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Hello Residents of King County District 2,
The King County Council is officially in the middle of our budget season, reviewing a $15.8 billion Proposed Budget for 2023 and 2024, and we want to make sure your voice is heard! The budget is one of the most important things the County works on, and determines funding for buses, housing, public health, public safety, community programs, and so much more.
In this email, we'll break down what to expect for during this budget season and opportunities for you to engage in this process.
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Recently, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined the King County Council to present his $15.8 Billion proposed biennial budget. This means the Council has officially entered our busiest season. Over the next 2 months, we will review the executive’s proposals, make changes, and adopt a 2-year budget funding critical services for 2023 and 2024.
You can review the Executive’s proposals in detail and find a timeline of this budget season here: kingcounty.gov/council/budget
You can also find a summary of the topline items in the Proposed Budget here: bit.ly/3DV8za0
Here are a few highlights of the current proposed budget:
- Converting Metro’s bus fleet to zero-emissions: $180 million to purchase battery-electric buses and $43 million in zero-emissions infrastructure to ensure that Metro’s 1,400 coach bus fleet is zero emissions by 2035.
- Building affordable housing near transit: $45 million in bonds backed by lodging tax revenues will be issued in 2023 to fund affordable housing near transit stations.
- Preventing Gun Violence: $9 million to support 52 Regional Peacekeepers Collective, trusted messengers delivering a community-led approach to gun violence prevention including critical incident response, hospital-based referrals, and hot spot remediation activities.
- Funding participatory budgeting: $10 million for a second round of participatory budgeting for residents of urban unincorporated King County. The first round of participatory budgeting concluded successfully in August 2022, with residents selecting 45 capital projects to fund in their communities.
The King County Council will be holding several in-person and hybrid town halls to hear directly from constituents.
Here are some opportunities to comment:
- October 12 (Wed) – Budget Committee: 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., Kent Senior Center, Social Hall, 600 E Smith Street, Kent, WA 98032 – in-person only
- October 19 (Wed) – Budget Committee: 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., King County Courthouse, 10th Floor Council Chambers, 516 3rd Ave., Seattle WA 98104 – hybrid meeting
- November 8 (Tues) – Budget Committee: 9:30 a.m. – noon (est.), King County Courthouse, Council Chambers – hybrid meeting
You may also provide input on the county budget by emailing budget.council@kingcounty.gov. At the top of your message: please write (1) your name and (2) your complete street address. This information is recommended but not required.
The budget season is the perfect opportunity to elevate your priorities. To maximize your impact, please keep the following suggested strategies in mind:
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Focus on broad areas of support instead of earmarks to specific organizations. Requesting funds to be allocated to one specific organization is very difficult, as opposed to an initiative or policy area.
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In responding to the Executive’s proposals, be as specific as possible. The Executive’s proposed budget has many line items and priorities, and it helps the Council to know what exactly ought to be amended, and by how much.
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Collective voices are key. The more you can form coalitions to bolster and elevate requests as a collective, the better.
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Feel free to connect to the full council. While it is important to connect to your local councilmember, budget amendments will require majority support of the council.
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Help us grow our reach!
My team and I send email updates like the one you’re currently reading every couple of weeks and we want to ensure we’re reaching as many of you in our community as possible. If you know anyone who would like to receive these updates, please be sure to send them over to our County Council website to sign up!
And as always, for more frequent and daily updates, you can check out our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages. For the latest news, resources, and opportunities to engage with your King County government, follow me on the social media channels of your choice:
Facebook: facebook.com/Councilmember.Girmay
Twitter: @CMGirmayZahilay
Sincerely,
Councilmember Girmay Zahilay
King County Council
District 2
206-477-1002
girmay.zahilay@kingcounty.gov
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