Select Budget Committee Public Hearing Session II 10-7-25

Good afternoon.

The October 7th, 2025 Select Budget Committee will come back to order.

It is 5 p.m.

I'm Dan Strauss, Chair of the Committee.

Will the Clerk please call the roll?

Council Member Hollingsworth?

Council Member Juarez?

Council Member Kettle?

Here.

Chair, Council President Nelson.

Council Member Rink.

Present.

Council Member Rivera.

Present.

Council Member Sacca.

Here.

Council Member Salomon.

Here.

Chair Strauss.

Here.

Six present.

Thank you and Council Member Hollingsworth is here.

Let the record reflect and Council Member Juarez asked for an excusal on the record last week and Council President is also excused.

Moving right into why we are here.

This is the first of two public hearings that we will have.

We also have verbal public comment at the beginning of each section of our budget.

we are doing this public hearing a little bit differently than we did last year.

We're taking a note out of Council Member Hollingsworth book from the Select Comprehensive Plan public hearings, which is why we started the virtual section this morning.

We're moving into all in person this afternoon, or I guess it was earlier this afternoon, we're doing all in person this evening.

This allows us to not have to switch back and forth between virtual and in-person commenters, keeping people here in the chambers until 10, 45, 11 o'clock at night when people are still calling in on the phone.

I'll admit, like with everything we do in life, there are lessons to be learned, right?

So today we are doing one minute for public comment.

if we get through this and everything goes really smoothly as compared to last year when we were here to the point where people were getting their cars locked in garages and it was worth that to them to stay to give public comment.

I'm just trying to balance the need of everyone to have a great evening as well as for us as council members to hear directly from you, the public, because it's a critical part of our job.

That being said, the registration opened at 4.30 when we had the decision making to go back and forth between are we doing two minutes or one minute.

If we had done two minutes, we would have cut registration off at a certain time.

This evening as we're doing one minute, registration will be open until we're done.

So if 500 more people come and we're here until 10.45 at night, people can still sign up at 10.45 at night.

We are here to hear from you directly.

We do have a new provision thanks to the last year's senior class at the center school in district seven.

They came to me with, they registered a complaint that we no longer allowed for group testimony.

And so we have reinstated group testimony.

The way this will work is if you have three or more people you can come up as a group for three minutes.

So there's no, if you come up with a group that means that you can't come up with another group.

If you come up as an individual that means you can't come up as a group.

Same thing of if you called into public comment this morning, you can't show up this afternoon.

David Haynes, I saw you somewhere.

Thank you for reserving your comments for this afternoon.

Those are the rules that we're gonna operate with this evening.

We are taking feedback.

So if something didn't go well, if you did like something, please let us know because really we're just trying to make this a good process for you, for the council members, and it's our job to hear directly from you.

And that's what we're here to do tonight.

So with that, just as a reminder, if you are parked in the Sea Park parking garage, let them know that you are here for this event.

and your parking costs will only be $8.

And that parking garage does close at, I believe, 10 o'clock.

So just be aware of that.

I'm going to quickly check the Mariners score to give you all an update.

and then we will go with those registers.

So we are up two to one at the end of the third, bottom of the third, up two to none.

We'll check back in every once in a while.

But with that, we're just gonna jump right into public comment, but I'll need the lists.

And I believe everyone's got a number as well as a name.

Everyone has a number.

You can either choose to call their number or call them by name.

Wonderful.

I like calling people by the name, but if I can't read handwriting, I learned to read in Ballard.

If I can't read your handwriting, I'll call your number.

So with that, I think you know where I'm going, which is one through 10 can line up at either of these microphones.

So that is Paul Ryan Villanueva, Brian Lawrence, Kayla Bassnight, Nicole Alexander, Hilary Pinkter, Denise Perez-Lally, Anita Freeman, Erica F., Jeff Towel, and Brent Donner.

If when you start your comments, if you could say your name so that we can check you off, that would be really helpful.

With that, and make sure that you speak directly into the microphone.

Mick Jagger is what we say around here.

With that, at your convenience, take it away.

Welcome.

Hi, my name is Paul, thank you chair and a member of the council.

My name is Paul, resident of District 3 and with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Seattle chapter.

I'm here to ask you to maintain full funding for the Office of Labor Standard.

My organization has been a grantee of the Office of Labor Standard to do outreach and education to our community members.

We have seen how big an impact OLS has for workers.

We know how hard the conversation can be when we talk about workers' rights and rights in general.

We make sure to make a safe space for those workers to know they have the tools and resources necessary to utilize and protect themselves for employers that take advantage of them.

True OLS community-based organizations just like ours are able to do outreach and educate workers in language accessible and culturally responsive ways.

They are one of the reasons why Seattle leads the country in progressive labor standards, a minimum wage is one of the highest in the country.

and workers such as hotel employees are protected in the city.

In this political time, when workers and immigrant communities are being attacked, our city needs to strategically think how to counter these.

As a community member, workers, I ask that these bodies please do...

Thank you, Paul.

And feel free, I know Councilmember Hollingsworth shared the secret email address.

Council at seattle.gov goes to all of us at once.

Feel free to send anything that you want in.

Brian, great to see you.

Welcome.

Thank you for having me, council members.

My name is Brian Lawrence, and I am here to ask you to safeguard funding for the Seattle Public Library.

I'm the CEO of the Seattle Public Library Foundation.

We are the nonprofit partner of the library.

We get to see firsthand how much people in Seattle love their library.

Thousands of donors provide more than $5 million in investment every year to enhance library programs and services.

I'm disappointed in the economic situation that our city is facing.

These are hard times for our residents, for nonprofit organizations like ours, and many in this room, and for our city government.

While it is unfortunate to see a proposed $5 million cut in the capital projects budget for SPL, the proposed budget, we also understand the budget constraints that the mayor and the city council are working with.

We appreciate that this one-time transfer of levy dollars by the library ensures stable operations for the system for 2026. But I'd like to just say that I think this sets us up for making sure that the library levy next year is produced with full funding.

Thank you.

Up next is Kaya Bassnight, followed by Nicole Alexander.

We need more funding and a place to live by November 15th.

I'm from Tent City 4. We're active in the community.

We do what is called to us.

We volunteer at grocery stores.

We volunteer the community cleaning up.

It's a beautiful community.

I just came to Seattle from Colorado and me and my wife was homeless and Tent City 4 took us in.

and it's been great.

Everybody's attitude, everybody's drive is great.

We influence one another on what it means to be sober and to go about the things that we need to be going about.

