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By way of introduction, I am your King County Councilmember, not to be confused with your City of Seattle Councilmember. For those of you who are not familiar with King County government, and are not sure how it differs from City of Seattle government, I made a short King County 101 video explaining the difference between county and city government here.
You live in King County’s District 2, which includes the University District, Laurelhurst, Ravenna, Eastlake, Capital Hill, the Central District, South Seattle, Allentown, and Skyway. You can find a map of the district here.
The latest sales tax results in King County are showing a lot more economic activity in our region. Sales tax revenues overall are up 26% in February 2022 compared to February 2019. In other words, there is more overall economic activity, more people are buying stuff in 2022, than even before the pandemic.
But it’s also important to disaggregate the data because some industries are doing better than others. Some are way up, even compared to pre-pandemic levels. Big Box stores (like Target, Walmart, etc.), are up +47% compared to 2019. Hobby and entertainment stores are up 43%. Construction industry is up +22%.
Also, for the first time, we’re seeing growth in the restaurants and bars sector. This industry is up 4% this year compared to 2019. That growth is small enough to just be inflation, but if you compare 2022 to 2021, revenues are up 57%. This past year has finally seen some uptick in this sector.
On the other hand, the only sector that continues to be lower than 2019, is the hotel and lodging industry. It remains 38% lower than pre-pandemic activity. However, compared to 2021, lodging sales in 2022 are up 161% in the past year. This is not where we were pre-pandemic, but hopefully we are on the path toward recovery.
I don’t write any of this to suggest our economy is healthy. People and small businesses continue to struggle at alarming rates and we have to do everything we can to advance an equitable recovery. But it’s also important to be aware of data like this.
Public Health – Seattle & King County, with support from Washington State Department of Health, is investigating a presumptive case of monkeypox virus infection reported to Public Health yesterday. The case is in an adult male with international travel in the past month to a country that has also reported monkeypox cases recently. Public Health is working with the patient and the patient’s health care providers to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patient while he was infectious. The individual is isolating and does not pose a risk to others at this time. More information here.
This year is a biennial budget year for King County. That means this November, the King County Council will be voting to adopt its $12 billion budget for the next two years, which will provide funding for transit, housing, human services, and more.
I want to empower the residents of District 2 to advocate directly for what they want to see in this budget. Watch my Budget Town Hall from last month here to learn about the budget and how to advocate for your top priorities!
 On my end, my top priorities have been public safety, ending homelessness, and helping our economy recover from the pandemic. We will keep working hard for you and we invite you to partner with us on building the King County we all want to see. We will host a series of town halls and other opportunities for you to engage. Please sign up for my biweekly email newsletter by visiting the following website to stay up to date: kingcounty.gov/council/Zahilay.
Remember to fill out this survey to let me know what your top priorities are!
The new ORCA system is here!
Visit myORCA.com to register your account, add value to your public transit pass in real-time, plus customers who regularly add value can update their auto-load information. Look for the new “myORCA” smartphone app in the Google Play & Apple stores. Blue ORCA cards still work and will continue to work on the new system for the foreseeable future.
On May 9th, I got to tour Lambert House, a safe place for LGBTQ+ youth. I’m proud that King County supports this incredible organization through Best Starts for Kids. LGBTQ+ youth deserve friends, mentors, and safe spaces to exist and grow. If you’d like to support Lambert House so more of our LGBTQ+ youth in King County have a place to go and grow in (especially when their homes and schools are not welcoming), you can donate here: www.lamberthouse.org/giving.
You can also volunteer here: www.lamberthouse.org/volunteer.
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak on a panel for the Housing Development Consortium’s Affordable Housing Week Kick-Off. Access to housing is the basis for our communities to access basic necessities, such as jobs, education, commerce, and more. We have some big goals for housing this year. Reaching them requires us to organize housing advocates and build momentum across the region. Let’s work together to ensure every person in our region has a safe place to call home.
Earlier this month, I went on a work trip to Arizona organized by State Senator Manka Dhingra and Rep. Tina Orwall. Our goal was to develop the expertise and partnerships needed to build alternative responses to behavioral health crises in Washington by learning from great models in Arizona and Georgia!
