Advocacy Update - September 2024

Article written by Catherine Stanford

Utility Costs are Going Up

Utility Rate projections for Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, and Puget Sound Energy. Provided by your BOMA Government and Industry Affairs and Code and Utility Committees. 9/12/24 (link)

City of Seattle Budget Process

Mayor Harrell released his proposal for the 2025/2026 budget on September 24th and kicked off the city’s official process for setting the 2025-2026 budget. The Council will be reviewing and potentially making changes prior to adopting the budget in November.

Facing a significant budget gap of a $251 million shortfall in Seattle’s $1.9 billion general fund and adding about $100 million in new spending on priorities like public safety. The Mayor proposed diverting a chunk of tax revenue previously earmarked for affordable housing and by cutting about 160 jobs.

BOMA Advocacy is tracking the Council’s discussions and will work with the Council to ensure that the budget spending is consistent with our member’s needs, particularly in the area of public safety and downtown recovery.

Here is a link to additional information about the budget process and the Mayor’s proposal: Inf 2521 - Presentation (legistar.com)

Public Safety

The Seattle City Council passed two public safety ordinances that add additional tools to help fight crime in the city.

Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) which authorizes the courts to prohibit a defendant from entering a designated area in the city if they commit a drug-related criminal offense in that zone. Introduced in partnership with City Attorney Ann Davison, the bill provides additional ways to reduce prolific and open drug-related criminal activity in key public areas - Downtown Seattle (Belltown), the International District, Capitol Hill, the University District, and Pioneer Square. Your BOMA Advocacy team testified in favor of SODA.

Stay Out of Area Prostitution (SOAP) bill, combatting commercial sexual exploitation and gun violence connected with it. The area is along Aurora Avenue.

Police Recruitment. Currently, the Council is considering a proposal by Council President Sarah Nelson to authorize up to $50,000 for an experienced officer, the highest bonus among surrounding cities.

Since reaching a pre-pandemic peak of nearly 1,400 officers, the Police Department has fallen to around 930 fully trained officers, the lowest number since the city began keeping track in 1991. Hiring has simply not kept pace with retirements and other departures.

BOMA Advocacy is supporting this proposal. The lack of police officers has been the key to the decline of public safety, particularly in downtown.

Public Safety Survey

As the end of the year approaches, BOMA’s Public Safety Committee requests your help in sharing information on the state of public safety around your properties and tracking its year-to-year changes.

We have been doing the survey since 2019 and this project has become an essential tool in communicating with elected officials in advocating for increased public safety in the Puget Sound area.

Please assist our efforts by completing the brief (about 7 minutes to complete) survey linked below. If possible, please forward this message to other property managers within your organization that work at different properties.

The survey will be available until Friday, October 18th, at 5:00pm PST.

Here is the link to the survey: BOMA Public Safety Survey 2024