News from King County Executive Dow Constantine

June 2017

Renewing King County's commitment to veterans and helping the region's rapidly growing senior population

My commitment to making sure King County remains an inclusive community where all have the opportunity to thrive includes those who served our country and those who built the foundation for the prosperity we enjoy today.

That’s why my plan to renew the successful Veterans and Human Services Levy will increase our capacity to help more veterans, active service members and their families  achieve their full potential once they return home. We will also be able to meet the needs of our region’s rapidly growing senior population, ensuring that all of us can live here securely, productively, and with dignity as we age.

The current levy – first approved by voters in 2005 and overwhelmingly renewed in 2011 – is on track to serve 200,000 people throughout King County, connecting them with housing, employment, and treatment. Since 2012, it has saved taxpayers $7 million by reducing the number of people who get the help they need in more expensive settings, including emergency rooms and jails.

We will continue to closely measure the performance of each program funded by the levy to ensure they deliver the desired outcomes, applying the same framework – known as Results Based Accountability – we use for other health and human service initiatives.

I am also working with King County Assessor John Wilson and state Rep. Pat Sullivan to make sure that anyone whose annual income is less than $40,000 and is over 61, or is disabled, will not have to pay this levy. We will either get authority from the Legislature to grant exemptions, or provide full rebates to all qualified residents.

The Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy I proposed for the November ballot will renew our strong commitment to those who have contributed so much to our region, and will help more people live healthy, productive, meaningful lives in the place they helped build.

Thank you, as always, for the opportunity to serve.

Sincerely,

Dow Constantine
King County Executive.

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Creating safer, healthier schools and neighborhoods throughout King County

The Executive launched two new initiatives funded by Best Starts for Kids that will create safer, healthier schools and neighborhoods for children, youth, and families throughout King County. One initiative will make it easier for children to eat healthy, exercise, and avoid harmful substances. The other will open three new School-Based Health Centers, in Bellevue, Renton, and Vashon Island.

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New state law based on King County task force recommendations will help confront opioid crisis

A new law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee enacts recommendations made by the King County Heroin and Prescription Opiate Task Force that will help cities and counties across the state confront this public health crisis.

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West Point Treatment Plant operating at full capacity thanks to hard work by King County staff

King County’s West Point Treatment Plant is once again operating at full capacity, with the highly treated effluent sent to Puget Sound once again meeting stringent standards required under state and federal environmental permits.

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