SEATTLE -- Hundreds of Seattle residents lined up to speak at a five-hour hearing on the city's budget Monday night, imploring the City Council to spare their programs from the budget axe.

Faced with lower tax revenue because of the economic downturn, the council will be forced to make millions of dollars in cuts, said KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Kyle Moore.

"We have so much who waste so much. (We) have no right to take from those (who) have nothing," said a student of Bishop Blanchet High School who spoke to the council about funding the St. Martin de Porres shelter.

Councilmember Jean Godden said she is worried because King County and the city share costs in supporting many social programs. She said the city is straining to make budget and won't be able to bail the county out.

Abigail Echo-Hawk brought her two young children to fight for money for domestic violence shelter funding.

"These services are vitally important to the health lives of both the children woman and men in these situations," Echo-Hawk said.

The final budget decision is expected by Nov. 24. State law requires the city to adopt a balanced budget by Dec. 1.

Get more information about the budget from the Mayor's Web site.