Daily update, Oct 16, 2026: Seattle's budget hearings, a Houston tax-rate vote, and proposed federal transit-grant guidance

• Seattle: Mayor Katie Wilson transmitted a proposed $9.1 billion 2027-28 budget on Sept 22; her office says it addresses an inherited General Fund deficit of about $175 million without drawing down reserves. The City Council's Select Budget Committee held a public hearing Oct 6 and a public-comment period Oct 13; the next hearing is Nov 5 and the committee's schedule runs through Nov 20. Mayor's release; Council schedule
• Houston: the city's public notice scheduled a vote on the 2026 property tax rate for the Oct 14 council meeting (this update does not report the outcome), saying the proposed rate is not greater than the no-new-revenue rate (so not a property-tax increase). City of Houston notice (PDF)
• Federal Transit Administration (Federal Register, Oct 1): proposed revisions to Capital Investment Grants policy guidance, intended to streamline the process and improve accountability of project sponsors. FTA says the final guidance would take effect immediately with no grandfathering for projects now in the pipeline. Comments are due Nov 16 (docket FTA-2026-0331). Federal Register
• Census Bureau: a Federal Register comment period on revisions to the state and local government finance and public employment surveys ends Oct 19, per the Bureau's Oct 2 tip sheet. Census tip sheet

Sources: the links above. Watch next: Seattle hearing Nov 5; FTA comment deadline Nov 16.

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