Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka has announced his priorities for the 2025-26 biennial budget, focusing on public safety improvements, community investments, and support for working families in District 1 and across the city.

Among the most significant public safety investments is $1.8 million for non-school zone speed cameras, including installations planned for Alki and Harbor Avenue, areas known for excessive noise and safety disturbances. While the funding has been secured, Saka noted that additional steps, including data collection and new implementing legislation, will be required before deployment can begin.

The budget also allocates $175,000 for parking modifications around Alki's Duwamish Head, aimed at reducing unlawful behavior while maintaining accessibility. Additionally, Saka supported the creation of a new civilian position within the Seattle Police Department to support the department's goal of increasing female officer representation to 30% by 2030.

A notable citywide initiative includes a $7 million Council District Fund, providing each district with $1 million annually for small-scale neighborhood safety and transportation improvements. The councilmember also secured $3 million to address the disproportionate concentration of RV encampments in District 1, which currently experiences three times more RV encampments than other regions.

For families and community development, key allocations include:

• $1.5 million for turf conversion at West Seattle's Fairmount Park Playfield
• $2 million for safety improvements along Delridge Way SW
• $5 million in matching funds for Seattle Chinese Garden improvements
• $500,000 to expand the Child Care Assistance Program
• $3.4 million for the Homeownership Capital Production Program
• $400,000 for Duwamish Valley workforce and small business support

The councilmember acknowledged ongoing budget challenges, noting that while these investments are funded within existing resources, difficult choices will need to be made in 2027 and beyond. He highlighted concerns about the volatility of the Payroll Expense Tax (PET)/JumpStart revenue source, which relies heavily on stock market performance and contributions from ten large Seattle companies.

Looking ahead, Saka outlined additional priorities, including increased funding for sidewalk construction in districts with the highest percentage of missing sidewalks, exploration of automated sound enforcement technology, and enhanced support for establishing Business Improvement Areas in historically under-resourced neighborhoods such as South Park, Georgetown, and Highland Park.

The councilmember also emphasized the need for a comprehensive Seattle Police Department hiring plan and improved pothole repair performance reporting to enhance transparency and public trust.

The full text of his newsletter announcement follows:

I have continued to voice my concern about the 2025-26 budget deficit and revenue projections as I know my Council colleagues similarly share this concern. Director Ben Noble, who leads our dedicated team of central staff policy experts for the Legislative Branch, has succinctly described this challenge in a Budget Committee presentation this past week.   

At a high level, there are projected revenue decreases and revenue increases over the 2025-26 biennial. As noted in Director Noble’s presentation, there were various revenue sources tapped to balance the Council’s general fund budget against the various Council amendments.  Some examples of revenue sources were fund balances to delay layoffs by a few months, Seattle Police Department (SPD) salary savings, Emergency Medical Services Levy Reserve, Office of Housing underspend of JumpStart in 2024, and other fund balances and underspend assumptions.   

Regarding the funding source called Payroll Expense Tax (PET)/JumpStart, we have heard constituents raise concerns about preserving the intent of this important revenue source.  Fortunately, the fund has grown beyond initial projections. The growth in revenues generated have been used to assist in addressing the general fund needs.

JumpStart is a highly volatile revenue source as it is largely based upon the performance of the stock market, with 10 large Seattle companies paying approximately 75% of the total revenues received.  The Council will be addressing future policy options for JumpStart in the coming weeks.   

In summarizing my funding priorities below, let me be clear on a few things: first, with my priorities, all items are funded within existing resources, and second, I support many of the items proposed by other Councilmembers in the areas of public safety, transportation, human services, and beyond, and third, I acknowledge that we, collectively with the Executive and my Council colleagues, know that hard choices will need to be made in 2027 and beyond as some of the budget challenges remain.    

For 2025 and 2026, the list below are the amendments that I either sponsored, or co-sponsored.

Included are my top Public Safety investment priorities: 

• $1.8M for Speed Camera’s, including for Alki and Harbor Ave. This budget amount for 2025 includes initial investments to deploy non-school zone speed cameras at known hot-spots around our city, such as Alki - Harbor Ave, where excessive noise and public safety disturbances occur on a daily and nightly basis. Funding to deploy these cameras is generally a non-issue, given that they are essentially self-funded, generating revenue for our City (though there are some initial startup installation costs). To set appropriate expectations, there are a few other vital steps needed* (see *footnote at bottom of this public safety section) to start deploying these cameras given recent changes to state law, including performing robust studies and data collection, and passing appropriate implementing legislation.
  
