Seattle City Council Set To Vote On Proposed Police Budget Cuts
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan's proposed rebalanced 2020 budget includes a $20 million cut to the police department's remaining budget, amounting to roughly 10 percent of what's left. On Tuesday, the mayor suggested further cuts this year were likely to face legal challenges and labor battles.
The council considering about $3 million in additional cuts this year, including a reduction in 100 officers, accomplished through a mixture of layoffs and attrition. A stronger round of cuts and changes could be on the table in the next year's budget, which the council and mayor's office begin to work on this fall.
The rebalanced budget must account for a $378 million shortfall in the city budget this year, due to declining revenue and higher costs associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
Protesters and community groups have called for more drastic, immediate action, seeking a 50 percent cut to SPD's remaining budget this year and to the department's full budget in 2021. By early July, seven of nine city councilmembers publicly voiced support for a "roadmap" to cutting the budget in half, proposed by King County Equity Now and Decriminalize Seattle.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/seattle-city-council-set-to-vote-on-proposed-police-budget-cuts/ar-BB17zcIS?ocid=hplocalnews
