The 2014 proposed budget by Mayor Mike McGinn if approved should have impact for preschoolers, seniors, law enforcement, school safety, and victims of domestic violence. The total budget is $4.4 billion which includes the city's $1 billion General Fund.

The mayor's 2014 Proposed Budget:
 
·        Increases investments to enhance public safety, including growing the police force to improve 911 response times, and strengthening the city’s commitment to the Center City Initiative to foster public safety in downtown Seattle.
·        Protects and expands the human services safety net by increasing support in key program areas, including homelessness, domestic violence and senior services.
·        Empowers Seattle residents by creating a civic leadership institute for refugee women, protecting and creating opportunities for construction workers, and improving early learning and quality childcare environments.
·        Strengthens the vitality of Seattle’s diverse neighborhoods through increased funding for the Neighborhood Matching Fund, enhancing downtown traffic flow, supporting neighborhoods surrounding the Duwamish River, investing in Seattle’s historic entertainment facilities, and promoting coordination between the city and neighborhoods during major construction projects.
·        Maintains and grows Seattle’s transportation infrastructure throughout the city by supporting multiple modes of transport, including walking, biking, driving, freight and transit.
·        Improves the efficiency and effectiveness of city government by enhancing customer service functions, making the city’s fleet even “greener,” promoting gender equity in the city’s work force, and evaluating programs to assess effectiveness.

The City Council will spend October and most of November reviewing the mayor's 2014 Proposed Budget and capital improvement program (CIP). The budget and CIP must be adopted no later than December 2 and the Council’s calendar currently calls for adoption on November 25. State law requires Seattle to adopt a balanced budget.

 The West Seattle Herald will take a closer look at the budget for more potential local impacts in an upcoming story.