  However, this dedicated funding investment represents an important next step by eliminating potential barriers to installations! I will continue to work closely with Mayor Harrell and our Executive Departments and my Council colleagues to ensure these cameras are deployed in a compliant manner in areas in need like Alki as soon as possible! This funding is from existing General Funds.  (Also, note in the Executive’s proposed budget, there are 18 school zone speed cameras including Alki Elementary School.)  

• $175K For Changes in Duwamish Head Parking.  Working with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), this budget amount will fund modification to the parking configuration around Alki’s Duwamish Head for a design layout that minimizes the ability for those congregating in and around the Park to engage in lawlessness which has been occurring nightly while maintaining adequate parking and accessibility.  This funding is via a proviso within SDOT’s budget (i.e., using existing funding sources within the budget). 

• Transforming the Culture in Policing.  First, I want to thank Councilmember Cathy Moore for her steadfast leadership, along with my other Council colleagues, in support of women within the Seattle Police Department. 
  
  From persistent local media reports and hearing directly from impacted women officers, my office has been acutely aware of the need to transform the culture for women in policing, a need I might add that is shared within law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is actively working towards the goal set forth by the national ‘30x30’ initiative, which is to have 30% female sworn officers by the year 2030.  We acknowledge this undertaking is multi-layered and must involve all divisions and levels within the department.   
  
  As I announced, the budget will add one professional civilian position to coordinate and elevate department-wide efforts and work closely with the nonprofit Seattle Police Women’s Alliance.  
  
  I believe that beyond the raw numbers, we must create an environment that is inclusive, welcoming and encouraging so that all officers, including women, can be successful and have fair and equal access to long-term growth, development and promotional opportunities – all of which will help drive retention.
  
  This important investment recognizes that we can’t just “hire more police officers;" we need to do the equally difficult work to ensure we are retaining them as well.  This position will be funded from civilian salary savings for 2025 and 2026.  

• $7M for a Council District Fund.  Councilmembers and their offices are often the first to hear of urgent and/or emerging safety and transportation repair or improvement needs in the various neighborhoods within each district.  This budget provides funds for what is called a “Council District Fund" from which Councilmembers can help fund a limited number of discrete, small-scale neighborhood safety and transportation improvements in direct collaboration with constituents in each district and which can be done in a more timely way.
  
  This could potentially include new hyperlocal safety investments in neighborhoods for things like new stop signs, marked crosswalks, additional lighting, etc.  Each Council District would receive $1M for 2025 and $1M for 2026. Funding is from existing department reserves.   

• Increase $3M for 2025-26 for programs to support RV residents’ transition to shelter and permanent housing including RV storage program.  In a second quarter report to Councilmember Cathy Moore'sHousing and Human Services Committee from the Unified Care Team which handles encampment resolutions, the Southwest region (including all of District 1) has an alarming 3x times higher number of RV encampments than any other region. That’s totally unacceptable. I am in full support of assisting RV residents to find appropriate shelter and permanent housing.   This important program is co-sponsored with Councilmember Dan Strauss. Funding is from existing general funds.  

*Footnote to speed cameras:  Based on my countless conversations with the Mayor’s Office and our own Council Central Staff policy and legal experts to date, I believe there are two more vital steps needed to start deploying these cameras. First, as a pre-condition for installation anywhere in Seattle, the Executive must perform a significant amount of new data collection, data analysis, and impact studies, to meet the much more exacting standards for camera deployment as required by a recent change in 2024 to state law governing automated enforcement technologies such as these. Second, the Council will need to leverage this work to ultimately pass brand new implementing legislation that a) reflects the Executive’s extensive data analysis work, and b) expressly incorporates recent changes to state law.
 
(For additional context, in 2023, Council passed a law authorizing deployment of speed cameras in various neighborhoods, including Alki. But the Council did not provide appropriations for expanding the speed enforcement cameras authorized by the new law. At the time, the assumption was that this would be taken up in the 2024 Budget. However, the Executive did not propose budget to expand the program, and the Council did not include new appropriations in the adopted budget.)   

All that notwithstanding, because no new cameras were ever installed in Alki prior to the 2024 changes to state law, the 2023 ordinance was essentially rendered obsolete by the updated 2024 state law – requiring brand new Seattle authorizing legislation that a) meets the new stringent data analysis requirements of state law, and b) expressly incorporates state law. However, our Council is choosing to fully fund these vital systems now during budget, with the goal of reducing potential barriers and expediting deployment and installation velocity. That way, when our City has successfully performed the necessary data collection, analysis, and studies, and we are subsequently able to pass a new authorizing ordinance that incorporates this work, we will be very well-positioned to start installing these in a compliant and efficient manner! 

