Seattle, WA — Mayor Bruce Harrell has officially signed the City of Seattle’s 2026 budget into law, finalizing an $8.9 billion spending plan that includes $2.0 billion for General Fund priorities. The budget, unanimously approved by the Seattle City Council last week, reflects major investments in affordable housing, public safety, food access, and essential services amid growing uncertainty over federal funding.
The 2026 budget preserves key elements of the Mayor’s original proposal, including Seattle’s largest-ever investment in affordable housing, a significant expansion of the CARE Department’s community crisis response team, and new initiatives aimed at ensuring stable access to healthy foods across the city.
“This budget is an affirmation of Seattle’s values at a time when federal uncertainty makes local leadership more important than ever,” said Mayor Harrell. He emphasized that Seattle is “stepping up to protect local programs our residents rely on” while advancing historic housing investments. He also praised the City Council and Budget Chair Dan Strauss for their collaboration and leadership.
Councilmember Strauss echoed those themes, calling the spending plan “a budget that meets uncertainty with bold investments,” particularly in housing, public safety, food programs, immigration defense, and shelter services. The unanimous vote marks the first time since 2013 that a Seattle budget has earned complete Council support.
Major Funding Measures Included
The 2026 budget incorporates two significant voter-approved measures:
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Renewal of the FEPP Levy: The Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy will invest $1.3 billion over six years under the Mayor’s Every Child Ready Initiative. The funding expands youth mental health support, doubles access to affordable childcare, and continues tuition-free college for public school graduates.
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Passage of Proposition 2: A rewrite of the city’s Business & Occupation tax structure designed by Mayor Harrell and Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck. The measure provides tax relief for 90% of small and medium-sized businesses while raising $81 million in new progressive revenue to protect essential services facing federal threats.
The budget also reinforces Seattle’s financial stability by preserving and expanding the City’s “Rainy Day Fund” to help prepare for emergencies and revenue fluctuations.
Key Investments in the 2026 Budget
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$349.5 million for affordable housing, including rental units, housing for people exiting homelessness, and new homeownership opportunities.
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$228.5 million for homelessness response, including expanded shelter options and support for people living in vehicles.
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$53.2 million toward food access programs, including expanded Fresh Bucks benefits and support for local food banks and meal programs.
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$27.6 million to safeguard essential services threatened by federal cuts, such as housing vouchers and rental assistance.
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$26 million for police hiring, building on record recruitment numbers and aiming for 170 new hires by year’s end.
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$13.2 million to support small businesses through storefront revitalization and vandalism recovery programs.
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$10.8 million for immigrant and refugee services including legal aid and workforce training.
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$9.5 million to double CARE community crisis responders and expand 911 staffing.
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$7.4 million for expanded Seattle Fire Department Health 99 overdose response and treatment capacity.
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$3.6 million for safety improvements at Pike Place Market and Seattle Center ahead of FIFA World Cup events.
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$3 million to expand downtown revitalization strategies to neighborhoods such as Little Saigon and Lake City.
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$2.7 million for continued redevelopment of Green Lake Community Center and Evans Pool.
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$2.1 million to add 20 new firefighter recruits, bringing the next class to 100 recruits.
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$100,000 to launch a tree conservation easement pilot program encouraging preservation on private property.