A plan to cut funding to emergency food systems in Seattle was met with opposition Wednesday night at the first public hearing on the city’s budget. A representative from the Ballard Food Bank made a plea to the City Council.
A crowd lines up to speak at Wednesday night’s budget hearing in Northgate
“We feel this is not acceptable.”
Under the mayor’s proposal, Food Resources and Meal Partnerships would be cut by $40,000 with only one of the programs selected to support both coalitions.
“We’re different coalitions. We’re all trying to end hunger. But putting us under one coalition will undo years and years of hard work to be efficient in the fight against hunger. We can not afford this.. especially when we know the need is so great,” the Ballard Food Bank representative told the Council.
As for other budget issues facing Ballard, the Ballard Community Center would run on reduced operating hours. The Mayor’s plan calls for drop-in hours to be reduced from 53 hours per week during the school year and 46 hours per week in the summer to 15 to 20 hours per week year round. The Sound View wading pool will be open three days a week again next summer, similar to 2010. The Gilman wading pool will be closed again next year.
To see more on the mayor’s proposed budget, click here.
The next public hearing on the budget takes place Wednesday, October 13 at South Seattle Community College at 5:30pm. The City Council has also set up a web page where you can submit ideas to balance the budget and vote on other suggestions.
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THe same week the Mayor announces he’s painting $15,00 a piece green boxes for cyclists. I guess we know where the urbanists priorities are.
Feeding people is not nearly as important as making special lanes and space for cyclists.
I cannot wait to ride my bike on Thanksgiving!
yeah, as these budget cuts come out, its getting harder and harder to see the logic in the priorities here…i think bikes are great and all, but really, how much is being spent on the road diets, bike lanes, and now these silly “boxes”? probably too much is my answer.
you people are all foolish.
the food bank money comes out of a totally different purse than any bike improvements. they have nothing to do with each other.
I’m more concerned with the Ballard community center’s new limited hours than I am the foodbank. probably a lot of the people served could afford food if they gave up cigarettes, booze, netflix, etc.
the money for these absurdities was already allocated for these projects from a previous budget. does it make it right? not necessarily but that’s how government works folks.
lattes, cable, texting plans….
don’t expect the fools above to know anything, they are from the right and shoot from the hip like Dick Cheney! Green lanes keep bikers safe and lessen congestion by not driving their cars.
Yes, shinny green lanes, so much more important than food banks. Only a right winger would think that.
If you’re gonna shoot from the hip, be sure you know which way your target is.
If the Ballard Food Bank wants to get funding, they should propose adding a bike-thru lane for people to pick up food. McGinn will gladly restore funding.