Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell is releasing the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget. In this budget, Mayor Harrell is continuing to make needed investments and take bold action to address the urgent needs of our communities and advance our One Seattle priorities. Mayor Harrell’s budget proposal remains focused on strengthening public safety, creating housing affordability, and supporting healthy, vibrant, and thriving communities, while also responding to a $251 million general fund deficit with a balanced budget. The general fund deficit and fiscal position meant difficult choices that were not required in recent past budget cycles. The proposed budget seeks to continue to deliver positive progress, in addition to optimizing use of limited dollars toward key priorities and driving efficiencies.
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.
Seattle Parks and Recreation Budget Overview
For Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), the mayor’s proposed budget preserves critical services and core programming including maintaining community center hours and facility maintenance, funds a new project to revitalize Westlake Park, and expands investments in youth mental health.
SPR’s key changes in the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget include:
- Expand services provided by the City’s Unified Care Team (UCT) from 5 to 7 days a week, adding 6 staff to SPR.
- Transfer of graffiti abatement resources from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) to SPR, including Graffiti Rangers, a dedicated team responsible for inspection, assessments, dispatch, compliance, and graffiti abatement.
- Allocate $500K to support the design, creation and implementation of a “Youth Connector” program. This will be co-designed by and for teens to help improve access to and awareness of enrichment programs.
- Fund an ongoing $600K to support programming and partnerships at Red Barn Ranch to invest in youth mental health.
- Adds $1.3M in 2025 and $2.2M in 2026 to support revitalization of Westlake Plaza as part of the Mayor’s Downtown Activation Plan.
- Adds $195K to SPR’s Pre-Electrification Program to support efforts to prepare community centers for decarbonization.
- Increases fees for community center room rentals, aquatics programs, event rental facilities, tennis programs and court rentals, athletic fields, and other permits. See here for full proposed fee changes.
- Reduces supplemental summer season maintenance and support staff and reduces staffing in department administration and support
- Scales back resources allocated to park event programming and reduces park concierge and busker hours.
- Reduces resources for the Park CommUNITY Fund, as well as Get Moving and Recreation for All grants.
- Ends operation of Carkeek and Discovery Park Visitor Centers and associated programming beginning January 2026. During 2025, SPR will explore alternative service delivery models.
For more information on the proposed budget, read the mayor’s press release here: https://harrell.seattle.gov/2024/09/24/mayor-harrell-announces-2025-2026-budget-proposal/
Next Steps
Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s 2025-2026 Proposed Budget. Public hearings are on October 16 and November 12. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Thursday, November 21. Read more about the Mayor’s proposed budget here: https://harrell.seattle.gov/2024/09/24/mayor-harrell-announces-2025-2026-budget-proposal/, and you can also direct any questions to MOS_COMMS@seattle.gov.