My sobriety, I've been sober for four years.

And there's people just like me in the community that have fought hard from nothing to achieve something.

So I just want

Up next, we have Nicole Alexander.

Welcome.

Good to see you.

Good evening, council.

My name is Nicole Alexander.

I'm the director of outreach and special initiatives with co-lead at Purpose Dignity Action.

What that really means is that I'm boots on the ground.

As many of you know, our team is out there daily.

Our current work is focused in the CID.

Recently, we have brought in over 40 individuals within a month and a half from the CID.

Our work on the ground is the beginning of a new journey for a lot of our folks.

Co-lead is the golden thread of a continuum of care for growth and movement for our folks.

Our work is to stay with folks from encampment to shelter, permanent housing, and stabilization.

During the first session today, Council heard from some of our lodging participants.

Later, after me, you will hear from our aftercare participants and our current participants and staff.

These are humans who have been given an opportunity that many of our folks in Seattle still need.

We ask that you continue to fund Co-Lead and continue to fund What Works.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nicole.

Up next is Hillary, followed by Denise.

Hillary, welcome.

Hello, my name is Hillary Pinkerton.

We're going to restart your time because the two words I'm going to say are Mick Jagger.

Hello, my name is Hillary and I'm from Tent City Floor.

Me and my husband had came from here from Colorado to Denver and we were homeless.

He had a medical condition and the will had took me in the shelter, but we also had shut down a shelter here for women, so we need to open one back up in the budget.

There are homeless people here and they're dying every day.

and if we are not moved tent city three and four by November 14th, 15th of this year, tent city four will close down or we will lose also some beds and we have higher per capita homeless people.

So we do need help funding that.

People are dying every day and it's really cold and we need to have funding.

Please help us understand that, you know, it is cold and we do need help.

And there's a lot of people dying.

out there.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

Thank you for being here.

Up next we have Denise followed by Anitra.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Denise Pettis Lawley.

I want to start by thanking you for your support and commitment to public safety and housing our homeless residents.

As COLEAD's co-program director, I am here to share that COLEAD is a three-phase program, as you had just heard from my colleague, outreach, temporary lodging, and aftercare.

In our lodging site, we provide 24-hour coordinated care with an experienced and talented staff who provide intensive case management, medical care and coordination, and effective criminal legal support by navigating a complex legal system.

You know this is challenging work, and what motivates me to show up day after day is the dignity and commitment that lead to the outcomes and participants given this opportunity to heal and thrive.

One participant who immediately comes to mind is an individual that you heard from earlier today during public testimony.

They came in to co-lead with a serious health issue, and since residing and lodging there,

Sorry.

Please do feel free to send in any additional comments and I'm already, I'm reading the room about some changes that we might make next year for the next public hearing.

With that, thank you very much.

Anitra, always a pleasure to see you.

Good afternoon.

Thank you.

Anitra here with chair and wheel today.

Yes, without shelter people die.

We need you to show your courage to help people like Hillary and Taya keep their shelter and stay alive.

We've been calling for 500 new shelter beds this entire year.

and instead we have 200 shelter beds at risk of being lost because of a few loud voices that are being heard instead of the hundreds and thousands of voices supporting us.

Please help Penn City 3 and Penn City 4 find a place to live.

Thank you.

Thank you, Anitra.

Folks, I guess we haven't done that part.

If you'd like to hear what you've heard, jazz hands or finger snaps as if it'll keep things moving.

You're up next.

We've got Erica and then Jeff and then Brent and then number 11.

I'm a housing specialist with Co-Lead Aftercare.

Can you hear me?

You can move it around.

We're going to restart your time.

You can move that microphone wherever you need to.

There we go.

That's better.

Yeah.

Welcome.

Thank you, council.

My name is Erica Fratcham.

I'm a housing specialist with Co-Lead Aftercare.

We're here today asking for support from the mayors to continue to fund our program.

The Aftercare program is essential part of Co-Lead where we walk through the first year of housing with folks that come from our lodging sites.

We stand with them through court medical care, coordinating care with their on-site housing case managers, detox treatment, mental health care.

Thank you.

That's all I needed.

You still have 30 seconds.

That's okay.

That's all I needed.

Okay.

Oh, fair enough.

Jeff?

Yeah, Jeff, I'm sorry.

I can't give you the extra 30 seconds, but...

Brent.

Hold on.

You're Brent?

Yeah.

Where's Jeff?

I'd like to go after her.

She was my advocate in Co-Lead.

Sure.

Go for it, Brent, and then we'll come right back to you, Jeff.

All right.

Thank you.

My name is Brent Donner.

I'm a recent graduate of Co-Lead.

Two years ago, Co-Lead gave me transitional housing when I had nowhere else to go.

For the first time I had a place to shower, stay warm, and face my legal issues.

Their support helped me clear a DUI fine, rebuild trust, and realize people still cared.

That simple chance gave me time to start over.

I'm now 18 months sober, a few quarters away from being a junior in college.

of which I started winter quarter a year ago and I'm currently holding a 3.65 GPA.

I'm now able to begin building a small business through Doug Baldwin's invest program.

I volunteer weekly and I have my own apartment.

I've reconnected with my family.

We go to Huskies and Seahawks games with my brother and I play goalie for Shoreline Community College's men's soccer team where I stopped a penalty kick and a follow-up shot a few games It's because of co-lead that I stand here and tell others it takes just as much energy to dream big as it does to dream small and then live it I'm still improving myself every day and I think I read somewhere that the highest form of any human act is to be inspired or to inspire co-lead helped and inspired me, has stayed committed to me and my success far and above beyond my expectations and I'm very thankful.

I hope one day I'm able to do the same again for someone else.

Thank you, Jeff.

And again, snaps, waves.

We've got Brent.

Thank you, Brent.

That was an inspiring story, my friend.

Jeff, the floor is yours.

Hi, my name's Jeff Toll.

I'm here in support of the funding for co-lead.

Six months ago, seven months ago, I was diagnosed with blood clots in my legs, and I was stuck in a tent in the jungle, and I was very complacent on getting anything done with my life, and it was going south really quick.

Since I've been under Co-lead's shelter system, I've been able to get my Social Security card in my back pocket, my birth certificate, and I've been able to get applied for all the disability I've been trying to get applied for, which I could never do before.

And my life has done, completely done, 180. I got my self-esteem back and getting an apartment this next week or whatever also.

So, I mean, everything's been for the positive, which encourages me to do more positive things for myself and hopefully funding will

Thank you very much.

