RELEASE: Budget Chair Strauss releases balanced budget proposal focused on public safety and affordability

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 11/03/2026 10:34 AM PST
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News Release

For Immediate Release
Nov. 3, 2026

FROM THE OFFICE OF: Councilmember Dan Strauss

CONTACT: Jesse Franz, Councilmember Strauss’ Office, (206) 819-8786 or jesse.franz@seattle.gov

Budget Chair Strauss releases balanced budget proposal focused on public safety and affordability

SEATTLE – City Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6), who chairs the City Council’s budget committee, released his initial proposal for the 2027-2028 city budget today, also referred to as the “Balancing Package.”

“This proposal makes critical investments that will deliver real results: reversing cuts to firefighters, making historic investments in housing and homelessness, and clearing violent crime case backlogs. It does it all while erasing deficits and balancing the city’s budget through 2030,” said Councilmember Strauss. “We have built momentum addressing some of our most serious issues. We can’t stop now. This proposal will help us maintain momentum without cuts to essential services that keep people safe and help make Seattle more affordable.”

Historically, the Balancing Package only balances the budget for two years. This proposal builds on years of work to improve fiscal sustainability by proposing a budget balanced through 2030. The proposal also preserves full funding for the City’s rainy day fund, emergency fund, and reserves created to protect the city from federal cuts.

What is funded in the Balancing Package?

The Balancing Package incorporates amendments from all nine councilmembers. Among other things, it:

  • Reverses cuts to funding for firefighters: The mayor’s budget proposal included a $7.1 million cut in both 2027 and 2028 to the Seattle Fire Department’s overtime budget. Without that funding, the fire department warned there would be increased unit outages across the city. This proposal fully reverses that cut and protects funding for firefighters.
  • Invests in stopping violent crime: The Balancing Package invests $5 million in addressing gender-based violence. It invests more than $2 million to help the City Attorney clear criminal cases, including more than 1,700 backlogged cases of domestic violence, elder abuse, stalking, and sexual harassment. It also funds five civilian investigators that were cut in the mayor’s proposed budget who help police with homicide, robbery, and gun crime investigations.
  • Makes historic investments in housing: The Balancing Package invests an all-time high $352.7 million in housing next year, a $5 million increase from the mayor’s proposed budget. That is more than five times what the city invested compared to 2019. That’s all in addition to the $140 million each year the city anticipates raising for voter-approved social housing.
  • Increases funding to address homelessness: The Balancing Package protects funding to expand the city's work to shelter and house people experiencing homelessness. It also fully funds the Vehicle Resident Assistance Program, approved by the City Council to assist people living in their vehicles, including investing in a second new safe lot in Seattle.
  • Invests in safer streets for all: The proposal protects nearly $7 million in creating safe routes to schools, invests $7 million to make smaller-scale transportation safety improvements throughout the city, and protects critical investments in traffic safety projects on Rainier Avenue.

The full list of amendments included in the Balancing Package was released this morning.

What’s next?

The Select Budget Committee will meet tomorrow, Nov. 4, at 9:30 a.m. to present and discuss the Balancing Package. On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Budget Committee will host a public hearing where members public can weigh in. Remote public comment will begin at 1 p.m., and in-person public comment will begin at 5 p.m.

Over the next week, councilmembers will review the Balancing Package and propose amendments, before voting begins in committee on Nov. 13 at 9:30 a.m.


About the City Council
The Seattle City Council is the elected legislative branch of the city’s government. It’s comprised of nine councilmembers serving four-year terms and representing more than 800,000 constituents — seven selected by districts and two through citywide positions. For the latest news and information, please visit seattle.gov/council.

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