(Click “play” to watch budget meeting live this morning)

Before we get to what’s happening in West Seattle today/tonight, a two-part note for everyone following the City Council‘s budget process, chaired this year by West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold: The next phase of reviewing potential changes starts at 9:30 am today, when Herbold officially presents what’s called the “initial balancing package” – the draft list of changes that have made it through the process so far. You can review them (with links to individual explanations) by going here. You can watch live at seattlechannel.org (or cable 21). Then tomorrow (Wednesday) night brings the second and final evening public hearing before the budget gets finalized pre-Thanksgiving – 5:30 pm at City Hall (600 4th Ave.). The day after that, Thursday, is the deadline for councilmembers to propose changes to what’s being presented today.

P.S. If you can’t make it to the hearing but have a case to make for or against something, council@seattle.gov is the e-mail address.