Seattle’s council president says he’s dealing with a different ‘black budget’

The Seattle City Council president said he is working on two budgets — his district and a “Black budget” — and urged Black citizens to come together as “the most powerful political party” in Seattle.

Joy Hollingsworth, Seattle City Council president and District 3 representative, told attendees of the State of Africatown 2026 conference how she talked about how the “Black budget” was reflected in the city’s budget. A community town hall, focused on uplifting Seattle’s Black community, was held in late February, but Hollingsworth’s words were revived by Seattle talk show host Jason Rantz.

“So, I get two budgets every year when I go to council member Dan Strauss. I get three district budgets and then there’s the black budget,” Hollingsworth told the audience.

Hollingsworth’s comments came just days before Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson ordered city agencies to cut their budgets for next year by 5% to 10%. Seattle faces an estimated $140 million budget deficit in fiscal year 2026.

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During his speech, Hollingsworth talked about how he rallied about 70 black people to testify last year on the city’s budget, calling it “Black Budget Day.”

“It’s important that they see us, that they hear us, that we don’t just show up for certain things that we’re talking about down here,” said Hollingsworth about Black Budget Day. “There are political parties in Seattle and I believe that if black people come together, ​​​​​​​​​we can be the most powerful political party in the city of Seattle. We have to combine our forces.”

Rantz invited Hollingsworth on his radio show to explain what he meant by the term “Black budget,” suggesting that whether he meant this as an actual budget or a term used for political advertising, “it’s still a problem.”

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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson declared last year in a barista row, “I don’t buy Starbucks, and neither should you.” (David Ryder/Reuters)

“But we can rightly call it a ‘white budget,'” Rantz wrote. “And it’s good to ask why Hollingsworth doesn’t seem willing to give it to their other districts yours the budget. Maybe he doesn’t care enough about Asians or Latinos?”

Rantz said Hollingsworth canceled the interview with his station, but in a statement sent to Fox News Digital Hollingsworth said the Black budget is about “targeted investments and resources directed at communities that have historically impacted Seattle.”

“This is about addressing longstanding challenges in public safety, infrastructure, small business support, clean and safe parks, roads and streets, and workforce development,” Hollingsworth said.

A view of the Seattle skyline from a street in Seattle, Wash. (Nick Lanum/Fox News Digital)

“In Seattle, we need to stay focused on delivering the basics of the city,” Hollingsworth continued. “That’s what communities across our city are asking for and what they want to see government do every day. We’re focused on the basics of local government, safe streets, reliable infrastructure, responsive city services and clean public spaces.”

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Asked what percentage of Seattle’s $8.9 billion budget should be allocated to the “black budget,” Hollingsworth said in an email: “8.9 billion dollars. City budget.”