In reaction to Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed budget, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8 – Citywide & Chair of the Select Budget Committee) made the following statement:
“In my role as budget chair, I will collaborate with my council colleagues to finalize the biennial budget that advances the vision of a Seattle where everyone has a place to live, is taken care of, is healthy and safe, and is supported by workers and small businesses for a more just and resilient economy.
“We must safeguard housing investments, uphold our commitments to the workforce that looks after our most vulnerable residents, expand childcare to support working people and strengthen the local economy, give climate resilience top priority in programs and infrastructure investments, and avoid budget cuts to important services and city staff.
“The disparities we experienced previous to COVID-19 will only continue to widen if investments are not made in working families and fundamental city services.
I will be concentrated on solid budgetary stewardship while preserving investments in the people and services for our City given the uncertain economic outlook both locally and nationally, rising inflation rates, and the lack of new federal COVID-related money. Seattle’s neighborhood, working families, and local economy have growing needs, and in this biennial budget we must rise to the occasion by safeguarding investments in a more equitable future for us all – for workers who are organizing every day across this city, for small businesses looking to open their doors or stay open, and for our elders, kids, and vulnerable communities who have seen increased rates of trauma, stress, and hardship during COVID.
“I appreciate Mayor Harrell and the City Budget Office for submitting the proposed budget, which is run by Director Dingley. The following eight weeks will be extremely busy. To make sure your voice is heard, I encourage you, the general public, to write, call, and interact with your councilmembers and neighborhood. Together, the City Council and the people of Seattle will make sure that the final biennial budget reflects the progressive ideals of our city.