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Seattle councilors recalibrate budget calendar after revenue forecast downturn
Summary
Council member Sara Strauss said the April revenue forecast’s downturn prompted schedule changes to select budget committee dates and flagged potential revenue options including a 0.1% public-safety sales tax and expanded digital-ad sales tax.
Seattle City Council members said they are adjusting the council’s budget calendar after an April revenue forecast showed a downturn, and at least one council member urged more committee time to consider revenue options.
Council member Sara Nelson Strauss, who presented the committee calendar update at the May 12 council briefing, said the council has recalibrated select budget committee meeting dates to reflect the weaker forecast and expects to add time for deeper revenue conversations. "We had set up a calendar for this entire year without taking into account that the revenue forecast in April would be such a downturn," Strauss said.
Strauss identified possible revenue options council members want time to examine, including a 0.1% sales tax for public safety and potential expansion of sales tax coverage for digital advertising and digital sales. She said committee time will cover “all revenues,” not only new revenue proposals.
The select budget committee is currently scheduled to meet June 4 and July 30 at 9:30 a.m., Strauss said; she added the council may request additional dates if needed. Strauss also noted the finance committee will forward a grant-acceptance and appropriation ordinance to full council this week, which she described as the first of three similar appropriations and said it was unanimously recommended by the committee on May 7.
The council did not take a formal vote on revenue measures during the briefing. Council members asked Strauss to follow up with more detailed timelines and analysis on revenue options and the revenue forecast.
Why this matters: The revenue forecast influences how much the city can spend on services, staffing and capital projects. Council members said they want more committee time to assess options before making decisions that would affect city programs and tax policy.
Looking ahead: Strauss said the council will provide more details if it requests additional committee meetings and will return with more analysis on the revenue options discussed.
