Seattle committee forwards 2025 exceptions and 2026 carry‑forward budget ordinances to full council

The Finance Governments Committee on June 16 recommended committee passage of two routine budget measures and forwarded them to the full Seattle City Council after briefings and brief questions.

The first measure, Council Bill 121208, is a 2025 exceptions ordinance that would retroactively authorize $8.1 million in expenditures that exceeded previously approved 2025 appropriations. The committee’s budget presenter said the exceptions request covers six departments and includes examples such as higher-than-expected medical claims in Human Resources and higher final revenues at Seattle City Light that require technical adjustments. "The total request this year is $8.1 million," the Budget Director said during the briefing.

The second measure, Council Bill 121209, is a carry‑forward ordinance that would move unspent but committed 2025 appropriations into 2026 so the work can proceed. The Budget Director reported about $138 million in carry‑forward requests across funds, including roughly $16 million from the general fund, $79 million from the payroll expense tax fund and about $42 million from other funds. Noted large items include committed equitable development initiative awards, multifamily housing project funding, a parks allocation for public restroom access, short‑term rental fund allocations and an early learning campus capital commitment.

During committee questioning, Councilmember Kettle asked about a roughly $5 million overage in the exceptions packet and requested more detail; the Budget Director offered to follow up offline. On the trend for exceptions, the Budget Director told the committee the exceptions total is "trending downwards," noting this is the third‑smallest exceptions total since 2018 and that last year or the year before was the smallest on record.

Committee members also asked about specific carry‑forward projects. The Budget Director and Council Central Staff said many are multi‑year capital commitments — examples cited included a youth‑care redevelopment project, participatory‑budgeting funded public restroom projects in parks, and a $5 million early learning campus capital commitment — and that carry‑forward is used when project timelines delay actual spending into the next fiscal year.

On judgment and claims funding, committee members raised concerns about rising liabilities and insurance costs. The Budget Director said estimating when cases close is imprecise, that the city holds reserves for major judgments, and that insurance costs are increasing; more detailed information is expected in the mid‑year supplemental presentation in July and in the September budget transmittal.

Public comment before the briefing included a two‑minute statement from David Haynes, who criticized recent mayoral budgets and said one‑time grants and certain service contracts have worsened public safety and homelessness responses. "Everything that's in the budget originates from the three worst mayors in the history of Seattle," Haynes said, and urged greater transparency and opposition to withholding funds.

Chair Dan Strauss moved to recommend passage of Council Bill 121208; the motion was seconded. The clerk called the roll and the record shows Councilmembers Kettle and Saka voting "aye"; the clerk announced the committee recommendation that 121208 be sent to the full City Council and said it was approved by the committee. Chair Strauss then moved to recommend passage of Council Bill 121209; after a second and a roll call, Councilmembers Kettle, Hollingsworth, Rivera and Chair Strauss recorded "aye" and the clerk announced the committee recommendation to pass 121209 will be sent to the full City Council.

Both measures will now proceed to the full Council for final consideration. The chair closed the meeting by previewing the mid‑year supplemental work in July, noting the city is preparing a two‑year budget this cycle and continues to manage a structural budget deficit.