Round 1 of the Council budget review concluded on Monday. Now we move into the phase of the budget where it’s important for people to express their support for the budget action items they favor.
During the next week, councilmembers will be gauging public support on items that could make it into the budget package that Councilmember Licata is developing for the Council.
Below is a description of a few of my proposed Budget Action Items, some of which I blogged about last week. I’ve included quotes from people who provided their comments at our meetings. I find their testimony to be very compelling. I hope you do as well.
Please send an email to all councilmembers council@seattle.gov or to specific councilmembers by looking up their email addresses here if you support any of these recommendations. My advice is to include the budget action item title in the subject line of your email along with your stance on the topic. For example, “Please support the AIDS Memorial/ Legacy Planning proposal!”
- AIDS Memorial/ Legacy Planning proposal: I am proposing that $75,000 be allocated to the Office of Arts and Culture to support the development of an AIDS Memorial/ Legacy Planning process. This amount would be matched within the community. Please see the full description here and click the following names to view public testimony in favor of this project from Robert Feldman and Michele Hasson.
- Land Trust Study: requesting funds for consultant services for a planning process regarding the possible creation and operation of a Seattle-based land trust or conservancy. Please click here for the full description and click on the following names to hear public testimony in favor of this proposal from Joyce Moty, of GROW, and Thatcher Bailey, of the Seattle Parks Foundation.
- LGBTQ Older Adult Competency Training: adding funds to the Human Services Department to support cultural competency and equity training for professionals working with LGBTQ older adults, families, and caregivers. Please click here for the full description of the proposal and click on the following names to hear Public Testimony in favor of this proposal from Rita Smith and Charles Emlet, Professor of Social Work at the UW and also from Peter Quenguyen, Social Worker at South Park Community Center.
- Homeless Youth Casework: adding funds to the Human Services Department to provide casework for homeless youth in the Capitol Hill and downtown neighborhoods. Please click here for the full description of the proposal or click on the following names listed to hear public testimony in favor of this budget add from Millie Heyes, PSKS Social Worker; Dakota Donley, Christina Solus, Anthony Abel, and Quinn McVicker, participants of PSKS.
Final discussion and voting is scheduled for Friday, November 13th and Monday, November 16th. Stay tuned. I hope that you can take a few minutes, after the busy election season, to send an email to your councilmembers regarding the issues you support.
This is when we ask you to participate in our legislative process by telling us, your City Council, how you feel about the items we support.
Thank you for reading.