Responding to people in mental or addiction crises through police, jails, and emergency rooms is costly, ineffective, and often harmful.
States like Arizona and Georgia have much more advanced and healing systems of alternative crisis response that get at and treat the root of the issue.
Here is the high level summary for how these states respond to behavioral health crises. They have:
- 24/7 crisis hotline and call center
- 24/7 mobile crisis response teams
- Crisis recovery centers
Click here to read what I learned in greater detail. You can also read this helpful story in the Stranger that says more about the trip and our vision for alternative crisis support.
Jefferson Community Center is offering a free mock trial camp for high school students on August 13th and 20th, 2022 from 12-4pm. Lunch and snacks are included, and this opportunity is open to any high school student from grades 9-12.
Mock trial is a program for high schoolers interested in learning about the justice system through investigating a legal court case and arguing as attorneys or acting as witnesses. If you’re a passionate or curious person, if you love acting, if you’re interested in or want to learn more about our justice system, how to argue persuasively, public speaking, or competing as a team, mock trial is for you!
For more information, please contact Jean Lee at JeanF.Lee@seattle.gov, 206-684-7481 or 206-684-4788 with your name and phone number.
I’m excited and honored to give the keynote address at UW Social Work commencement next month at Alaska Airlines Arena! For more information, please visit this link here.
Are you interested in protecting and promoting the health of King County residents? Join me in becoming a Board Member of the King County Board of Health!
The Board is looking for new members to serve beginning in 2023.
Apply if you are a King County resident who is committed to public health principles and addressing racism as a public health crisis, including public health and health care providers, people with experience with public health programs, those working to address health inequities.
Applications are due June 30, 2022.
To learn more, please visit the website below and join us at one of our online open houses via Zoom Saturday May 21, 2-3:30 p.m. or Tuesday May 24, 6-7:30 p.m.
https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/board-of-health.aspx.
Translation or other formats are available upon request – please email KCBOHAdmin@kingcounty.gov or call 206-296-4600. Please let us know at least five days before the open house if you would like interpretive services. Spanish and ASL will be provided.
I was proud to vote yes last week on legislation declaring King County’s support for reproductive freedom. Congress must codify Roe v. Wade, and until then Washington State and King County will remain places where reproductive rights and health are respected. For more information, please visit this link here.
Construction has begun at Skyway Park as of May 9th, and will be completed in September! Work is beginning on exciting updates such as:
- A new playground & play equipment
- A mini turf soccer arena
- 2 new parking spaces
And much, much more! If visiting the park during construction, please respect closure signs and use marked pathways. Check out our Skyway Park page for full details & FAQ here: http://ow.ly/WS7I50J1L08.
King County Council just passed the Proclamation to Recognize May 10th as Asian/Asian American Mental Health Awareness Day in King County!
“Asian/Asian American communities continue to face challenges around mental health. The visibility of high-profile attacks against the Asian/Asian American community has further created a sense of fear across the community. Despite this, resources and efforts continue to fall short both locally and nationally. By naming May 10th as A/AAMHAM, we have an opportunity to spotlight the issues and to raise visibility around the need.” - Councilmember Sarah Perry
Applications are open for the 2022 Youth Sports & Recreation Relief Fund and must be completed online via our grant management platform. Before applying, read our GUIDELINES to learn about eligibility, priorities, timeline, process, documentation, and reporting requirements of this federal funding. For questions or assistance with your application, please contact Minerva Humphrie at, mhumphrie@kingcounty.gov.
New funding opportunity for organizations and school districts creating safe and healthy environments for youth and young adults. Apply by June 20 here: www.bit.ly/3MUArwa.
King County's Department of Community and Human Services is now accepting applications to fund survivor-centered mobile advocacy for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Available funding: Up to $727,448 in VSHSL funds
Investment period: July 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023 (subject to change)
Questions: Contact Allison Jurkovich at ajurkovich@kingcounty.gov
Applications due: June 6, 2022 by 5:00 pm
Funding and guidance provided by the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) Implementation Plan, found here. Apply here.
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