Pull out your calculator 🧠

Simplying Seattle’s city budget process

A view of downtown Seattle from across Lake Union

It takes a lot of work to run this city. | Photo by @jstn.sight

You ever find yourself thinking, “Gosh, I’d love to spend our Saturday reading the hundreds of pages that make up the city budget?” Right, neither have we.

But it is something that will impact the things we care very much about like library funding, money for pothole fixes, park improvements, and health department resources.

The city is currently in the process of reviewing Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposal — which he released in the last days of September — and is looking for public feedback while they do it.

Let us boil some of this down for you.

What’s inside 📖

There are two sides of the budget: operating and capital. The operating budget funds the day-to-day services like bus fuel costs and the capital budget funds one-time projects like building a new park.

The entire 2023 Seattle city budget includes $1.53 billion allocated for the capital side and $5.89 billion for operating costs. Pieces that are noteworthy about this year’s proposal (and certainly hot topics in the City Council and at your local pub): an increase in public safety funding, a lot of attention on housing, and continued efforts in parks clean-up.

This is Bruce Harrell’s first proposed city budget as Mayor of Seattle.

The timeline ⏰

The City Budget “season” begins once the mayor has submitted his proposal (which happened September 27 this year), at which point City Council begins to review his suggestions and decides if they have edits they want to make.

A lot of those edits will be influenced by you, their constituents. So, if you have thoughts, here are the public hearings when you can voice ‘em.

Tues., Oct. 11 | 5 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 8 | 9:30 a.m.
Tues., Nov. 15 | 5 p.m.

Meetings are available remotely + in person at City Hall. Written comment will also be accepted at any point in the process through email at council@seattle.gov.

The final budget must be approved by Dec. 2 or 30 days before the fiscal year kicks in on Jan. 1, 2023.

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, October 6

“Misanthropy: A Werewolf Dark Comedy” | Thu., Oct. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Theater Puget Sound, 305 Harrison St, Seattle | $12.50 | You’ll howl over this show, playfully using campy werewolf tropes in a story about self-transformation + friendships.

Friday, October 7

Seattle Fresh Hop Beer Festival | Fri., Oct. 7 - Sat., Oct. 8 | 5-9 p.m. | Magnuson Park Hangar 30, Seattle | $20.00 - $49.99 | Don your hop crowns for a wide selection of brews to sample, live entertainment, food trucks, and games.

Saturday, October 8

Mushroom Walk | Sat., Oct. 8 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Bride Trails State Park, 5300 116th Ave. NE, Kirkland | $20.00 | Learn foraging techniques + how to identify edible mushrooms.
Seattle Cheese and Meat Festival | Sat., Oct. 8 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street, Seattle | $85.00 - $199.00 | Grab your complimentary charcuterie board + wine glass before mingling with the artisans and tasting their creations.
Second Saturday Work Party | Sat., Oct. 8 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Volunteer Park, 1247 15th Ave. E., Seattle | Free | Hang with community members while cleaning up garden beds around the park — rain or shine.

Sunday, October 9

Gemstone Carving: Bird Skull | Sun., Oct. 9 | 12-5 p.m. | NW Rockhounds, 2720 NE 115th St. Suite A, Seattle | $345.00 | Curiosities cabinet looking a little bare? Learn how to use carving tools to create your own skull from an agate.
Mad Scientist Drink Fusion Lab: A Mocktail Focused Workshop | Sun., Oct. 9 | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Greenfire Loft at Melrose Market, 1531 Melrose Avenue, Seattle | $55.00 | Experiment with your own mad, non-alcoholic concoctions in this guided class.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

73º | Partly cloudy | 9% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:15 a.m.
Set: 6:38 p.m.

