The work of a Seattle parking enforcement officer doesn’t arouse much envy, considering what ire a ticket under a wiper blade can inspire.

But as one of the few revenue-generating jobs at City Hall, they should be a budget writer’s best friend.

Not this year. The Seattle Police Department has had 18 vacant parking enforcement positions since 2020, and Mayor Katie Wilson’s budget proposal eliminates half of them in a bid to “rightsize” departmental spending and balance the city’s books.

Wilson’s cost-cutting may actually stop dollars from flowing back to the city.

An analysis by the city’s central staff does the math: Each parking enforcement officer costs the city about $115,000 in salary and benefits but typically writes enough tickets a year to generate $200,000 in revenue.

That’s an extra $85,000 per officer, which means the city will lose about $765,000 a year by cutting those nine positions.

Trimming costs that actually cut potential revenue isn’t a typical budget maneuver, but here is the result…