Up next we have number 11, either Mr. and Mrs. Tran.

I didn't wanna mess up the, there you go.

And then we have, so 11 through 20, I'll just read it back and forth.

So we've got Mr. Tran, Melissa Eager, Gabriel Hernandez, Peter Hoopy, Andrea?

You're all here, you're all here.

Mr. Tran, floor is yours.

Welcome, good to see you.

Hi, I'm here with colleagues.

I don't know how to say, but two months ago, I'm still nowhere to go.

I was homeless, but colleagues tried to leave me and help me with the housing.

Before that, I don't know where to go.

I have no thought, no hope, no, you know, anything.

But today, I'm saying that thank you for the COLE program that can be, you know, a self-respect for the personal role and self-reflection and plan for the future.

And it have rebuild confidence, motivation, and hope key in writing for this most positive change.

And so that it's not for any of God, but it's a step stone, a foundation for security and fundamental housing.

Thank you, Mr. Tran.

Thank you for being with us today.

That brings us to number 12. I'm gonna stop trying to figure out the names because clearly I'm confusing everyone.

Melissa, it's a pleasure to see you.

Thank you.

I'm here with co-lead.

I'm here hoping that you'll keep the funding going for us.

We help so many people come off the streets.

I have a lot of friends that have gone through it.

I went through it myself.

I'm still going through it.

Getting off the streets, getting everything situated to be able to go back into the community and be a useful community member again.

It's so easy to get lost out there in the system when no one cares about you.

Places like Co-Lead help us to be heard, to be able to come back out and be a part of the community that can actually help each other keep going and just not get lost and end up dying like a lot of the others have.

So they need the funding.

If you guys can continue the funding, they really, really need it.

Thank you, Melissa.

Up next, I believe we have Gabriel.

Gabriel, welcome.

Thank you for having me.

My name is Gabriel Hernandez and thanks because of you guys and co-lead and your guys' budget money is going into like good hands where you're getting a whole bunch of people that are homeless running and gunning and doing criminality and using drugs, just being in the street for way too long.

And they need a place where they can build their character and be a good person to society.

And me, everything you just heard, from just being homeless and doing a lot of criminal stuff and using a lot of drugs, but your guys' money is going into good hands where you're giving people like me a second chance and I'm cleaning up my act.

Yeah.

The money's going to good people, good, hard-working people that care.

I got a roof over my head and I'm cleaning up my act.

Thank you.

We couldn't ask for more.

Thank you, my friend.

After Gabriel comes Peter.

Welcome, Peter.

Followed by Andrea and then Calissa.

Peter, welcome.

Hello council members.

My name is Peter Hopi and I am from Hawaii.

I have lived here in Seattle since 1991. Our organization is asking for 21 million for non-profit affordable housing providers.

I believe that this will be a huge step to help process everyone in keeping them in their home and to help get them caught up with their arrears.

to place value on housing people is a great help to everyone.

I myself was homeless and Lehigh has given me the opportunity to, by giving me a job, I started off as a security officer and working my way up to a case manager now.

So the program really does work.

I'm a perfect example of a success of this program.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Peter.

Andrew?

Good afternoon.

My name is Andrea Altimer.

I am one of the senior support specialists with the Co-LEAD program.

My greatest day at Co-LEAD is watching the transformation that we're able to be a part of with our participants.

Co-LEAD isn't just a basic shelter that we walk alongside our participants and we offer opportunities for them to reset.

with a holistic approach.

We help them navigate through the legal system.

We help them with mental health and health and wealth.

We also help them navigate rebuilding relationships with their family members and permanent supportive housing.

I don't know why I just got nervous.

permanent supportive housing.

I want to give you a little story.

I was helping someone last night do laundry, and he said to me that he really appreciates being able to do laundry and not worry about his belongings, knowing that those belongings are still going to be there, that we have offered him a safe place.

and in that, we take that for granted in our daily lives, but just watching that with him and having that moment with him, it just showed me being in the Co-League program, it is very important for those who have been displaced to reset, right?

And then to gain that extra support behind them and not knowing how to navigate systems, knowing that they have that support and someone that cares and is going to walk them through that process.

Thank you for being that person that cares.

Up next is Calissa followed by Brandy and then Cara and then Caroline Sanders-Lundgren.

Thank you.

Brandy?

No.

Calissa.

Yes.

Thank you.

I'm Calissa.

Welcome.

Good evening.

My name is Calissa Eversman.

I live in District 5, and I work for the Low Income Housing Institute in Little Saigon.

As a housing developer, it's my job to raise the capital money and to build the units.

And I love what I do.

And while nothing can really beat the feeling in my job of walking through a new building that people are going to move into, I know that that's just the beginning of their story.

Today, I'd really like to urge the Council to please prioritize $21 million for tenant-based rental assistance for nonprofit providers like Lehigh.

Specifically, please consider dedicating $10 million of these funds to the Seattle Office of Housing to help stabilize their current portfolio.

We can continue to build as much housing as we want, but it won't matter.

Nothing I do will matter.

It won't make a difference if we can't help people stay housed.

That's why we build it.

Providers are struggling across the city right now, and these dollars will help us continue to serve the most vulnerable neighbors and friends.

Thank you.

And now we have Brandy.

Is that right?

Yes, sir.

Wonderful.

Welcome.

Great to see you.

Thank you.

Good to see you guys.

Thanks for having me again.

I always appreciate your time.

My name is Brandy Osborne.

I am happy to say I'm a formerly homeless person of 15 years, 10 years of those I spent in the jungle because of the co-lead program and the funding that you guys continue to allot them.

In the last six months, I've been able to turn my whole life around, accomplish things that never probably would have been accomplished.

And hopefully within the next week, I'll be put into my permanent housing apartment.

And just it's because of your funding and the budget that you guys allot the time and money and effort to put forth because they can help us in ways that nobody else has been able to help.

I don't really know what else to say.

I came completely unprepared today.

I wasn't expecting to speak to you guys again, but I got talked into it and I love you guys so much.

I just came back to do it all over again.

So just keep up the good work and we appreciate any help you guys can give us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Beth Osborne, born ready.

Up next is Kara Williams and then Kara Lane.

Kara, welcome.

And you can move that microphone.

There it is.

Welcome.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Kara Williams.

I work at the Low Income Housing Institute.

I am here to express strong support for the proposed 11 million in rental assistance and request that 10 million additional dollars be allocated to the Office of Housing portfolio to support low income housing providers like Lehigh.

