The Seattle Mayor gave his State of the City address with importance on improving public safety, increasing the affordable housing stock of the city, addressing the drug problem, and replacing aging infrastructure.
Seattle Mayor said that the size of this deficit means that we will have hard financial decisions ahead
The Seattle Mayor that passing new and higher taxes will not solve the fundamental issues needed to close the gap over the long run.
The Seattle Mayor added that while some would suggest that the answer lies simply in new tax, the fact is that passing a new or expanded tax will not solve the fundamental issues needed to close this gap in the long run.
“Our step of spending needs a systemwide analysis of every expense stream and line of business, as well as a coarse analysis of every dollar spent,” Seattle Mayor Harrell said. “This approach will safeguard that we have a well-run, efficient, and effective government in the future.”
Seattle Mayor Harrell is now proposing a data-driven method to address the budget gap
Seattle Mayor Harrell instituted a partial hiring freeze due to the increased budget gap projection of more than $229 million in 2025. Center Square formerly reported that the city’s fiscal challenges were more important than were previously known when the 2024 budget was adopted.
The city estimated that expenses would grow by $547 million from 2022 to 2026, outpacing increases in revenue and leading to a projected $221 million budget deficit in 2025.
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