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First up: it’s the most important time for our council in any given 2-year period—budget season!
King County Executive Dow Constantine transmitted to the King County Council 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 opportunities for public comment here: www.kingcounty.gov/council/budget.
You can also find a summary of the main 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.
 Opportunities to Advocate on the Budget
The King County Council will be holding several in-person and hybrid town halls to hear directly from constituents. Here are some of the remaining opportunities to make your voice heard:
- October 19 (Wed), 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- October 25 (Tues), 9:30 a.m. – noon (est.)
- October 26 (Wed), 9:30 a.m. – noon (est.)
- November 8 (Tues), 9:30 a.m. – noon (est.)
All of these meetings will be hybrid meetings. You may comment in person at the King County Courthouse, 10th Floor Council Chambers, 516 3rd Ave., Seattle WA 98104. To connect via Zoom, use the Webinar ID: 827 8941 9181 or call 1-253-215-8782 and use the webinar ID above. Connecting in this manner, however, may impact your ability to be unmuted to speak. For more information on connecting virtually, please visit this page and refer to the section titled "Connecting to the webinar": https://kingcounty.gov/council/committees/budget.aspx
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.
 Strategies to Maximize Your Impact
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.
Missing Middle Housing Legislation
Earlier this summer, the Spokane City Council approved an ordinance that encourages the construction of modest multi-family homes in formerly single family zones. I was inspired by this, and I am proposing a motion that would move King County in that direction.
First, it’s important to note that King County’s land use and zoning authority extends only to unincorporated King County. These areas include rural areas and small urban pockets that are vulnerable to displacement, so we have to be more careful in these neighborhoods.
Interestingly, the County already allows diverse housing types, such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes in all residential zones, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t unnecessary barriers to building missing middle housing.
That’s why I’m proposing a Missing Middle Housing Motion. This motion would direct King County to identify regulatory barriers to developing multi-family homes, including substantive, procedural or cost barriers; and propose strategies for expanding those housing types. These code revisions would subsequently be incorporated into the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update. The motion was introduced earlier this month and will be directed to the Local Services & Land Use Committee after budget season.
You can review the language of the proposed motion and give feedback here: tinyurl.com/missingmiddlemotion
I will repeat my point above about proceeding thoughtfully when it comes to the rural areas and small urban pockets that the county has jurisdiction over. That’s why I want thoughtful recommendations in compliance with our compressive plan and anti-displacement goals.
It’s important for every level of government, including the county, to build on the momentum for Missing Middle Housing and act with urgency to build more homes and solve our housing crisis.
 Cascade Hall: Expanding Behavioral Health Capacity
The King County Department of Community & Human Services has now closed on the County’s purchase of Cascade Hall, a 64-bed mental health residential facility.
The Council made this purchase possible by recently approving appropriation of MIDD funds to pair with State funds for the purchase. This action prevented further loss of mental health residential beds in King County, but we’ve still lost one-third of the region’s beds since 2018. The Council will soon consider the proposed Crisis Care Centers Levy that would, as proposed, allow us to not only stop losing beds, but restore capacity to at least 2018 levels.
Crisis Care Centers: A Generational Investment in Mental Health and Addiction Recovery
The Council will soon review the proposed legislation for a Crisis Care Centers Levy.
I’ve told you about this important legislation in past newsletters, but as a reminder, it would make a generational investment in our region’s behavioral health system: $1.25 Billion dollars to build crisis care centers around the region and uplift the behavioral health workforce.
I’m proud of the work our coalition did to create this proposal. If our Council passes the legislation, it will then be up to voters to approve the revenue source. Our neighbors out in the streets suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders need somewhere to go to get the care they need. We have that opportunity now.
Learn more about the plan here: tinyurl.com/crisiscarelevy
Watch my remarks at the press conference for this proposed legislation here.
Seattle & King County Public Health News
- New omicron variants emerging in the Northwest – KUOW
- The calm before the storm? What Covid-19 might look like this fall and winter – KUOW, KGMI, Associated Press
- COVID Boosters, Flu Shots Recommended For Fall & Winter In WA – Patch
- Study finds Paxlovid can interact badly with some heart medications, and White House renews COVID emergency through Jan. 11 – Market Watch
- Slog PM: Public Health Warns of COVID-19 Comeback – The Stranger
- 5 Superfoods You Should Be Eating – Seattle Medium
Local/State News
New airport would put Washington's climate goals out of reach, critics argue – KUOW
A Brand New Skyway Park
Last week, I joined King County Parks at the grand re-opening of Skyway Park! A $3.9 million capital project at Skyway Park is now complete, providing a new playground, new and enhanced sports fields, improved lighting, and better ADA accessibility. The project was mostly funded by the voter-approved King County Parks Levy. For more information, please visit this website here.
 Half-Billion Dollars to Fight the Opioid Epidemic
I joined Attorney General Bob Ferguson to announce that Washington state is set to receive the maximum $518 million under a resolution with three companies found to have played key roles in fueling the opioid epidemic. These resources will help King County and other local jurisdictions address our devastating opioid epidemic. For more information, please visit this link here.
 King County Elections
Last week, I had the honor of addressing the King County Elections team! While politicians around the country are trying to tear down democracy, the people at King County Elections are hard at work protecting democracy and expanding voter participation. Thank these heroes when you get a chance!
 Rainier Beach High School
Last month, we broke ground at Rainier Beach High School! A brand new multi-story building is coming and it feels like a page is turning in the South End history books. Big shout out to the youth, their advocates, and the builders for bringing this vision to life!
Watch the groundbreaking highlights here.
