Hollingsworth Champions Arts, Youth, and Housing in Budget Amendments
Africatown Community Land Trust, President & CEO, K. Wyking Garrett offers public comment in favor of Councilmember Hollingsworth’s package of amendments. (Photos: Jordan Somers)
By Omari Salisbury
How can you tell it’s budget season in Seattle? Chambers are packed, and public comment lasts 5 hours.
Seattle City Council continued the work of finalizing the City’s budget yesterday by holding public comment. Councilmember Dan Strauss released a budget amendment tracker to help the community follow the process and upcoming votes on the amendments. The final votes on the amendments will conclude on November 15. All council members have proposed several amendments to Mayor Harrell’s proposed budget, but regarding Seattle’s Black community, here is a quick summary of some of Councilmember Hollingsworth’s amendments.
Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3) has proposed amendments that would redirect $10 million in Participatory Budgeting (PB) funding. Her proposed amendments would allocate funding to support individuals and organizations focused on arts, culture, history, or heritage in historically disadvantaged communities. She is also proposing funding to support youth activities programming, outreach and engagement for homeowner stabilization, and a day shelter for youth. These amendments would take funding away from Parks and Recreation, reducing the public restroom access project from $7 million to $2 million.
Specifically, Hollingsworth is seeking to direct $4.685 million through the Office of Arts and Culture to support programming and media focused on arts, culture, history, or heritage relating to historically disadvantaged communities, including Black communities. This funding would be distributed at a rate of $1 million per year for 5 years.
Additionally, she is proposing $315,000 through the Human Services Department for youth activities programming to contribute to violence prevention, with funding going to 12 specific organizations. Another $3 million would be allocated through the Office of Housing for outreach, engagement, and homeowner stabilization services in communities at high risk of displacement. Lastly, $2 million would be directed through the Human Services Department to operate a day shelter focused on youth between 18 and 25 years old, with the Urban League specifically named as the recipient of the funding.
Hollingsworth has proposed these changes as amendments to this year’s budget, in a tag-along bill to the 2025 budget that is taking up the majority of the Council’s attention at the moment. It’s expected that the Council will vote on amendments this week, and give its final approval at next Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Assuming Mayor Harrell signs the final bills, Hollingsworth’s proposed changes to the 2024 budget would go into effect immediately and the money could be in organizations’ hands before the end of the year.
In addition, Councilmember Hollingsworth has proposed several amendments to the 2025 budget. Those include $1.5 million to upgrade Garfield Playfield, $775,000 to support the Garfield Super Block Park project, another $315,000 to extend the youth activities programming funding through next year, $500,000 in additional support for food programs, and $100,000 for housing pre-development costs in the Central District.
What are your budget priorities? Let us know in the comments.