Additional Support for Working Families include: 

• Expanded funding for Child Care Assistance Program for working families. The Department of Education and Early Learning will receive $500K in additional funds to address the wait list to help Seattle families in need to pay for child care costs if they meet certain requirements.  Funding is from unspent 2011 Families and Education levy fund balance.   

• $1.5M for turf conversion of the softball/ baseball field at West Seattle’s Fairmount Park Playfield.  As I’ve mentioned in an earlier newsletter (and accompanying community survey), District 1 is home to numerous families that have their kids in softball and little leagues. I am honored to represent a district that has the second highest population of under 18 youth. Ensuring that kids in our district have access to the best, state of the art, environmentally safe and eco-friendly turf fields is crucial. As parents know, when traditional grass fields become subject to our PNW weather, those fields get washed out, disproportionately affecting girls’ sports leagues – which only worsens gender disparities in terms of access to playable fields. Investments like we are making at Fairmont Park is a crucial step in addressing issues of access, fairness, and equity. I have heard consistent voices from many families, youth players, community/recreational softball and baseball leagues and others calling for this critical investment.  There is a similar budget proposal from our Parks Committee Chair, Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth, for a field in District 3. Funding will come from existing Real Estate Excise Tax Capital Fund. 

• $2M for transit and road safety investments to ensure safe and direct access on Delridge Way SW.    At its core, this is a much-needed road safety project. The Delridge neighborhood has a very busy arterial running directly through the neighborhood.  Notably, there are countless families and workers in the area, many of whom are from immigrant and refugee communities, who continue to face, on a daily basis, unsafe access to important local services. Safer road improvements in this busy area have been long voiced as a serious need. Again, this vitally important road improvement is all about safety and is NOT intended to impede on or negatively impact any other road safety safeguards.  This project is one of several other District-1 specific priority projects. This funding is via a proviso within SDOT’s existing budget.  

• Request for a report on strategies to attract food retailers and explore possible locations to address ‘food deserts’ in under-served neighborhoods in District 1 (specifically Delridge, South Park, and Georgetown) and across the city and to include research on specific siting options. These strategies could include specific call-outs in zoning policy and code, and other policy opportunities within the Office of Sustainability and Environment.  

• Increase $3.4M in the Homeownership Capital Production Program.The funds are allocated in 2026 and could be carried over to 2027 when homeownership projects are projected to need funding.  In co-sponsorship with Councilmember Cathy Moore.  Funds from Payroll Expense Tax/JumpStart funds.   

There are two additional District 1-specific investments that I am pleased to co-sponsor:  

• $5M for 2025-26 for Seattle Chinese Garden.  This is important matching funds for capital improvements to this wonderful garden located in West Seattle (with co-sponsors Councilmember Strauss and Councilmember Woo).  Funding from existing General Funds.  

• Increase $400K for 2025 and 2026 for Duwamish Valley Workforce and Small Business Support.  This funding was cut from the Executive’s budget and is being restored and includes Duwamish Valley green workforce development and small business technical assistance and support for small and industrial businesses in South Park and Georgetown.  Duwamish Valley neighborhoods continue to sustain serious environmental impacts from pollution, noise, and traffic. I have co-sponsored this budget amendment with citywide Councilmember Woo and is funded from general funds.  

I intend to seek ways to provide additional support for other priorities, including: 

• Unified Care Team to prioritize RV encampment resolutions in neighborhoods with the highest number of RV encampments to better enable us to target our resources in areas of greatest need, thereby maximizing our collective impact and reach. 

• Increased ongoing funding to new sidewalks in Districts with highest percentage of missing sidewalks, including our own District 1. 

• Support the potential adoption of State Law to authorize Automated Sound Enforcement Camera Technology and explore possible deployment in Seattle areas particularly affected by extreme noise violations. 

• Seattle Police Department Hiring Plan ensuring that SPD has clear objectives, outlines an overarching strategy, sets forth an implementation approach, defines specific goals and targets, and includes anticipated milestones, timelines, etc. to help meet the Department’s ambitious hiring and retention goals. 

• Pothole performance report to strengthen Seattle Department of Transportation’s reporting and accountability metrics, facilitate transparency, and improve public trust for this essential local government service. 

• Enhanced support for establishing Business Improvement Areas in historically under-resourced neighborhoods including South Park, Georgetown, and Highland Park and other neighborhoods throughout the city.