What will make the cut when the City Council finishes shaping the budget? Here’s how to have your say
City budget season is almost at its crescendo. At 9:30 am Wednesday (November 4), budget chair Councilmember Dan Strauss presents his “balancing package,” his draft proposal for amending the budget presented by the mayor in September. Then on Thursday (November 5), the council will have its second and final public hearing on the budget. So if there’s something you really, really want to see in it – or not in it – now’s the time to speak up. Among West Seattle groups, the Alki Community Council is going all out to support the Alki-related budget changes proposed as part of District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka‘s amendments (which we detailed here). They’ve launched a petition drive, with this pitch:
From pedestrian and cyclist hit-and-runs, including a 5-year-old child struck by a vehicle, to cars crashing over the seawall and ATVs, motorcycles and cars racing and harassing pedestrians along Alki Ave—Alki needs help. Between March and August this year, approximately 120 bullets were fired on Alki Avenue by drivers and passengers in vehicles.
Alki is also home to Seattle’s only community center where recreational programming has been cut 100%, while the Alki Bathhouse sits largely empty. Recreation supports physical and mental well-being, giving teens, families, young professionals and seniors a nearby place to stay active and connect—especially during the Seattle fall and winter.
Councilmember Rob Saka’s proposed budget amendment (SPR-005-A) would fund public traffic-monitoring cameras, safer cleaner public spaces, improved lighting, and restored recreational programming. … This investment requires no new taxes—just a commitment to Alki in the City’s budget.
The ACC petition-signature form is here. If you’re interested in speaking about that and/or something else at Thursday’s hearing, the agenda explains how. Other ways to comment on the budget – now and beyond – are detailed here.
