Councilmember M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide) issued the following statement today after passage of the City Budget today, by a vote of 8-1:
“I’m pleased to have delivered on a number of the promises I made at the start of the budget season. With today’s Council vote, my colleagues and I have prioritized a number of investments which are germane to public safety, housing, paid family leave, as well as critical support for immigrants, refugees, non-English speakers, LGBTQ youth and seniors, and domestic and sexual assault survivors.
“A complete list of additions I’ve contributed to the final balancing package are available ONLINE, and the selected highlights I championed on behalf of community include but are not limited to:
- Public Safety. Making sure that residents of South Park and Chinatown-International District have the resources they need to spur community-driven public safety improvements, which includes an assessment survey and the addition of a Public Safety Coordinator. For the South Park neighborhood, that means the creation of a Special Task Force to provide the City with concrete policy recommendations that will improve overall public safety and livability of that neighborhood. The CID can also expect to utilize the Danny Woo Park and many of the improvements that will be made as a result of our investments.
- Paid Family Leave. By funding a paid parental benefits coordinator at the Seattle Department of Human Resources we will be advancing the City’s paid family leave benefits. This helps City employees navigate benefits available to them when there is a birth of a child or a family member becomes ill.
- Immigrants & Refugees. Ensuring that immigrants and refugees become New Americans by increasing the funding for the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Citizenship Workshops. These free workshops will help eligible immigrants to naturalize and further integrate into our democracy by registering to vote and voting through expanded, free services known as a ‘mega workshop’ for up to 1,000 eligible residents.
- Funding an affordable housing needs assessment analysis for LGBTQ seniors and funding resources dedicated to the development of a homeless youth housing project to ensure some of our most vulnerable neighbors have access to stable housing and the services they need.
- Survivors of Domestic & Sexual Violence. Funding four mobile advocates for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and a legal navigator at the King County Courthouse. These budget actions will allocate funds to directly assist survivors of domestic and sexual violence through the labyrinth of the legal and social services system, which can be very confusing and burdensome in an already stressful and uncertain moment for survivors.
“This week marks the first anniversary of my first year serving as the first Latina elected to the City Council and the only woman representing Seattle in citywide office. I am proud of the provision my colleagues and I made in this year’s budget, and what I’ve delivered for my constituents and the communities who make our city great.”