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.