The Kirkland City Council adopted the $798 million 2019-20 budget for the city on Dec. 11.

The 2019-20 budget focuses on achieving the community’s goals around being “safe, sustainable and connected,” according to a city press release.

In addition to fully funding city operations and council priorities, the development of the 2019-20 budget also responded to extensive participation from community members. According to the release, community engagement varied from a traditional survey, to an interactive budget game in which residents had to prioritize how their tax dollars were invested, to a series called “City Spotlight” that highlighted different city programs and services. One of the main focus areas of the budget was investments in police services and community safety, spurred by the passage of Proposition 1 in November.

“On behalf of the council, we want to once again thank Kirkland voters for their support of Proposition 1 this past November,” Mayor Amy Walen and Public Safety Committee chair Penny Sweet said in the release. “Your support of Proposition 1 has allowed the city to direct important resources in this biennial budget toward addressing property crimes, increasing school safety and funding services for mental health, homelessness and gun safety.”

The 2019-20 budget also calls for significant investments in sustainability and connectivity. The adopted budget provides funding for the city’s first ever Sustainability Master Plan, uses development fees to convert inspection vehicles in the Planning and Building Department to electric vehicles and provides funding for maintenance and removal of invasive species in areas that are difficult to access by volunteers. The budget also includes more than $15 million in investments in trails, bikeways, greenways and the Totem Lake Connector Bridge.

“The City Council is pleased to have adopted a budget that focuses on improving the quality of life for our residents and for our environment, while also providing funding to make sure that the most vulnerable members of our community don’t get left behind,” Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold said in the release.

More information on the 2019-20 adopted budget is available on the city website at www.kirklandwa.gov/budget.