Hello, team,

The City of Tacoma is inviting the community to tell us what resources and services are important to them as we decide how to balance the City’s budget in light of a projected $67 million deficit in 2021-2022. As we consider how to address the impacts of the COVID-19 emergency on City services, it’s important we hear from your clients experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness.

I’m writing y’all to ask for help collecting feedback from your clients, residents who will be directly impacted in potentially big ways by the City’s budget.

There are a few ways we’re collecting feedback on the budget.

1. Brief online surveys related to seven budget priorities (housing, safety, jobs, racial equity, access, engagement, and health).

https://www.cityoftacoma.org/budgetdevelopment.

2. Our virtual interactive budget workshop, Tacoma’s Budget in the Time of COVID-19.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2642500249336137

3. And this is where the City could use the most help from you. For your clients without ready access to the internet, we’ve created a version of the survey you can print out and either ask your clients to fill out or use to interview your clients. I’ve attached this survey to the email. Turning in these physical surveys will be a little tricky right now, but I’m happy to brainstorm the best way to do that (send me an email at kcoble@cityoftacoma.org). If you have a handful, you could scan them and email them to me. If you have more than a handful, send me an email and I will ask a co-worker with a car to come pick them up.

I hope this is all helpful for y’all. If you heard my presentation at the meeting today, I hope you were able to hear how passionate I am about doing what I can to ensure your clients’ voices are a part of this process. I appreciate the work all of you do. Please do not hesitate to reach out if there any way I can support.

Peace and peace,

Kenny Coble

Community Engagement Coordinator

City of Tacoma // City Manager’s Office

(253) 307-6404

Pronouns: he, him, his