Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell is releasing the 2023-2024 Proposed Mid-Biennial Budget Adjustments. This budget reflects Mayor Harrell’s continued commitment to, and investment in, bold actions that address urgent needs of our communities and advance our One Seattle priorities. Mayor Harrell’s proposal continues work initiated in the 2023 Adopted Budget to invest in creating safe, healthy, and thriving communities. This budget continues supporting efforts to deliver effective public safety, build affordable housing and address the homelessness crisis, activate our Downtown, and advance opportunity and equity for all.
With the investments in this budget proposal, we can work together to advance our shared One Seattle vision and an agenda that will inspire the best in our city and keep us moving forward.
For Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), the Mayor’s proposed budget includes adjustments to support program efficiency and service delivery (key changes outlined below). Before we delve into 2024 investments, it’s important to note the budget also includes a one-time technical change related to the Seattle Park District funding.
The governing documents of the Seattle Park District funding outline provisions to ensure the City continues robust General Fund support of the parks system. Specifically, these provisions ensure the City maintains a minimum required level of General Fund support known as the General Fund floor. Included in the Mayor’s 2024 Proposed Budget is a near $120 million of General Fund support to Seattle Parks and Recreation—an increase of $2.1 million from 2023. It also includes a technical change to the way the General Fund floor is calculated for 2024 only that will bring SPR in line with the inflation rate of the General Fund floor in other levies across the City and ensure that the floor is sustainable as the City enters a difficult fiscal environment.
The following is a summary of SPR’s key changes in the 2023-2024 Proposed Mid-Biennial Budget Adjustments:
For more information on the proposed budget, please read the mayor’s press release here: Mayor Harrell Announces 2024 Budget Proposal – Office of the Mayor (seattle.gov)
NEXT STEPS AND COMMUNICATION ABOUT BUDGET
Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s 2023-2024 Proposed Mid-Biennial Budget Adjustments. Public hearings are on October 18 and November 13. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Tuesday, November 21. Read more about the Mayor’s proposed budget here: Mayor Harrell Announces 2024 Budget Proposal – Office of the Mayor (seattle.gov), and you can also direct any questions to MOS_COMMS@seattle.gov.