Mayor Mike McGinn delivered his proposed 2013-14 budget to the Seattle City Council on Monday afternoon Sept. 24. It was his third budget message and, partly because times are better and city revenues not so constrained as they were in the grim years of the Great Recession, this message was more favorably received than in […]

Word that Moody’s Investor Service has removed Seattle from its “negative outlook” in regard to the city’s  Aaa/Aa1 rating is very welcome news indeed. It means that Seattle will be able to finance capital improvements through the selling of general bonds with lower interest rates than might otherwise have been imposed. This positive outcome – […]

It was coffee and cookies and civics at the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens January 19, one of the many events and activities that the city provides for seniors who have served their communities. Each month the office taps a local official to talk to community elders about city services. This month was my opportunity to have coffee and cookies with some of these experienced citizens and talk about my responsibilities at City Hall.

The 2011 legislative session will challenge the 147 senators and representatives – possibly as never before in our (and their) lifetimes. They will be crafting a budget for the next two years in one of the leanest economic environments since the Great Depression.

The 2011-12 proposed Seattle budget, hammered out after many hours of discussion and negotiation, is now essentially ready for passage. This year’s budget definitely isn’t pretty, but it is humane. It is in keeping with Seattle values and it does keep city resources intact and ready to meet the next challenge.

In short, the federation wanted to know: how will the council close the $67 million – and growing – budget shortfall?

Seattle’s 2011-12 Budget belongs to all the people of Seattle and the people are beginning to tell us what they think about the mayor’s proposals for balancing the budget in this most difficult of recession Years.

Topic A at the 2010 Association of Washington Cities conference, underway this week in Vancouver, WA, is how to handle city finances in lean times. What do cities do when resources are cut drastically, year after year.

On Monday, the Seattle City Council voted unanimously to drop one judge and one department from the Seattle Municipal Court. It was not an easy decision; but, in these difficult economic times, it was a first step towards filling a projected $50 million shortfall.

The multitudes arrived by the hundreds at Tuesday night’s budget hearing at North Seattle Community College. The weather outside was dreary – rainy and cool. But inside it was a colorful evening, an amazing mosaic of humanity.