Our city's affordable housing system is under incredible strain.

As you know, providers are facing rising operating costs while tenants, many of whom are seniors, families, and people with disabilities, are still struggling to recover from the economic and housing shocks from the pandemic.

This funding will help stabilize households before they fall into homelessness and ensure providers can continue to operate buildings that keep people safely housed.

Every dollar spent on rental assistance prevents far higher costs in emergency shelters, healthcare and crisis services.

This is an important investment in housing stability for our community, especially given the many uncertainties in federal funding right now.

I urge you to allocate $21.4 million total to tenant-based rental assistance.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And we now have Carol Lane and then we'll switch to 21 through 40. Carol Lane, welcome.

Thank you.

Good evening, Council.

For the record, my name is Carol Ann Sanders-Lundgren.

I'm here representing lead and co-lead, one of many.

I would submit that you have actually already heard from the most important voices on this subject today, so I will keep it short and I'm going to tell you a little story.

It goes like this.

Almost 16 years ago, after many years, dare I say decades, of litigating and spinning of wheels, a small group of Seattle's police, prosecutors, public defenders, and community leaders sat down at the same table and they agreed to try something different.

They dreamed up the LEAD framework, a city-led, city-deployed mechanism for not just repeatedly arresting people to no end or looking the other way, but of activating a third path that translates to real change.

LEAD would do what first responders cannot do.

they would do the long work of walking alongside people on the other side of their crisis.

We are still doing this work today.

We are viewed as mission-critical partners, I'm proud to say, by CARE, FIRE, and SPD, and so my ask for this council is to very simply stay the course, let us see our way to the end of this story.

We want to...

Thank you and apologies for mispronouncing your name.

That's why I'm recommended to use numbers, but I feel it's so impersonal.

I don't have number 20 signed up.

Are you number 20?

You have number 20. What is your name?

It's on the next sheet.

Oh, you're Martha Kidani at 22.

No, I'm 20.

It's okay.

We're going to have you go.

Come on up.

You're up.

Thank you council members for taking into consideration the community needs shared here today.

My name is Marta Kidana and I'm the community engagement manager at Low Income Housing Institute.

First, I would like to thank Mayor Harrell and his office for allocating the funds for tiny house villages in the budget.

These tiny houses will help meet the deep need of our unhoused neighbors.

Lehigh would also like to thank council members for the 11 million dollars allocated for rental assistance as many people are being squeezed by growing expenses on everything from food to medical bills.

But unfortunately this funding is not enough to keep people from sliding into becoming unhoused.

We as a non-profit housing provider have a duty to speak up for the needs of our clients and ask that the council add an additional 10 million to directly support the office of housing portfolio keeping many Seattleites safe.

However, as a human right, please dedicate 21.4 million total for tenant-based rental assistance to keep Seattle community members housed.

Thank you, council members for your listening and taking the time to hear our request.

Thank you.

Thank you, Martha.

And as we now move into 21 through 40, we're at the bottom of the fourth, Seattle Mariners four, the other team nil.

That is what they will be forever known as, the other team.

Up next is Joseph, followed by...

22. Mr. and Mrs. Castle.

Alicia Scott.

Lee.

David Haynes.

Demontris.

Gerald Murphy.

Julia Beeboot.

Judith Hanson.

Dwight Wickerson.

Lily Hayward.

Sam Wolf.

Leslie Stewart, Jason Austin, Nathan Ellis, Jarvis Henderson, Allen, I believe is the name.

So with that, Joseph, welcome.

Thanks, my name is Joey Lopez, I live in District 3, I work in District 4, and I worship in District 7. As one of the executive directors of the Church Council of Greater Seattle, we urge you to build and pass a budget that reflects the values of community care.

You have a duty to invest city funds in equitable evidence-based strategies that support thriving communities.

It's clear the city's deficit is indicative of a revenue problem, not an expense problem.

It's great to see more funding that will benefit the communities being directly impacted by the federal administration.

Yet this council has a track record of cutting these additions while preserving dollars to surveil and punish our communities.

The city needs more progressive revenue sources and we need you to act on bold policy.

We firmly believe that budgets are a moral document and they speak to the values of our city through public investment.

We will continue to push this council to listen and invest in community care over punishment.

Seattle can and should invest in all communities.

Thank you, Joey.

Up next is Mr. and Mrs. Castle.

Alyssa Scott, 22.

You and Martha must have switched your numbers.

No.

It's okay.

It's okay.

No.

Melissa Scott.

Alyssa Scott.

Alyssa Scott.

Yes.

She was in front of me.

Totally fine.

Totally fine.

Alyssa, welcome.

Hi, thank you.

So my name's Alyssa Scott and I'm here on behalf of Lehigh.

I'm here to speak about the urgent need for affordable housing and rental assistance.

I can tell you from experience because I had a house for 20 years.

I raised my kids there.

And I had a brain tumor.

My husband, I got sick.

And we ended up getting a tent and living by the troll.

And if it wasn't for Lehi coming in and giving us a tiny house and teaching us how to have dignity again because it was so embarrassing and so shameful.

If at the time I would have had rental assistance and I would never have been homeless, you know, it was an awful experience that Lehigh, by the grace of God, found us and helped us.

And now today I live in a Lehigh building.

and I love it.

And I'm able to afford my rent.

It's an affordable housing, Abbey Lincoln Court, and they have done an amazing job.

And so please think about it, like giving, allocating the money to it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Now let's see if I can get back on track.

So now we're at Mr. and Mrs. Castle.

Is that correct?

No.

Cecilia Castle?

I have, so we started with 21. Yeah, there we go.

Celia Castle.

Yes, indeed.

Fantastic.

Yes.

Welcome.

All right.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Celia Castle, and I am here as a member of South Seattle Friends Meeting, along with my friend Sally.

We worship in the Central Area Senior Center.

Celia, I'm going to ask you to Mick Jagger that microphone.

There you go.

Better?

You're like a rock star.

Okay.

We worship in the Central Area Senior Center within Council Member Hollingsworth District.

I also live in District 3 and Sally lives in District 4. I stand united with the Church Council and Seattle Solidarity Budget.

As people of faith, we believe that budgets are moral documents.

I believe Seattle would be safer if the budget-funded community-led solutions investing in programs that promote food security, affordable housing, violent prevention, emergency financial assistance, mental health and substance abuse treatment.

I believe that Seattle is less safe due to expanding surveillance and other policing of our communities.

Seattle does not have a spending problem.

It has a revenue problem.