 King County Council Federal Priorities
The King County Council and King County Executive took our annual trip to Washington, DC to advocate for our region’s priorities to the federal government. We met with members of Congress to request investments into King County’s public transit, behavioral health systems, housing, and much more. Here we are at the Federal Department of Transportation!
 Small Business Sunday
Most Sundays, I visit a small business in our district, talk to the owners, and share their stories and menus with all of you! I call this #SmallBusinessSunday.
This week, we’re taking a stroll through Seward Park on a warm October day for some outdoor seating, bagels and cream cheese, avocado toast, and tomato soup at Muriel’s - Kosher Jewish Eatery.
The food was fantastic and there’s lots to do in the area on foot. Check it out soon!
Read more about Muriel’s, how it serves Seattle’s Jewish observant communities with kosher food options, and fills a “bagel-sized hole in the South End’s heart”, here in the South Seattle Emerald.
Federal Student Loan Forgiveness
The Federal Student Loan Debt Relief portal has officially launched! Eligible borrowers can apply for full or partial discharge of up to $20,000 in loans for Federal Pell Grant Recipients and up to $10,000 for non-Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers who earned less than $125,000 as an individual or $250,000 as a household in 2020 or 2021 are eligible for relief.
The application is available in English and Spanish on desktop and mobile devices.
Learn more and apply now at studentaid.gov/debtrelief/apply.
Click here to access the Application in English
Click here to access the Application in Spanish
Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy Program
Best Starts for Kids (BSK) is a King County voter-approved initiative to support every baby born or child raised in King County to reach adulthood happy, healthy, safe and thriving. Starting in 2022, these investments include $20 million per year for a new child care subsidy program!
- Families who are interested in the subsidy can fill out a five-minute eligibility form to see if they may qualify for help paying for child care. This is the first step in the application process.
- BSK will contact families selected to complete a full application by the end of September. There may be more eligible families than the program can serve.
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Website and eligibility form available at www.bskchildcare.org in: Amharic, English, Oromo Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Interpreters available for all other languages to complete an application over the phone at 206-208-6865.
Please help us get the word out to your networks! Visit bit.ly/bskcc-pub-outreach for outreach toolkits with sample outreach language, flyers and social media graphics. Available in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese-simplified and traditional, English, Oromo, Somali, Spanish Russian, and Vietnamese.
 Harvest Celebration in Skyway
The Skyway Urban Food Systems Pact will host a pop-up bazaar and farmers market on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on S 126th Street between the Skyway Post Office and 76th Avenue S. This Harvest Celebration event will feature local vendors and resources, including a Health and Wellness Hub in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and a "Hood Trunk or Treat" with local low-rider cars.
The Skyway Urban Food Systems Pact will give the first 100 attendees $10 in "market money" to extend their purchase power at the farmers market. The organization will reimburse vendors for the market money they receive from customers.
Business owners and residents of unincorporated King County who would like to get involved or sell goods at the event can fill out this Skyway Farmers Market Vendor Interest Form. There are no vendor fees and organizers hope to attract both food growers and local makers.
And by the way, one of the tables will be staffed by the new Unincorporated King County Economic Alliance, which focuses on COVID-19 economic recovery for residents and businesses outside King County cities. Stop by to learn about economic recovery resources that will be available in 2023 (or you can reach out to Anjilee Dodge by email).
 King County Local Services Community Office Hours
Every week, King County Local Services provides information, technical assistance, and other services in unincorporated communities.
During the office hours listed on the Local Services website, you can get information about county services, register to vote, check property assessments, and much more. Local Services makes every effort to meet its published schedule, but there may be occasional changes due to staff availability. To confirm a specific day or time, send email or call 206-477-3800.
 Free Eye Exams and Glasses
Seattle/King County Clinic returns to Seattle Center for a seventh year Oct. 20-23 with free eye exams and prescription eyeglasses for those who struggle to access or afford eye care. According to Washington Healthcare Access Alliance, vision care is one of the scarcest health services in the state. Led by Seattle Center and Seattle Center Foundation, Seattle/King County Clinic brings together healthcare organizations, civic agencies, nonprofits and private businesses to transform Seattle Center facilities into a vision care operation.
For more information, please visit this website here.
Housing Command Center
King County and Seattle officials kicked off Wednesday the launching of the newly formed Housing Command Center (HCC), a new approach to help end homelessness in downtown Seattle and throughout King County.
The King County Regional Homelessness Authority's (KCRHA) HCC is an emergency management system run by representatives from various groups and is a part of the Partnership for Zero initiative, which was announced earlier this year.
The HCC, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will focus on permanently housing people. HCC will have authority over resources and be able to facilitate coordinated emergency response, which is modeled after the federal government's response to natural disasters, according to KCRHA.
KCRHA said HCC is focused on three things: identifying available housing units, identifying eligible households, and matching households to units with support from outreach workers, also known as system advocates. For more information, please visit this website here.
Washington Recovery HelpLine
If you or a loved one are suffering from substance use disorders, effective treatment options including medications to treat opioid use disorder are available. You can call 1-866-789 1511 or visit http://warecoveryhelpline.org.
Bus Lane Extension Survey
Our friends at King County Metro Transit and Seattle Department of Transportation have installed bus lanes northbound on Rainier Ave. S. between S. Alaska St. and S. Walden St., and southbound between S. Oregon St. and S. Edmunds St. in Rainier Valley.
We’re now evaluating two alternatives to extend the bus lanes. This extension would be northbound on Rainier Ave. S. between S. Walden St. and S. Grand St.
Please take a survey by November 13 on the two proposed alternatives here to share how you travel on Rainier Ave. S, and how we can further improve your experience taking transit.
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