19 Capitol Hill and Central District organizations and businesses join call for Seattle to move $8M in budget from hiring more cops to spending more on artists

More than 600 artists and 116 organizations have delivered an open letter to Mayor Katie Wilson and the Seattle City Council urging amendments to the 2027 budget that would reallocate police hiring funds toward cultural infrastructure.

Amid a looming $175 million deficit, the mayor’s proposal slates a $68 million increase for the Seattle Police Department to recruit 66 officers. The coalition requests council members redirect $8 million from that proposed increase directly into the Office of Arts and Culture.

“By paying local artists to bring life to our streets, parks, and business districts, the city fostered deep community engagement,” the letter reads. “These activations increased positive foot traffic, built relationships among neighbors, and created a vibrant cultural presence everywhere from North of Downtown to the South End.”

Capitol Hill and Central District Organizations and Businesses

• Capitol Hill Arts District: Official cultural district coalition represented as an endorsing organization and through co-chairs Julie Chang Schulman and Mujale Chisebuka.
• Cal Anderson Park Alliance: Community alliance dedicated to activating and stewarding Cal Anderson Park.
• On the Block Seattle: Grassroots arts and maker market collective organizing activations along 11th Ave.
• Forever Safe Spaces & Blue Cone Studios: Creative community and studio space hubs located in Capitol Hill.
• Seattle PrideFest: Major LGBTQ+ arts and festival production organization based in the neighborhood.
• Community Not Cameras: Capitol Hill–based advocacy campaign opposing expanded police surveillance networks.
• Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar: Neighborhood cultural venue, exhibition space, and bar on 11th Avenue, founded by signer Diana Adams.
• Throwbacks NW Capitol Hill: Neighborhood vintage apparel business represented by owner Rio Estolas.
• Life on Mars: Plant-based bar and vinyl lounge represented by co-owner Steve Severin.
• Chop Suey: Iconic neighborhood live music venue represented by talent booker Nellie Albertson.
• Crybaby Studios: Music rehearsal facility on 11th Avenue, represented by founder Leigh Stone.
• Eleven:Eleven On the Block: Local creative and placemaking retail/market initiative tied to neighborhood street activations.
• Historic Central Arts and Cultural District: Preserved cultural corridor represented by co-chair Sharon Nyree Williams.
• William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation: Central District community enterprise and innovation hub, also represented by program manager Ty Griffin.
• LANGSTON: African American arts and cultural center headquartered at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, represented by Executive Director Ebony Arunga and Gabriel Teodros.
• 206 Zulu: Non-profit hip-hop community and youth organization based at Washington Hall, represented by Executive Director Khazm Kogita.
• Estelita’s Library: Social justice lending library and community bookstore represented by co-founder/executive director Edwin Lindo.
• Queer the Land: QTIBIPOC collaborative housing and community land stewardship initiative, represented as an organization and by organizer Evana Enabulele.
• Common Area Maintenance (CAM): Artist cooperative and creative workspace represented as an organization and by assistant director Amy Hirayama.

Signatories argue that placemaking serves as vital public safety infrastructure, pointing to a $3.6 million investment in 2025 that funded 120 grants and 80 public activations ahead of the World Cup summer.

The letter credits that initiative with curbing violence and yielding a “murder-free June.”

The requested $8 million would more than double the 2025 cultural investment to establish year-round community programming citywide.

CHS reported here on Wilson’s proposal which would wipe out a $175 million deficit without tax increases or withdrawals from city reserves. The proposal would cut roughly $50 million annually in General Fund spending by eliminating 128 positions and aligning departmental budgets with historical costs, pairing these cuts with $50 million in shuffled funding by leveraging JumpStart payroll tax revenues to cover core services and homelessness programs.

Starting next week, budget chair Dan Strauss will lead the process as council members are briefed on policy considerations before officially proposing potential amendments to the mayor’s proposal.

District 3 representative Council President Joy Hollingsworth has signaled her support for continued police and anti-crime investments, joining a call for the mayor to strengthen her public safety plan.

A final “all-day” public hearing is scheduled for November 5th.



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