Wilson budgets MILLIONS for public toilets while slashing necessary overtime pay for first responders

The spending revisits a failed Seattle experiment: expensive automated bathrooms that became synonymous with vandalism, drug use, and criminal activity before the city abandoned the multi-million-dollar program.

The proposed Seattle Parks and Recreation budget identifies approximately $3.4 million in 2027 and $3.17 million in 2028 to expand restroom access, anticipating 12 new facilities through Parks and the Department of Finance and Administrative Services. That amounts to approximately $6.57 million over two years.

The expansion includes a proposed $1.4 million annually for 10 high-tech modular restrooms, according to KNKX. Their locations have not been selected. Separately, Parks officials confirm $1.8 million to build two permanent park restrooms, including $600,000 from the King County Levy. One would serve Cheryl Chow Park; the other would go at a Northeast Seattle park selected in early 2027. Those allocations are components of the broader restroom expansion, not additional spending to stack on top of the $6.57 million.

Seattle launched a one-year pilot with Throne Labs ahead of the World Cup, installing four solar-powered restrooms in Pioneer Square at approximately $116,000 per unit. Users unlock the facilities through a QR code, text message, or app. The units have a 10-minute usage limit, sensors monitoring water and waste levels, and a system allowing operators to restrict repeat offenders.

During the World Cup matches, paid attendants pulling in over $50 an hour were overseeing the restrooms. Within days, someone smashed a window in one of the new bathrooms. The Post Millennial’s June follow-up documented the damage and SDOT’s statement that Throne repaired it in less than a day.

Seattle’s earlier experiment ended much worse. Five automated, self-cleaning toilets installed in 2004 consumed approximately $5 million before the city terminated the program. In 2008, the units sold on eBay for approximately $12,500—about one-quarter of one percent of the money spent.

Wilson called the current Throne pilot a success, and her budget prioritizes expanding the program while reducing money spent on public safety that emergency responders warn could affect lifesaving services.

In an email obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show and reported by KVI, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins warned that the proposed overtime reduction would lower daily minimum staffing from 222 to 209. Depending on staffing, four to six fire units could be taken out of service daily, and a station could close for a shift.

The city’s budget presentation identifies $7.1 million in annual overtime savings. The firefighters’ union says that overtime currently helps maintain minimum staffing. It warned: “Put simply: If this budget takes effect, people will wait longer for help when they call 9-1-1 during an emergency.” Wilson maintains that advance staffing plans would preserve coverage. Wait times when calling 911 are already long.

The police proposal also raises questions about staffing priorities. Wilson funds 1,250 sworn positions in each year, 66 more than the current budget, while reducing civilian positions, hiring incentives and recruitment marketing.

According to Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle’s published analysis, planned police hiring falls from a 2026 baseline of 145 to 128 in 2027 and 79 in 2028. The proposal anticipates 43 net additional officers in 2027, followed by no net growth in 2028. Kettle warned that the staffing limits would leave the deployable force stretched thin as Seattle’s population grows.

The City Council still has to approve the budget and can decide whether Wilson’s restroom expansion proceeds while emergency services are reduced.