 Donating mobility to Bellevue LifeSpring
 Left to right: Bellevue LifeSpring Director of Programs Neal Mizushima, me, and Bellevue LifeSpring Executive Director Jennifer Fischer
Each year, the King County Council donates retired Metro vanpool vans, which still have a lot of life in them, to local organizations serving the community. This year, I donated a van to Bellevue LifeSpring, which fosters stability and self-sufficiency for students in the Bellevue School District and their families through providing food, clothing, education, and emergency assistance.
Bellevue LifeSpring helps students focus on their education and break the cycle of poverty by addressing basic needs, including grocery store vouchers, gift cards for new clothes, scholarships, and utility and rental support. I’m especially excited that the donated van is being used at their new family hub at Stevenson Elementary School, in addition to the first Hub at Highland Middle School. These one-stop centers help more families connect to resources in a welcoming, inclusive environment. With more Bellevue School District students experiencing poverty and homelessness than ever before, their work is more essential than ever. I am thrilled that I was able to support them with a van donation and appreciate everything they do.
ICYMI: East Lake Sammamish Trail is now open!
 Click the image to watch the video
Last Saturday, I joined King County and community leaders from across the Eastside to celebrate the exciting opening of the East Lake Sammamish Trail, our newest addition to the Leafline Regional Trails network.
The completed 11-mile East Lake Sammamish Trail connects to the Burke-Gilman, Sammamish River, Marymoor Connector, and Issaquah-Preston trails, providing a safe, accessible paved path for people of all ages and abilities to walk, ride, roll, and bike.
King County Council to take up mid-biennial budget
 Earlier this week, King County Executive Dow Constantine transmitted the County’s mid-biennial budget proposal to the County Council. This budget will modify the County’s two-year 2023-2024 budget, adopted by the Council last November, to better reflect changing economic conditions and to make modifications to respond to the county's changing needs.
Notably, this mid-biennial budget will include cuts to mitigate the significant shortfall that the County’s general fund is facing starting in 2025. This shortfall is due in large part to our state’s self-imposed tax restrictions that mean revenue collections do not keep up with the growing costs to provide King County’s core services, including public health, courts, sheriff, and more.
Over the coming two months, the King County Council will be reviewing and amending the budget before adopting it in November. I will be looking at ways to minimize the impacts of cuts to important services that the County provides for our residents. I encourage you to write me with your priorities as well as concerns you have about cuts in this and future County budgets.
Read more about the proposed mid-biennial budget in the Seattle Times:
Sound off on Sound Transit fares
 Next year, Sound Transit will be making exciting progress to expand our regional light rail network, with the spring opening of the East Link Starter Line serving Bellevue and Redmond, as well as a fall extension from Seattle north to Lynnwood. As more riders from more places begin to use the light rail system, Sound Transit is considering changes to Link light rail fares and its parking program, and your feedback is needed.
Learn more about some of the options for adjusting transit fares and parking access by scrolling through this online open house:
And be sure to take Sound Transit’s survey:
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
|
