 As your representative on the King County Council, I’m here to listen to you, have frank conversations about difficult issues, and work to find and implement real solutions that will make our community stronger. I work best when I know what’s on your mind.
Have your say. Take the District 6 Community Priorities Survey to help me better understand what I can do in 2023 to make King County the vibrant, welcoming place we want it to be.
 Yesterday, the Sound Transit Board received the latest update about the possibility of opening an East Link starter line connecting Redmond to Bellevue, while work continues on the connection between South Bellevue and Seattle.
At the briefing, Boardmembers learned that a starter line could open as soon as spring 2024. They asked good questions and engaged in productive dialogue about the tradeoffs and benefits facing Sound Transit as the agency expands the light rail network north to Lynnwood, south to Federal Way and East to Redmond.
The decision about the East Link starter line will happen early in 2023. In the meantime, Sound Transit staff and regional partners will continue digging into the details and opportunities for how to expand Sound Transit light rail faster. You can review yesterday’s presentation by Sound Transit staff here:
Help improve our nation’s broadband investments
 Click on the image above to look up your address to make sure the National Broadband Map is accurate
The Federal Communications Commission recently published a new National Broadband Map, which attempts to show where internet service is and is not available for every location in the country. The map will guide how the Federal government spends $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access across the nation and it’s important to get it right.
You can look up your address to make sure the map is accurate in terms of internet service availability and speed for your home or business. If you spot a problem with the map, you can submit a formal challenge through the Washington State Broadband Office. All challenges are due by January 13, 2023.
For more information about how to access the map and file a challenge, if necessary, you can visit the Washington State Broadband Office webpage.
The most challenging and rewarding three years of my professional career
 Click on the image above to watch KCTV's King County Council Lookback
On Tuesday, the King County Council held its last meeting of 2022 and my last meeting as Council Chair. As I said during the meeting, these last three years as Chair of the Council have been the most challenging and rewarding of my professional career. I could not be prouder of how everyone across the Legislative Branch pulled together to support and lift up one another in extreme circumstances. We transformed the way we work and didn’t miss a beat in serving the people of King County through a global pandemic. It has been my privilege to serve as the King County Council Chair.
Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, who represents District 5 in south King County, was selected as the Council’s next chair. I know he and his staff are more than ready to take on the challenges and opportunities of the coming year. Congratulations, Council Chair Upthegrove!
Finally, the talented people at King County TV, who have done impressive work during the pandemic to keep the Council fully open to the public, created a short video to help memorialize the last three years – it gives viewers a peek inside the King County Legislative Branch and illustrates the pride and passion that Councilmembers and staff have for serving King County residents day in and day out.
As we wind down 2022, I hope each and every one of you can enjoy family and friends and do what brings you joy. In the meantime, this e-newsletter will take a two-week break. We'll be back in 2023.
Spread the word!
Please forward this email widely and invite others to sign-up to my email updates to receive important and timely information for District 6 constituents.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
District 6
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