Sports

Batter up — Batter up — the Mariners now have all the details for the MLB Wild Card round. The three-game series will take place in Toronto against the Blue Jays, with the first contest starting Fri., Oct. 7 at 1:07 p.m. ⚾️ (Seattle Times)
Seattle-based GameTime Sports Talk Radio is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The 1620 AM station, which also broadcasts in Portland, was launched in 2002 to help celebrate Black athletes. 📻 (Seattle Medium)

Biz

Chateau Ste. Michelle’s CEO David Dearie has stepped down from his role at the Washington-based winery. David joined the company in Oct. 2020, but is now departing to move closer to his family and pursue other interests. The winery will now operate without a CEO under a new structure. 🍷 (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Civic

Seattle’s minimum wage will increase by $1.42 on Jan. 1, 2023 to $18.69 per hour. The increase is required by the Minimum Wage Ordinance and is set by the Consumer Price Index for Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton. (KING 5)
The City of Seattle recently launched a new Storefront Repair Fund to assist business owners whose spaces have been vandalized. The fund sets aside $2 million from federal dollars, which will be given out to eligible owners in $2,000 increments. (Capitol Hill Blog)

Closing

The highly popular Malaysian street food restaurant Kedai Makan will be closing Sat., Oct. 29. Owners Kevin Burzell and Alysson Wilson say they’re just ready for a new adventure. (Seattle Met)

Eat

A PNW restaurant recently praised by the New York Times is opening up a one-night pop-up in Seattle. Orca Island’s Matia Kitchen + Bar will host a beer pairing dinner at Fair Isle Brewing on Mon., Oct. 31 at $265 per ticket. 🍽 (Seattle Times)
Not just winging it? Restaurateur Ethan Stowell is planning a fried chicken chain with sustainable food processes in mind. Mt. Joy will start as a pop-up at Capitol Hill’s Tavolàta from Fri., Oct.14-Sun., Oct., 16, seeking feedback from customers on the developing menu. (Seattle Met)

Open

Here’s some buzzy news for you. Portland-based coffee brand Push x Pull is expanding with a new shop in Seattle’s Central District. The roasters’ shop is now open Wed.-Sun., 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at 2407 E. Union St., the former home of Union Coffee. ☕️ (Capitol Hill Blog)

Announced

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Outdoors

It’s Seattle’s first BirdSafe Week. Keep local tweeters safe from colliding with your windows — a cause of death for millions of birds each year — by throwing up some decals like these. We love these leaf designs too to keep things festive for fall.*

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What’s in a name? 🌹

Seattle needs help naming new Lake City park

A rendering of the new park showing a central sculpture with a playground in the background

The park’s sculpture is titled “Rock Stack” by artist Elizabeth Gahan. | Rendering by Board & Vellum

Want some solid bragging rights?

A new park is opening Sat., Oct. 8 in Lake City and Seattle Parks and Rec wants locals to help name it.

The department will be looking at names that denote geographic location, cultural or historical significance, natural features, community identity, or a significant person who’s contributed to local parks.

Here are some names we’re pitching in:

SEAtoday is the Best Newsletter Park | We’ll humbly suggest it could fit into the cultural category.
World Series Champs 20XX Park | Don’t wanna jinx anything, so the last two numbers are a mystery — historically significant.
No Umbrellas Needed Park | How Seattle is that?
Lake-rs City Park | If we can’t have the Sonics...

You can submit your own suggestions by emailing paula.hoff@seattle.gov or join in on the big opening day fun:

📍Name TBD’ed Park, 12510 33rd Ave. NE
📆 Sat., Oct. 8
⏰ 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Alina.

Editor’s pick: Here’s another thing to add to the list of unusual things Alina gets nerdy about — explaining city government processes. 🤦🏼‍♀️

It feels like a real life episode of “House of Cards” to me... well, minus the murder (and hopefully definitely minus the murder of the journalist). And it’s a huge part of what inspired me to join this profession. It’s adrenaline-pumping for nerds.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here’s all the buzz behind a potential Seattle SuperSonics return.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Alina Hunter-Grah, Gabe Guarente, Trevor Peters, Britt Thorson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Jennifer Fikso | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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