Seattle residents urged City Council members Tuesday to weigh housing, public safety and city services as they work to close a projected $175 million budget deficit. The hearing was an early opportunity for public input before council members develop a final spending plan. Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposal would add $37 million to the city’s homelessness response, bringing it to $183 million, with a goal of creating 1,000 shelter beds by next year. The proposal also calls for cutting 128 city positions, including 15 vacant jobs, and reducing Seattle Fire’s overtime budget by $7 million. Wilson’s plan would increase Seattle Police Department funding by $68 million, bringing its budget to $556 million and supporting 66 additional officers. That proposal drew opposition from some speakers, who argued the money should instead go toward needs such as housing. An open letter to the city also called for some of the proposed funding to support arts programs. Shelter expansion received strong support from people who testified. Dwight Wiskerchen, a former unhoused resident who now supervises the city’s Downtown Ambassador team, said appropriate housing can help people maintain stability. Dan Wise, co-director of Everyone Deserves a Home, urged the city to fund shelters equipped to serve people with varied needs. Christine Mackay, executive director of the West Seattle Junction Association, backed both the shelter expansion and increased police staffing. She said shelter and housing need to work together to help people stabilize and move into permanent homes, and called for investment in police recruitment and training. Other speakers challenged proposed job cuts, particularly those affecting data analysts and workers in the permitting department. Karen Estevenin, executive director of city workers’ union PROTEC17, urged council members to find alternatives to layoffs. Ryan Talon, a nurse, asked the city to fill 14 vacant positions on its Community Assisted Response and Engagement team, which pairs mental health professionals with crisis response. He argued civilian responders can assist people in crisis at a lower cost than sending armed officers. Council budget hearings are scheduled to continue next week. Budget Committee Chair Dan Strauss is expected to release a balancing budget Nov. 4, followed by a public hearing the next day. The council is scheduled to vote on the finalized budget Nov. 20.