District 6 Councilmember Dan Strauss has released his initial proposal for Seattle’s 2027-2028 budget that outlines several items for Ballard and North Seattle.
Strauss, who also serves as Seattle City Council budget chair, announced next year’s budget proposal this week, which he’s calling the “Balancing Package.”
In his newsletter this week, Strauss described citywide investments alongside Ballard-focused items. Citywide funding would include reversing cuts proposed to firefighters, larger investments in housing and homelessness, and clearing violent crime case backlogs.
Strauss outlined his priorities for District 6 that include investments in transit, community spaces, the Ballard Food Bank, and public events.
This summer, Strauss funded and launched a new bus service from parts of Ballard to Golden Gardens known as the Golden Gardens Direct. His budgeting package includes funding to make sure it continues for future summers.
Strauss said he wants to make it easier and faster to get to downtown Seattle from Ballard, so he’s proposing bringing back the 15x and getting more routes added to the 17x to expand bus service in the neighborhood.
Building on work over the past two years that included the Brewery District Mural Week in May, Strauss has included budget expansions for more public art in the Ballard Brewery District. “The results have been phenomenal, and I want to build on that success,” Strauss wrote.
Strauss wants to dedicate funding for a new community garden on city-owned land on NW Market St between the Ballard Eagleson VFW and the Sloop Tavern. The garden would be operated by Spatula Farms, which had to move its previous community garden because of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project construction.
The Ballard Food Bank is poised to expand in the coming years, and Strauss wants to see more funding go to the organization. He says they’re operating at double their capacity, so he’s proposing providing $500,000 to help support the food bank’s $6 million expansion.
Strauss wants to see more funding for public events and street activations, similar to the Ballard Regnbue event held on Ballard Ave this summer during the World Cup. The budget package would make it easier to temporarily close streets to bring events to Ballard and the brewery district, which Strauss said could help fund sip-and-stroll programs like the the one held at Pike Place last summer.
Other items in Strauss’s budget include keeping West Magnolia Playfield improvements on track, adding safety improvements to Phinney Center, and funding more winter and cultural events in the neighborhood.
“We have built momentum addressing some of our most serious issues. We can’t stop now,” Strauss wrote. “This proposal will help us maintain momentum without cuts to essential services that keep people safe and help make Seattle more affordable.”
The Budget Committee has its last public hearing Nov. 5 before the council begins voting. The public can weigh in through remote commenting at 1 p.m. In-person commenting will being at 5 p.m.
Photo: Dan Strauss, Seattle City Council