This budget needs to embrace progressive revenue and prioritize community investment.

Thank you.

I appreciate you all listening.

Thank you Celia.

And so now up next is Alicia Scott.

You're not here.

We already went, okay.

So then I've got Chloe Gillett is next.

Gio.

David Haynes has got 24. I'm gonna have David Haynes come up because he signed up earlier for the virtual public comment and was unable to provide it.

Mr. Haynes, always a pleasure.

The floor is yours whenever you want.

Thank you, counsel.

I think we need a Department of Justice investigation of the bad budgeting that keeps exacerbating public safety because when the mayor exempted drug pushers when he was a council member and then the defund shifted hundreds of millions of dollars to buy off the protesters in Black Lives Matter and George Floyd, non-profits claim an expert at alternative policing and community safety started running interference for repeat offending criminals and conducting a race war within the budget that prioritizes not helping innocent White House's citizens, but yet looking for black and brown predatory drug pushers who want to destroy their fellow man's life and ruin the pursuits of happiness in the business community and get prioritized for wraparound housing with all these unqualified, politically connected non-profits owning all these contracts that protest if they don't get a watered-down integrity of the oversight of the spending priorities that keep undermining the efforts to solve the drug-pushing crisis and the evil, unnecessary suffering not-so-nices with noble use of the National Guard to have authorized encampments for 4,000 shelter beds and let people, like, break their habit.

Overseeing with supervised security to not allow the drug pushers into all these Thank you, Mr. Haynes.

Thank you, Mr. Haynes.

Up next is Chloe Guillot.

Did I say it right the second time?

You did.

Closer, at least.

Chloe, welcome.

Hello.

Hello.

Anyways, good evening, council members.

My name is Chloe Guillot, and I'm here as a minister of Quest Church located in the Ballard neighborhood in Councilmember Strauss' district, and I stand with the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

As people of faith, we believe that budgets are a moral document.

In my faith tradition, the Bible reminds us that whatsoever you do for the least of these, you do for me.

Every week, my church, along with a handful of other churches in Ballard, hosts a meal for our unhoused neighbors, and I've actually seen several people from that meal here tonight.

But week to week, as I get to know people's names and I get to know people's stories, I see the impact that our city budget has on the least of these.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we hosted a memorial for an unhoused man who attended our dinners and recently passed away while living under the Ballard Bridge.

His wife, his extended community, they came to our church to grieve him.

and his life matters just as much as any of your constituents.

As a church, we know that every person that steps into our building is a part of our family.

And as city council, every person in the city is a part of your responsibility.

So I pray that you'll pass and build a budget that prioritizes community care.

Importantly, I pray that you'll prioritize addressing the budget deficit with progressive revenue instead of cutting crucial programs people rely on and borrowing funds that were originally intended for community care.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chloe.

Remember, folks, I mean, there's not many of us, so this should be easier when this is a room full of people.

Jazz hands, snaps.

Come on up, Mr. Now I'm really lost.

Gerald Murphy.

You're Gerald Murphy.

So I've got next up is Lee or Alicia Scott.

Alicia already went, so now we're up to Lee.

Welcome.

How are you?

Greetings, council members.

My name is Reverend Lee Curldove, and I'm pastor at Seattle First Baptist Church in Councilmember Hollingsworth District, and I also live in the same district, and I also stand with the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

My church is at the corner of Harvard and Seneca, sitting almost directly between First Hill and Capitol Hill.

Almost every day, we have neighbors stop by or call our church in crisis.

These crises vary but typically include some kind of mental health, substance abuse, or housing crisis.

One crisis exacerbates another and they're stuck in a cycle they can't get out of.

And the reality is that we don't have resources to offer the assistance needed for these neighbors.

As a Christian pastor, my faith demands that I see the image of God in my fellow human beings, that I affirm their inherent dignity and worth.

Time and again in scripture, God's concern is those the system has pushed aside.

Our neighbors deserve a budget that prioritizes community care.

They deserve access to things like affordable housing, mental health care, and substance abuse care, essentials that can help break cycles of crises.

Budgets are a moral document that reflect our city's values.

Please see the dignity and worth of our fellow human beings and prioritize a budget of community.

Thank you, Lee.

Gerald, welcome on up.

Good afternoon.

I'm Gerald Murphy.

Take a second.

We're going to hit that start button.

You can go whenever you want, but make sure that that microphone's near your mouth.

There you are.

Welcome.

Take it away.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Gerald Murphy.

I'm here to advocate for increased funding for the meals program.

In my capacity as a volunteer coordinator at OOS Health Serves, each day we prepare high nutritious meals for Seattle's most vulnerable populations.

Hundreds of volunteers come through our doors each month.

Many of them are students earning their community service hours so they can graduate.

Together, we prepare about 6,000 meals a day for transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and tiny home villages across the city.

Each meal is made with intention and compassion, a small act of comfort for someone in distress.

This is a real impact service that changes both lives and builds the kind of compassion that keeps Seattle strong.

Thank you.

Thank you, Gerald.

And up next, the one, the only, Judith.

Hello, neighbor.

Hello.

My name is Judith.

Hold on, hold on.

We're going to reset.

Pull that microphone closer to your mouth.

There it is.

Thank you.

And I'm number 28. Good evening.

My name is Judith Hanson.

I'm a North Ballard resident and a volunteer with the Edible Hope Kitchen at St. Paul's Church on 65th Street.

I started out serving oatmeal, but was moved to table sitting.

I was asked a few months ago by a homeless fellow breakfaster why I eat at Edible Hope when I could go to a real restaurant.

Hmm, it's true.

No lattes, but immediately the truth bounced out because I realized I am part of a community here.

The rest of the somewhat motley diners smiled.

I added, and you guys know as well as I do the kindness here and how really excellent the food is.

There is respect here, everyone agreed, some loudly.

They did because both reasons are so true, the community and the food.

We all feel very fortunate to have this amazing place in our community, and it needs your help to continue in this very difficult time when more and more people are struggling.

I have so many stories to share.

Thank you.

Thank you, Judith.

Up next, we have DeMontres.

DeMontres.

DeMontres.

Yes.

Floor is yours, my friend.

Yeah.

Good evening.

My name is DeMontres Bigham, and I serve as one of the community organizers for the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

I am a fourth-generation resident of District 3. I'm a project of the Central District, Garfield High School, and First AME Church.

As a people of faith, we believe that a city's budget is a moral document.

It reveals what we truly value.

And right now, Seattle's at a crossroads, where we continue to pour millions into systems of surveillance and policing.

