My first annual budget season with the Council has thus far been one to remember. Whether I was talking to residents, county department leadership, or representatives of the many organizations that partner with the county to achieve our shared goals, this has been a unique learning opportunity.  

While I often share the work of my district team in my newsletters, I don’t often have the opportunity to highlight the many other staff who play a vital role in this work. This includes the Council central staff conducting the policy analysis that help my colleagues and I understand anticipated impact and outcomes of complex topics, communications staff who share engagement opportunities and share our work with people across the county, and the clerks and committee staff who organize and facilitate the meetings during which Council deliberates and legislates. 

This year, as Council considers the 2025 Annual Budget and, at the same time, a number of other big topics related to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, the Doors Open program, and the County’s Comprehensive Plan, I wanted to uplift the work of these many dedicated professionals and express my appreciation to all of them.

With gratitude, 

Every vote matters. Every election matters.  

Exercise your right to vote today and return your ballot by 8 PM on Tuesday, November 5th! 🗳️

Need help or have questions about elections? Find ballot box locations, how to sign up for ballot alerts, and more at the link below.  

To connect directly with the King County Elections Office, you can send them an email or call them at elections@kingcounty.gov and 206-296-VOTE (8683).  

For timely updates follow their social media platforms: Facebook, and Instagram. 

Want to help count votes? King County Elections is still hiring temporary staff to help process this election and close drop boxes on Election Night!  

2025 Annual Budget update 

As you read this message, Council has passed the mid-point of our work on the 2025 Annual budget. October started with a series of panels tasked with reviewing each section, or appropriation unit, included in the Executive’s proposal. Each appropriation unit was assigned to one of three panels, with participating councilmembers reviewing and raising questions; since this was an opportunity to gain a global view of the budget, I chose to join all three. These panel discussions concluded after two weeks, at which time the full Budget and Fiscal Management committee came back together for regular meetings. In addition to these meetings, the Council has held two evening meetings to receive public comment in Bellevue and Kent, and will be holding a final meeting at New Holly on Wednesday, October 30. In addition, I invited constituents to an in-district opportunity to share their perspectives on the budget last week at KEXP in the Seattle Center. In total, this will make for 12 meetings during the month of October in addition to the individual conversations I’ve held with residents and stakeholders.  

I’ve noted a number of recurring themes over this last month: 

• The 2025 budget is relatively stable. While reductions have been requested of county departments in the Executive’s proposal, many departments will be able to continue their core body of work.  

• At the same time, sustainability and ongoing costs are a notable concern especially for efforts funded through the General Fund. There are a number of compelling needs in the community that merit investment, but the county’s current fiscal situation will make it difficult for those investments to occur. 

• The forecasted shortfall of $150 million in the General Fund in the 2026-27 biennial budget would result in what has been described as the worst budget in King County history. This will have a devastating impact on services in the legal system, law enforcement, public health, and human services if alternate options aren’t identified. I plan on working with my colleagues and with state legislators at the upcoming legislative session to address this imminent fiscal crisis for the county and our residents.  If you would like to learn about the details of this situation, I encourage you to read the executive summary of the Executive’s proposed budget, which you can find here.  

Looking forward, our schedule calls for the budget striker to be released by the Budget Chair in early November. This striker will be informed by his priorities and those of the councilmembers and will be brought up for a vote in the budget committee in mid-November with a goal to pass the final budget before the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Earlier this month, the King County Council joined the Seattle City Council in passing the updated interlocal agreement for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. I am hopeful that the changes in the new interlocal agreement will streamline decision-making and improve public trust in the KCRHA. 

The primary change in this updated KCRHA is the governing structure of the agency. As you may recall from previous newsletters, the KCRHA previously had two primary governing bodies: the Implementation Board, comprised of community members and individuals with lived experience, and the Governing Committee, comprised primarily of elected officials. Under the new agreement, there will only be one Governing Board, which will include elected officials and community members with lived experience of homelessness. Despite this change, I am committed to continuing to look for opportunities for KCRHA staff and board to have meaningful opportunities for feedback from community members and those most directly impacted by the agency’s policies and practices.  

While I welcome the fact that this agreement has been approved by both Councils, I am already looking towards next steps to improve our regional homelessness system. As we enter the winter months, the urgency of bringing our unhoused neighbors inside becomes even clearer. Our region needs more behavioral health services, shelter, transitional housing beds, and long-term permanent supportive housing. Throughout this budget cycle and into the future, I am laser focused on improving our homelessness response system to ensure that it is scaled and resourced to meet the immense level of need in our community. 

