Departments Missed State Deadlines that Could Impact Budget

The Mayor’s budget drops one-time money Council added last year. OPCD loses one-time money Councilmembers say they need. SDCI is cutting staff, raising fees and has not delivered a plan Council requested.

Two Central Staff briefings covered departments both shrinking and behind. Editor's Note: where figures in the budget materials conflict, this brief flags them inline as [NOTE: ...]. [NOTE: the SDCI memo's text says "approximately seven percent" in operating cuts while its table shows 5.2%; this brief uses 5.2%.] Sources: Central Staff memo, item 5, p. 1; Central Staff memo, item 4.

KEY STATS

1. OPCD: 11% cut. Two vacant positions (1.5 FTE) eliminated, $500K one-time North Aurora planning cut, and $200K of reparations planning money moved to the Office of Civil Rights. Central Staff memo, item 4 Presentation, item 4 Seattle Channel, Session II captions
2. SDCI staffing: operating budget down 5.2%; 34 positions abrogated, 7 of them filled; net 30 FTE, 452 to 422. [NOTE: Strauss said the burn rate is "just six employees" at $12M over two years; staff said $12M over the biennium is what it takes to hold 2026 staffing levels.] Central Staff memo, item 5, pp. 1–3 Seattle Channel, Session II captions
3. SDCI reserve: core staffing reserve falls from $12M (2026) to $8M (2027) to $1M (2028). Central Staff memo, item 5, p. 3 Presentation, item 5
4. SDCI fees: up 10.7%, about $369 on an ADU permit and about $372 per townhouse unit. Roughly $6M a year in salary savings from layoffs and $6M a year from fees. Central Staff memo, item 5, pp. 3, 5 Seattle Channel, Session II captions
5. State mandates: SDCI has not delivered the plan Council requested in a statement of legislative intent (due March 31, 2026, per Saka), and the Shoreline Master Program and Critical Areas Ordinance deadlines are missed. Central Staff memo, item 5, p. 4 Seattle Channel, Session II captions

Sponsor: Executive (Mayor)

Chair: Dan Strauss (Select Budget); Eddie Lin chairs the oversight committee for both departments

Committee: Select Budget

Vote count: None (briefing only)

Fiscal Note Delta: Not applicable (briefing only). Source: Session II captions.