SEATTLE, Wash. — A Seattle City Council member is proposing restoring $7 million for the Seattle Fire Department’s overtime budget, after new city projections identified $12.7 million in additional unused funds.
Councilmember Maritza Rivera said she wants to use the funding to restore overtime money that was cut in Mayor Katie Wilson’s initial proposed budget.
The proposed cut drew criticism from the Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27 and the fire department over concerns about staffing and emergency response times.
Union President Kenny Stuart said firefighters are already being asked to work additional hours to maintain staffing.
“The fire department has been asking firefighters to come back after their shift is done over and over and over,” Stuart said. “Sometimes for as long as 72 hours in a row.”
Stuart said the additional work is taking a toll on firefighters.
“It’s having a huge negative impact on firefighters. Their personal lives, their mental health, their physical health,” Stuart said. “That’s just not sustainable.”
Rivera said the latest projections from the city’s budget office showed an additional $12.7 million in unused funds, potentially giving councilmembers a way to restore the fire department’s overtime funding.
When asked how the additional money became available, Rivera said the forecast is part of the city’s normal annual budget process and reflects updated revenue projections as the city gets a clearer picture of how much money it is collecting.
“This particular forecast is the same time every year,” Rivera said. “It happens because we don’t know throughout the year how much we’re collecting.”
The proposal is not final. Rivera said additional steps remain before the city finalizes its budget in November.
Stuart said ultimately the city’s elected officials will determine the level of fire service they want to fund.
“They get to decide the service they want to provide to the public,” Stuart said. “But we can’t certainly afford any cuts.”
Mayor Katie Wilson’s office had not responded to a request for comment about the potential additional funding at the time of the original report.