Or will we finally invest in housing and community safety that actually work?

When we overfund police and surveillance technology, we send a message that fear drives our priorities and not compassion.

Our neighbors don't need more cameras on street corners or more patrols in their neighborhoods.

They need stable housing, access to behavioral health care, and dignified work.

The faith committees are organized already stepping in where our budget falls short, opening sanctuaries for shelter, feeding families, and caring for those left behind.

But charity is not a substitute for justice.

We urge the council to divest from surveillance and punitive systems and invest in community-led housing.

Thank you, my friend.

And up next is...

I think we're missing 30?

Julia.

Oh, it is me?

Okay.

Well, yeah.

I think we're doing our best up here with what we got.

Take it away, Julia.

Thank you.

I'm going to go off script here.

So it's not often I come to City Hall and think, I'm going to get inspired today.

But that is what has happened.

Listening to these stories, these success stories of lead and co-lead is bringing me to tears.

This is truly government at its best.

This is what you're doing.

Thank you.

And thank you to all of the lead and co-lead folks that shared their deeply personal and inspiring stories.

I don't get to see that often.

I live at Third Pine, as you all know.

We are at the other end of the spectrum.

And one of the things I loved about what I was hearing with these stories today is there's this theme of continuum of care that is needed, continuum of housing that is needed.

And we're at the beginning of the funnel, if you want to say.

So LEED funding is equally important for that.

Contractors like WeDeliverCare are working daily and connect folks with these services so they can transform their lives as well.

So we ask you to continue and even expand that funding.

Thank you, Julia.

Technically what I have next, that was 31, 32 is Lily.

I show Lily and then Dwight.

Lily and then Dwight.

I am Sean, so folks, I'm sorry, we implemented a new system tonight where we thought sign in would go smoother and it's making more problems up here.

So we currently just had 31, we're just gonna do numbers now.

So 32 and if you can say your name so that we can check it off the box.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Leslie Stewart and I work in District 2. I am the Youth Development Director at Asian Counseling and Referral Service.

Our organization is a part of the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence and I'm here today to support gender-based violence programs being funded by the Public Safety Sales Tax.

This work is very important to me because I am a DV survivor myself.

Our team in youth development provides sexual assault and domestic violence prevention services to vulnerable youth, and the funding from the Public Safety Sales Tax can prevent further violence against our communities by providing education to youth now.

The youth we serve are vulnerable.

They are immigrants, refugees, Asian, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+.

in our SADV prevention group.

Okay.

They learn about topics such as healthy relationships, dating violence, communication skills, advocating for themselves, grooming behaviors, while also building a sense of positive identity and belonging and community.

ACRS is proud to be a part of coalition ending gender-based violence.

And again, I urge you to support gender-based violence programs being funded by the public, safety,

Thank you.

With that, we have 33. Hi there, I'm Dwight.

I'm here to support LEAD.

So one of the biggest impacts I see LEAD do often is they collaborate with all the other agencies downtown hosting a weekly Zoom meeting that we all join.

and we collaborate together.

We share thoughts, concerns, and what we are working on to improve downtown.

The biggest impact that LEED has had on me personally is I was chronically homeless for 20 plus years, tried many different ways to get on a different path.

Nothing worked.

I lost hope.

I gave up on myself.

and they were the first agency that came to me, treated me like a human being, called me by my name and brought back hope.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dwight.

Up next is 34 and please don't forget to state your name like Dwight did.

Hi, my name is Nathan Brown.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I work at the Low Income Housing Institute, which provides affordable, supportive housing across Seattle.

And I'm here to urge you to approve an additional $10 million in rental assistance, bringing the total to $21 million with funding directed to the Office of Housing and low-income providers.

The 11 million already allocated is a strong start, but those funds have not yet reached the providers working directly with tenants at most risk at eviction.

At Lehigh, we're seeing seniors, families, and people with disabilities struggling to stay current on rent as costs rise.

Without direct rental assistance, providers are absorbing significant arrears that jeopardize building operations and housing stability for residents.

This 21 million investment administered through the Office of Housing and directed to providers will prevent evictions, sustain affordable housing, and keep thousands of Seattle residents safely housed.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to this essential work.

Thank you, Nathan.

Up next is 35, one Mr. Sam Wolfe, if I can recognize that.

Hi, my name is Sam Wolfe.

I work for the LEAD program as the Seattle LEAD program director.

LEAD's purpose is to wrap around people whose stability has been occluded by extreme poverty, substance use disorder, and or mental health.

And the key to our success is collaboration.

For years now, in the U District and Ballard neighborhoods, we've been coordinating very closely with the BIA Ambassadors, Reach Outreach, DESC Host, and a number of other partners.

The goal is to wrap around and support individuals identified by the community as being particularly vulnerable or impactful.

The neighborhood has seen significant gains from the collaboration happening between all of these partners.

And it's because of the high level of efficiency and the unique partnership that we've created together.

I'd like to thank the U District Partnership, the Ballot Alliance, and Councilmember Strauss for their leadership in this work, and ask Council to support the neighborhood outreach and case management that makes this work possible.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Up next is 36.

Good evening.

My name is Alan Lapine, and I'm a chair member at Ten City 3 down on South Hanford Street and Martin Luther King.

Defunding any of the homeless outreach programs will kill people.

186 unsheltered homeless people in King County have died already this year.

186, and it's the beginning of October.

It's only gonna get worse.

Right now, Seattle could lose 200 more shelter beds in the next two months because 10 City 3 has a deadline of October 25th.

10 City 4 in Lake City has a deadline of November 15th where we have to move.

We have no place to go.

We thought we were getting a longer contract where we were staying and that is not the case.

We need a host site.

You can help us by being our eyes and ears and by helping any site ideas, prospects, or contacts.

If you know anybody or know any place, please contact Chair and give them the information.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alan.

Up next, we have 36. Am I correct?

Are you 35?

37.

37.

All right.

Let's take it away.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Jason Austin, program director at the Meals Partnership Coalition.

I wanna thank the mayor for increasing meal program funding in his budget, and also thank council member Hollingsworth for championing an additional $500,000 investment.

The 50 members of the Meals Partnership Coalition are the frontline of defense against hunger in Seattle.

Our members include the Southeast Seattle Senior Center, who rely on our coalition as their largest single source of meat and fresh produce for their meal program.

On the other side of the city, Aurora Commons in North Seattle has reported a staggering 140% increase in demand at their meal program.

I could go on.

