The Final City Council-Approved Budget Preserves Harrell’s Priorities

The nearly $9 billion budget keeps Harrell’s main priorities intact, including a bloated $486 million police department budget and millions for graffiti scrubbing. This budget is balanced, but it’s not sustainable. It depends on money left over from 2025, and a series of one-time funds that create a maze of fiscal cliffs.by Micah YipAfter almost two months of deliberation, Seattle City Council unanimously adopted Mayor Bruce Harrell’s 2026 city budget.
The nearly $9 billion bud