(The Center Square) – The Seattle City Council appeared willing to restore millions of dollars in funding for firefighter overtime on Wednesday that Mayor Katie Wilson slashed in her 2027-28 budget proposal.
Wilson proposed cutting fire overtime by $7.1 million annually through 2028, a roughly 17% reduction compared to 2026. The entire council seemed ready to restore funding to some degree during a Select Budget Committee meeting, but a $2 million disagreement remains over the proposed amendments.
Wednesday’s debate didn’t identify a clear funding source beyond the general fund or the trade-offs the council might have to make, since the mayor proposed the cut to help cover a $175 million deficit.
“We need, in my opinion, to fully fund the overtime budget,” Councilmember Dan Strauss, the budget chair, said, citing firefighters arriving within three to four minutes as giving him a second chance at life in 2004 when he was hit by a car. “Because every second counts when a person’s life is on the line.”
During a media availability Monday, Councilmember Rob Saka said the city found millions of dollars in JumpStart tax revenue that could help cover amendments, despite “small” growth in October’s forecast.
The council considered five proposed amendments to Wilson’s budget for the Seattle Fire Department, three overtime options, a feasibility study looking for a new station and a regional staffing comparison.
The nine officials didn’t approve anything on Wednesday, instead using it to cosponsor other proposed amendments before Strauss submits his final balancing package, with a hearing scheduled for Nov. 5.
He and Councilmember Maritza Rivera separately proposed restoring the $7.1 million cut in 2027 and 2028, a combined $14.2 million. Under Wilson’s plan, SFD officials say the daily staffing target would drop from 222 to 209, leading to more unit outages as fire engines and other ladder trucks go offline.
Firefighters have warned that Wilson’s cut could leave taxpayers waiting longer when lives are at risk.
The Center Square contacted her press secretary, Ansel Herz, on Thursday about those concerns but didn’t receive a response before publication.
“The mayor’s proposal achieves a balanced budget that protects essential services, expands shelter and food access, and invests in public safety, while making disciplined decisions to address an inherited structural deficit of $175 million,” Wilson’s office said in a statement to KIRO Newsradio.
“The [SFD] budget maintains core fire and emergency response services and reduces overtime equivalent to 2% of their total budget; this will be managed through advance staff planning that ensures coverage of a service area when positions are vacant or staff are sick,” the statement continued.
Wilson’s office also told KIRO Newsradio she would welcome using improved revenues to restore fire overtime funding, referencing comments she made during a media availability on Tuesday.
Councilmember Dionne Foster proposed restoring the fire overtime cut, but only $5.1 million annually, with Councilmembers Eddie Lin and Alexis Mercedes Rinck joining as cosponsors of that amendment.
If approved, Foster’s amendment would maintain SFD’s 2027 daily staffing target of 222 firefighters.
“What I wanted to do here was to try to understand better the role that the new hires would play who are currently in the hiring pipeline … [to figure] out the right level of investment for 2027,” Foster said.
She and Lin questioned whether some overtime positions could go unfilled because of staff availability.
Council staff said the two $7.1 million amendments would provide sufficient overtime funding, though availability is a factor; regardless, SFD could utilize unspent funds to cover other unplanned expenses.
Additionally, Councilmember Bob Kettle proposed $60,000 next year to explore building a new fire station for Lake Union. Saka’s amendment requested that SFD and the Public Safety Civil Service Commission compare recruitment, hiring and training practices with other jurisdictions and fire agencies across the region.
“More firefighters hired and trained on time means greater staffing stability, less dependence on overtime, and more reliable emergency responses in future budget years,” Saka said Wednesday.