Every single neighborhood in the city of Seattle contains at least one of our coalition members who is struggling to maintain services as both hunger and the price of food continues to sky rise.

Again, I want to thank the council for investing in meal programs and urge the full council to support these additional investments in the final budget.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And what I've got left on this list is Joy, followed by Jarvis and Lily Hayward.

I had you down at 32, so I'm gonna call you after Jarvis.

Joy, welcome and thank you for all your work on our waterfront.

Thanks.

Good afternoon, council chairman and council members.

I'm Joy Shigaki, president and CEO of Friends of Waterfront Park.

Thank you for your leadership in activating our downtown and creating accessible and beautiful waterfront park.

It has been a historic summer for us to finally open a world-class park in downtown Seattle and create a grand opening celebration that reflects our community.

But now more than ever, we need to make sure that this beautiful new waterfront is accessible to locals throughout our city.

That's why I'm here to ask you to please protect $500,000 and the Office of Economic Development for support for the Waterfront Shuttle.

This funding keeps the shuttle frequent and accessible next summer.

It allows friends and our partners to operate a summertime connector between Link Light Rail, Coleman Dock Ferries, Pike Place Market, the Aquarium, the Waterfront Promenade, and the Seattle Center.

Ridership this year grew 14% year over year.

from 75,000 to 66,000.

We would like to ask you to keep this allocation as the county is also interested in a long-term investment in creating an accessible waterfront for all.

Thank you for your support.

Thank you.

Jarvis, welcome.

And then we'll have Lily come up after you.

All right.

You hear me?

We can.

All right, good.

Well, hello.

My name is Jarvis Henderson.

I am a Tubman guide with the Tubman Center for Health and Freedom.

The City Council was actually one of our first investors when we first started out five years ago, and so we wanted to say thank you so much for your investment because it has helped us in so many ways.

Here we are five years later, and we're at the capacity to be able to take in 500 patients.

The demand, of course, is much greater, though.

Currently, our patients, they come from seven different counties, 54 different zip codes around King County, and so we're looking to go ahead and break ground on our capital project, which is going to be in the south end of Seattle.

In that south end of Seattle, we're going to build a nice, beautiful facility that will be able to help us to reach at least 12,000.

What our ask is, is we're asking that we're included in the budget to support the capital project.

Our small community project is carrying $6 million in costs.

Sidewalks, widening streets, all of the above.

So whatever it is that you do, just know that partnering with us and continue to support us is an amazing thing and we appreciate it.

Thank you.

Up next is Lily Hayward and then I believe we've got everyone who is below the number 40. So after Lily goes, if your number is below 40, please raise your hand.

Lily, welcome.

Awesome.

Thank you very much and good evening everyone.

My name is Lily Hayward here representing the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce.

We released our latest version of the index polling today and it told us that voters' priorities continue to be homelessness, public safety, affordability, downtown revitalization, and supporting small business.

We really want to thank the executive for putting forward a budget that really reflects all of those priorities.

We see that in investments in OED, through their small business funds, through expansions in the care team in their first response and also their call center in SPD and then also in programs like Lead and Co-Lead.

As you deliberate this budget season, we also ask you to keep in mind that Seattle's economy is very fragile right now.

We do see that office and retail vacancy rates are the highest in the country, that job growth is flat, and that small businesses in particular are dealing with rising costs, especially after this past legislative session.

The best path to long-term revenue stability is to strengthen our local economy.

So we ask that you keep that in mind this budget session.

Thanks very much.

Thank you, Lily.

And as we move into this next section, I'm just going to read off names and I'm going to go, we're going to switch off the numbers.

So we're going to go with your names.

So what I've got is Josh Anderson, Christopher Archiapoli, Cassie Clayton, Amarentha Torres, Nathan Wall, Heather Kirkland, Matt Offenbacher, followed by Henry Zhang and Kimberly Brown.

If you haven't heard your name and you wanna sign up, you need to sign up outside.

And just as a game update, we're in the middle, we're in between the bottom and the top of the sixth inning.

We're up five and the other team's one.

With that, welcome Josh.

Great.

Thanks for that update.

Good evening.

I'm Josh Anderson.

I'm the executive director at the Center for Wood and Boats in Lake Union Park and a board member of the South Lake Union Community Council, where I serve on several groups supporting the park's activation and restoration.

I'm here supporting a request for $1 million in city funding to enhance Lake Union Park.

The park is a vital urban green space serving city and neighborhood residents, the South Lake Union workforce, and countless visitors.

It offers extensive lawns, waterfront access, cultural celebrations, and connections to our shared maritime heritage.

With Seattle hosting the FIFA World Cup watch parties in 2026, this is our opportunity to showcase Lake Union Park at its best.

This investment will catalyze private funding and demonstrate our commitment to world-class public spaces.

The community has identified clear improvements to enhance the park for this global moment and beyond.

I urge your support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

With the One America votes, what's your name?

Henry, come on up.

Sorry, Christopher.

We're gonna do Henry, and then this whole sign-up sheet this morning got messed up, so we're gonna just do this.

Henry, welcome.

Hi, I'm Henry, a downtown Seattle resident and volunteer with One America Votes, an immigrant rights advocacy organization based in Seattle.

Immigrants in Seattle make up one in five agriculture workers, one in six construction workers, and one in seven restaurant hospitality and retail workers.

In the wake of capricious detentions and deportations of immigrants, I commend the city for its additional investment in the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

The immigrant community is as diverse as the dozens of languages they speak.

Therefore, I urge the OIRA to direct its funding and focus on community-based organizations and service providers who are the most connected to and best able to serve their respective immigrant communities.

Second, I hope that the additional funding will be renewed year after year because the underlying systemic problems targeting the immigrant community won't go away at the end of this fiscal year.

I hope that Seattle will continue to invest in access to healthcare, language services, English classes, jobs training, and especially legal services and constitutional protections for immigrants.

Thank you again for your commitment to keeping our city a welcoming place for everyone regardless of national origin.

Thank you, Henry.

All right, Christopher.

And then Kimberly Brown, can you raise your hand?

Great.

You're going to go right after Christopher.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you, council members.

My name is Christopher Archipoli, and I'm a senior project manager with the Seattle LEAD program.

I understand the fraught political climate and the need to justify where we place our limited resources.

Since 2011, LEAD has proven to deliver results.

If you're data-driven, the efficacy bears out in the numbers.

58% reduction in recidivism, 88% lower odds of prison incarceration, an average of $2,100 cost savings to the legal system per participant.

