilson’s budget makes clear they are a priority. Continued investment in the Liberty Project will help more entrepreneurs access capital, build capacity, and grow. We are committed to working with the Mayor to help small businesses succeed and build wealth in our communities.”

Adam Glickman, Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU 775

“In a very challenging fiscal year, I was pleased that the Mayor’s budget reflects her pro-labor values by preserving the power of the Office of Labor Standards (OLS) to prevent wage theft, make sure workers receive the minimum wages and paid time off they’ve earned, and fight for the most vulnerable app-based and domestic workers. I look forward to working with the Mayor to ensure Seattle continues to lead the nation in labor standards.”

Seattle Education Association Governance Team

"Seattle Education Association strongly supports Mayor Katie Wilson's Universal Free School Meals Program. Together we are creating reason for students to be present at school, while overcoming the social barriers of food insecurity. Providing universal free breakfast and lunch ensures that every student has the nutrition they need to focus, learn and thrive."

Asia Adam, Executive Director, Our Hope

“In a year of so much federal uncertainty, Seattle is choosing to stand with its immigrant and refugee communities, not step back from them. Keeping OIRA's $4 million investment means real support for basic needs stays in place when families need it most. We thank Mayor Wilson for that commitment.”

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