Dueling food aid plans shows rift between Seattle mayor, city council

A committee made up of all city council members Wednesday voted to delay by a 6-3 vote the start of Wilson’s original plan of providing taxpayer-funded meals to children from September 2026 to September 2027. 

Instead, they diverted $6 million from a property tax levy allocated for universal school breakfasts and lunches to a gift card program to be given to Black families and other minorities to pay for food during school holidays and the summer. 

City Council President Joy Hollingsworth, who is Black, presented the alternative plan, saying food insecurity was greatest in Black areas of Seattle. Her co-sponsor was Councilwoman Dionne Foster, who is also Black. 

The two argued that not all parents of school children actually qualified for meals funded by taxpayers. They said that their meal program would be means-tested and only provide food vouchers in terms of gift cards to low-income children. 

Council member Dan Strauss joined Hollingsworth and Foster in announcing Thursday in a press release that both programs could be funded starting this September with money from the city’s general fund.

Wilson countered Thursday that her original plan paid for the universal school breakfast and lunch with a voter-approved $1 billion-plus tax levy approved in 2025, not money from the city’s general fund as the three council members are proposing.

In strong words, she publicly slammed the City Council for rejecting her original universal breakfast and lunch program funded by the levy. 

“Yesterday, the Council voted 6-3 to walk away from it," she said of the City Council members' Wednesday vote to delay the universal school meal plan. 

“Now the Council is proposing to pull this funding from our general fund, which is already facing a $175 million deficit," Wilson said. “I look forward to seeing which critical services they plan to cut from the general fund to make their numbers work. I ask them to reconsider the fiscally responsible approach my office originally put forward.”

Strauss said in the statement with Hollingworth and Foster that both food programs could be implemented. 

“Some investments are just too important not to make. Every kid deserves to eat, whether that’s through universal free school meals or grocery cards for low-income children. We don’t have to choose,” he said.

But Strauss did not respond to questions from The Center Square about where in the general fund the $6 million would be found to fund the school meal program starting this September.

More than 100 speakers have testified in favor of Wilson's plan at council meetings, saying it would solve food insecurity for school children. They asked the council to reject Hollingsworth and Foster's alternative plan. 

Several speakers spoke in favor of the alternative school voucher/gift card plan.

The Wilson plan is part of her affordability agenda to make it easier for families to survive in high-cost Seattle.

The debate will continue at the City Council’s Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee, which is scheduled to meet on Aug. 4 at 9:30. 

Ultimately, the full City Council will have to vote a second time to make a final decision on just who should get the taxpayer-funded universal meals and what funds will be used.