Prefer your heartstrings tugged at?

There are hundreds of success stories of people getting housed, people reunited with families, and people moving from surviving to thriving.

In the North Precinct, LEAD has worked with REACH, HOST, the Ballard Alliance, and University District Partnership to build the Seattle Neighborhood Impact Framework.

With the support of Councilmember Strauss and other city leaders, this model has had a sustained positive impact in Ballard and the U District.

In Seattle's 2026 budget, please increase funding for LEAD and include the funding necessary to continue collaborative case management.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

Kimberly Brown, welcome.

How are you today?

Thank you.

So I'd like to say that when you consider these budgets to keep in mind, my name is Kim Brown.

I work for the Seattle Indian Health Board.

I'm a substance use program director for our SUD program, and so I also am in recovery for 30 years, so I know lives can be transformed, and I believe in what I do.

And when I was going to school for this, I did outreach into the community, and I went into a homeless camp, and the youngest member in that camp was eight months old.

and so when I went back to school I was talking, our economic professor, I told him the youngest member was eight months old in this homeless camp and he said they were responsible for what happened.

I didn't understand that then and I don't understand that today why that comment was made because I don't think anybody deserves that and I also would like to think that everybody in this room would not like to see an eight month old of their family members being in a homeless camp.

I think we need to all look at really what we have control of and who we can help and that's why we're here.

Thank you.

Right back at you.

Up next is Cassie Clayton.

Is that correct?

Yes, number 45.

Thank you.

I'm Cassie.

I'm new in District 7. And when I was 17, I sold my body to Uncle Sam for food, shelter, and a pathway to education.

Sex work wasn't available to me in rural Kentucky, but it's the same choice.

It is survival without resources.

So I did get a master's degree in data analytics and research, and the studies show us that public safety increases when material needs are met.

And that looks like food, that looks like housing, that is education, and that's medication.

And so when we're talking about investing, and Business 101 says people will invest more when they see visible value.

Visible value is funding libraries, it's shelters that have beds that have adequate staff, It is food pantries that have available food for people to have.

And so what I would like to ask the council to do is to support the solidarity budget, the coalition that wants to fund progressive revenue so we can fund our tenant services and fund people.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Up next is Amarintha Torres.

Amarintha, good to see you.

Hi there.

Hello.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Amritia Torres.

I'm the co-executive director of the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence.

We represent over 30 member programs who support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking.

Today, we are recommending the council include gender-based violence in this budget by investing one million in funds through the proposed public safety sales tax.

Local programs provide legal advocacy, court accompaniment, trauma-informed medical care, support groups, substance use disorder supports, and much, much more.

This is what I think of when I hear public safety, and I urge you to include this work in the budget.

We also recommend including gender-based violence in the HSD Reserve Fund, which is meant to mitigate potential federal cuts.

We believe this is a natural fit given the current landscape of statewide VOCA cuts, Victims of Crime Act cuts, federal funding exclusions, and the overt sexism and minimization of men's violence that we are all witnessing but that will have the most severe consequences on victims and survivors.

As the hard work of budget deliberations begin, I really look forward to working with you.

Thank you for the time.

Thank you.

Thank you for what you do for our city.

Up next is Nathan Wall followed by Heather Kirkland and then Matt Offenbacker.

Hello, all right, cool.

I just want to echo the words of people that came before me.

I don't know if I could say that better myself, but I do want to talk a bit about priorities.

I think budgets absolutely reflect priorities.

It's a moral document and I'd like to see more funding for community services, more funding for youth programs.

As a Holly Park resident, I can say, A lot of the dangerous behavior we see youth engaging in, I don't think they'd be engaging in if we had more things to do.

Because I don't know how many of you have been to Holly Park.

There is nothing to do in Holly Park.

There is nothing to do in Holly Park.

And I want more to do because it's a beautiful neighborhood.

I just want to ask that we shouldn't be spending money right now on expanding surveillance programs.

We shouldn't be spending money on attacking Kirby.

We shouldn't be.

I know.

And frankly, I also want to know that we're not going to attack our ADI funding again.

It's necessary that we fund this program during Trump's administration.

So budgets or moral documents, think about how it reflects on your morals.

Thank you.

Up next, unless did Heather Kirkland already go?

Have we lost Heather Kirkland?

Great last name.

Kirkland was founded before Bellevue.

Just saying.

All right.

With that, Matt Offenbacher, welcome.

Thanks.

Hi, council members.

You know, this morning I saw 100 crows yelling and chasing a giant hawk with a mouse in its claws near my house on Capitol Hill.

And this gave me an idea that we should put the crows in charge of public safety.

They are fearsome and smart and fully staffed.

They don't need helicopters or surveillance tech.

We just have to figure out where their interests overlap with our interests, and this shouldn't be a problem as we all know that the mayor is an excellent negotiator.

So once we have this arranged, you can do what obviously needs to be done, which is draw down the grossly overstuffed police budget.

You might be thinking this is an absurd fairy tale.

However, this plan is more likely to keep us safe than the one that you have been considering from the mayor's budget.

And unlike the mayor's budget plan, this will free up desperately needed funding for community-based safety and acknowledge the common sense that the police should not be doing many of the things that they currently do.

Thanks, counsel.

Thanks, Matt.

With that, public comment period is still open for registrants, but I'm not seeing anyone here who has not already spoken who wants to sign up.

I don't know, do either of you all wanna speak?

That's all right, I'm just saying, now's the time if you do.

So with that, if we have no more public comment registrants, that will be the end of this public hearing.

I can tell you off the bat, One minute is not gonna be long enough when we do this again.

And so that's just off the bat.

But we also expected about four times the amount of people today.

I'm gonna blame it on the Mariners game.

It's currently the top of the seventh.

Five for us and one for the other team.

But I really wanna thank you all for coming out here tonight.

Our next meeting is tomorrow.

Yes, I will have to look up that date just while I have it off the top of my head.

But our next meeting is tomorrow.

We do accept public comment.

And colleagues, we will be voting the public safety sales tax out of committee tomorrow.

It will be up for a vote.

So just I know it's a little out of sequence for the other 25 pieces of budget legislation that we have.

and we will again be taking verbal public comment at the beginning of each section of the budget.

So the next section is central staff ID.

We have public comment, verbal public comment at the beginning of that, as well as at the beginning of council member budget proposals.

So with that, if there's no further business to come before the committee, I'm seeing none, the October 7th, 2025 select budget committee public hearing will adjourn.

Thank you.

We are adjourned.