Essential Workers, Members, Friends, and Allies: SPEAK UP during this critical Budget season!
FUND the CORE.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine just transmitted their proposed budgets to Councils. Now Seattle City Council and King County Council have only a few weeks to adjust these proposals before they vote on final budgets November 21.
Mayor Harrell's budget would effectively CUT millions of dollars from human services contracts, reducing workers' wages in this sector even further. (Read more in The Seattle Times, The Stranger, and Publicola - but note that these articles were written before complete budget analysis.) The City is bound by legislation we helped pass in 2019 to help community-based organizations who provide human services keep up with inflation, in good times and bad. Under this ordinance, contracts should be increased by 7.6% in 2023. Instead Mayor Harrell proposes to gut the law he helped pass, and offers a mere 1.2% inflation adjustment, with a cap of 4% in all future years. We won't let Mayor Harrell balance the city's budget on the backs of essential workers: Fully fund the 7.6% inflation increase required by Seattle law, using 2022 contracts as the base for 2023 and 2024.

We need more affordable homes, quality shelter, and access to supports and services -- but putting them into budgets won't do any good if there are no staff to operate them. People who work in supportive housing, health care, and outreach; social workers, janitors, and case managers; folks who care for children and keep shelter doors open are essential workers. Essential workers need to pay rent and buy groceries. Keeping up with raging inflation is the bare minimum necessary to stabilize this workforce. Indeed, all these workers need raises. Too many of the folks who keep our communities sheltered, housed, safe, and well are struggling themselves. We can't make progress when the core workforce is already decimated.

SIGN UP and spread the word. We need to be heard at EVERY meeting. We'll help you with talking points and other support (see Open Office Hours for Advocates below).

*** BREAKING NEWS *** We are co-hosting a RALLY for HUMAN SERVICES on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 8.30 a.m. on the plaza at Seattle City Hall, with the Seattle Human Services Coalition, SEIU 1199 NW and OPEIU Local 8, our partners in organized labor, and YOU! Sign up below to get details.

OPEN OFFICE HOURS for ADVOCATES: Wednesday, November 2, 11am-1pm (drop in)

This is an open drop-in session all about answering questions and sharing expertise on how to give efficient and effective public comment. Whether you're giving public comment for the first time and want some tips and support, or speaking for the 20th time and want to touch base, please feel welcome to join Coalition staff for Budget Advocacy Office Hours! Register here!

Instructions for how to sign up for public comment are in the form below. EVERY organization should arrange for *at least* one senior leader, one Board member, and multiple folks who work in direct services to show up and give public comment at AT LEAST one public comment opportunity (below) ~ and be on stand by for meetings with Councilmembers, interviews with reporters, more.
Together, we'll make sure our City and County invest in the core. THANK YOU!

PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunities: SEATTLE City Council

• Tuesday, Oct. 11th, 9:30 a.m. - Budget Committee Meeting

• Tuesday, Oct. 11th, 5:00 p.m. - Public Budget Hearing #1

• Tuesday, Oct. 25th, 9:30am - Budget Committee Meeting

• Tuesday, Nov. 8th, 9:30am - Public Budget Hearing #2 ON LINE and IN PERSON at Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers

• Tuesday, Nov. 15th, 5:00pm - Public Budget Hearing #3 ON LINE and IN PERSON at Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers

PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunities: KING COUNTY Council

• Wednesday, Oct. 5th, 6:00 p.m. - Public Meeting #2

  • Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village (6505 176th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052)

• Wednesday, Oct. 12th, 6:00 p.m. - Public Meeting #3

  • Kent Senior Center, Social Hall (600 E Smith St, Kent, WA 98032)

• Wednesday, Oct. 19th, 6:00 p.m. - Public Meeting #4

  • King County Courthouse, 10th Floor Council Chamber (516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104)

• Tuesday, Nov. 8th, 9:30am - Public Meeting #5

  • ONLINE & IN PERSON at Council Chambers in Seattle (in the King County Courthouse)