CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
title
A RESOLUTION in support of fair, direct, and federal emergency support to reopen and rebuild local American economies; and stating that a fully funded Seattle is essential to economic recovery.
body
WHEREAS, America’s cities, towns, and villages face unprecedented threats due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic emergency; and
WHEREAS, municipalities are essential to America’s economic recovery and without funding support for local governments, municipalities may go from being a critical part of the economic solution, to becoming a major obstacle to long-term stabilization and recovery; and
WHEREAS, America’s cities, towns, and villages will experience budgetary shortfalls of up $134 billion in fiscal year 2020 alone, and the negative effects of the pandemic emergency on local communities will continue long after this year; and
WHEREAS, 3,000,000 critical municipal worker jobs are at risk, threatening cuts to basic community services, including 9-1-1 response, sanitation, and maintenance; and
WHEREAS, communities have taken extraordinary measures to protect health, safety, and the continuation of essential services throughout the emergency; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle is facing a $300 million budget shortfall from the COVID-19 emergency due to the City’s expected revenue loss; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has increased emergency expenditures for rental assistance, grocery vouchers, small business stabilization grants, and expanded shelter services for our most vulnerable residents in addition to providing our first responders with personal protective equipment and coronavirus testing; and
WHEREAS, the City has redeployed department staff to the emergency response at a cost of almost $46 million, with additional overtime of $8.5 million; and
WHEREAS, this crisis is especially impacting Seattle’s most vulnerable communities including undocumented residents, communities of color, and people living unsheltered; and
WHEREAS, America’s rural communities and small towns are struggling just as much as big cities and risk being left behind or wiped out entirely; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The City of Seattle calls on Congress to allocate fair and direct federal support to all of America’s communities, regardless of population size. This funding must be flexible and address not only the additional expenses incurred by communities to respond to the pandemic emergency, but also the dramatic budgetary shortfalls resulting from pauses in commerce, tourism, other economic engines. A fully funded City of Seattle is essential to economic recovery. Local governments will ensure federal funds are immediately used to rebuild and reopen the national economy and that funding will keep middle class workers employed and critical services operating. The City of Seattle has been part of the emergency response and now calls on Congress to build a united national partnership for a safe, healthy, and prosperous life.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2020, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
____________________________________
Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)