Alki Pushes Seattle Council for Recreation Funding
Residents urged the city council to approve a budget amendment restoring recreation programs at the Alki Community Center and related safety improvements on Alki Avenue.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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Alki community members spoke at Thursday's Seattle budget hearing urging council approval of an amendment restoring recreational programming at Alki Community Center, which has been child-care-only for years. Councilmember Rob Saka's amendment, labeled SPR-005-D, would add $125,000 to the Seattle Parks budget for each of the next two years.
Why it matters
The amendment would fund recreation that Seattle residents and visitors could use in Alki, and it ties recreation funding to street safety efforts. Its fate depends on the final budget vote, which is currently expected November 20, and on how council members resolve a dispute over a proposed traffic camera.
The proposal would direct $125,000 per year in Seattle Parks funding for 2027 and 2028 and $210,000 for Alki Avenue improvements in 2027, while a $50,000 traffic camera was cut from the package by Councilmember Dan Strauss. Whether the amendment survives the final vote and how the camera dispute is resolved remain unsettled.
The players
Rob Saka
Seattle City Councilmember who sponsored the amendment to restore Alki recreation programming and plans to resubmit a self-balanced version.
Dan Strauss
Seattle City Councilmember and council budget chair who removed the $50,000 traffic camera funding from the amendment.
The details
Supporters argued that the Parks money could pay for recreation coordination, building-monitor coverage, instructors, and evening or weekend activities at Alki Community Center or the Alki Bathhouse. Speakers also said investments in Alki safety would benefit residents and visitors from across the city and region.
Timeline
Early November 2026: Alki delegation testified at Thursday's city budget hearing.
November 20, 2026: Expected final city budget vote.
2027: Proposed $125,000 Parks funding and $210,000 SDOT funding would take effect.
2028: Proposed second year of $125,000 Parks funding.
Civic Engagement
The Alki proposal follows Seattle's annual council budget amendment process, in which individual councilmembers propose line-item funding changes that are negotiated before the final vote. Here the process pairs recreation dollars with street-safety money and turns on a contested traffic camera allocation.
If approved, the amendment would expand recreation programming at Alki Community Center and related activities funded by $125,000 per year for two years. Residents would see changes in how the center is used only after Seattle Parks hires temporary staff to carry out the work.
The takeaway
Residents who want Alki programming restored can follow the final budget vote and the council's handling of the resubmitted amendment before November 20. Watching how the traffic camera dispute is resolved will show how council members weigh recreation against street-safety spending.
What happens next
The council is expected to hold its final budget vote on November 20, 2026, when the amendment's fate will be decided.
Further reading
Explore more civic engagement coverage to see how residents shape city budget decisions in Seattle.
Source note: This article includes information reported by West Seattle Blog....
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