Resourcing King County’s Hospital for the Future 

As King County’s public hospital, Harborview Medical Center is singular in pairing a focus on service to the mission population with world-class care, including recognition as the only Level 1 Trauma Center in a multi-state region. However, this leading institution is struggling to meet the demands of our growing community. In the 2024 session, the Legislature provided King County with new authority to raise revenue for operating costs, and to meet the unanticipated increase in pandemic-related capital costs for the voter-approved bond project.   

As part of the 2025 Annual Budget, the Council is considering a proposal that may resource these efforts, as well as provide a revenue source for the county’s public health clinics. While King County currently funds maintenance and capital for the Harborview Medical Center campus, funding a portion of its operations would be a change in practice.  

A final proposal, if approved by Council vote, would set a property tax levy rate and designate funding for specific purposes that may include capital, maintenance, and operating costs at Harborview. At the same time, the Council is identifying pathways to ensure continued support for the county’s public health clinics, which, like Harborview, are a critical part of our region’s health care infrastructure. 

While this is a complex issue, I am motivated by the opportunity to identify a reliable funding source that will maintain health care services for the approximately 80,000 patients of the public health clinics and keep moving towards realizing the promise of the Harborview Medical Center capital bond project.  

Proclamations and Recognitions  

This month was filled with proclamations and recognitions that helped highlight many issues and communities. The King County Council’s purpose for these ceremonial documents is to commemorate a special period of observance, or to honor individual groups or organizations whose work and contributions hold meaning in our county.  

Friends of Discovery Park 

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of joining Friends of Discovery Park and dozens of community members at an event commemorating a civil rights injustice that took place at Fort Lawton during World War II. In 1944, a group of African American soldiers were erroneously and unfairly convicted of rioting and of the death of an Italian prisoner of war. Decades later, those convictions and the dishonorable discharges these soldiers were given were overturned thanks to the advocacy of former Congressman Jim McDermott and author Jack Hamann. However, no signage to educate our community about this significant injustice had been present in Discovery Park, the physical location where the events took place. 

Greenwood Senior Center 

If you have been keeping up with my newsletters or socials earlier this year, you may recall reading about van donations, a program through which the county donates surplus minivans to nonprofit organizations. Well, this month I had the opportunity to pay a visit to the Greenwood Senior Center, the recipient of the retired Metro van for 2024. I received excellent news from MJ, who shared about the positive impact the van has made to the center since its arrival in July. This van has provided a means for seniors to get to group activities, clubs, and even games of pickle ball! Mobility as we age can make transportation more challenging, so being able to repurpose this once Metro Vanpool van is a fantastic way to help our seniors remain active in our communities. And thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Greenwood Senior Center for serving our older residents.  

Regional Safety Plan Community Meeting  

In late September, Clara on my staff attended the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Regional Safety Plan Community meeting at El Centro de la Raza in Beacon Hill. In a year when far too many collisions and fatalities have occurred on our roadways, this event engaged community members on their biggest concerns about roadway safety and focused on proven strategies to make sure that people are able to walk, bike, and get around safely.  

Do you have suggestions and feedback you want to add to the plan? Check out the Regional Safety Action Plan Engagement Hub to find out more. 

Talking Behavioral Health at KEXP 

Late last month, I had the opportunity to engage with my constituents at KEXP’s Gathering Space for a listening session on behavioral health hosted by the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). This session was part of a series of engagements in anticipation of a proposed renewal of the MIDD sales tax that supports behavioral health services throughout the county. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share how King County can improve mental health and substance abuse care. Your input is not only crucial to the work being done at the county level, but also helps us identify areas for improvement, areas of growth, and how we can better serve YOU! 

Visiting the Community Center for Alternative Programs (CCAP) 

At the end of September, I stopped by the Community Center for Alternatives Programs (CCAP), a diversion program where judges can refer community members involved in the criminal legal system to access services in lieu of traditional court processing. CCAP seeks to assist participants with behavior change by assessing a participant’s individual needs and then creating weekly schedules of structured programs. They partner with South Seattle College and Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS) to offer on-site classes and counseling. They also equip participants with resources navigation, access to clothing and basic hygiene if needed, and more. Located right by the Courthouse in Pioneer Square, I have so much gratitude to the county staff working on these projects, along with the South Seattle College faculty and ACRS counselors who work together to make this place a one-stop shop for so many different resources in one place. Thank you for taking the time to show me around!

To help community members learn more about various county grants and funding opportunities, my office has created a new Grants and Funding Opportunities page on my King County Council website.   

This month, I would like to highlight the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) Request for Proposals (RFP) for Mental Health Counseling. This funding opportunity closes Wednesday, November 6th at 2 PM.