On Tuesday, the King County Council unanimously appointed former Deputy King County Executive Shannon Braddock as Acting King County Executive, filling the vacancy left by former Executive Dow Constantine’s appointment as Sound Transit CEO. I was honored to support her acting appointment as the first woman Executive of King County, an historic moment for our region. She is uniquely qualified to offer strong, consistent leadership as we navigate our local budget challenges and the volatility at the national level.
On Thursday, joined by Councilmember Jorge L. Barón, I introduced a motion to remove the “acting” title and make Acting Executive Braddock the King County Executive until the election of the next Executive in November. Without this legislation, the Council could appoint another person to replace her at any time between now and November, leaving uncertainty which could distract from critical county business.
The last thing we need in this time of national chaos is a drawn-out appointment process and the ambiguity that comes with it to distract and delay us from serving King County residents. We already have a skilled leader doing this job, so let’s keep that stability. Acting Executive Braddock is a dedicated and hard-working public servant who has spent 15 years serving King County in several roles that have allowed her to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to lead this government.
March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility and, this year, I was proud to join Councilmember Jorge L. Barón in sponsoring the first-ever King County Council proclamation to celebrate the day. More than 3.3 million people in the United States identify as transgender and they deserve to be honored and loved for who they are and to live fully as themselves, as every human being deserves. Now more than ever, with trans people being caricatured and demonized, it is critical that we stand up and speak out to proclaim that our trans family, friends, and neighbors are essential and equal members of our community whose well-being is intertwined with ours. I am committed to doing everything within my power to protect their rights and celebrate their lives.
After a lengthy process, King County’s Solid Waste Division (SWD) announced that the new Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station will be sited at the current Houghton Transfer Station location in Kirkland. This new facility will serve Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville, Sammamish, and unincorporated Northeast King County.
I have had many conversations with constituents in the neighborhood and understand the concerns they have around siting the new transfer station here. I have heard clearly the interest in the option to rebuild on the same footprint as the current transfer site and, while I understand this is not what SWD said they would do, I am dedicated to advocating for the option that works best for the community.
I am fully committed to urging SWD to continue to have regular, direct engagement with impacted neighbors and stakeholders so that the facility offers both the modern, environmentally-sound services the growing Eastside needs and a fully-mitigated approach that meets the needs of the community. I have appreciated all the input I have heard from constituents and hope you continue sharing your interests and thoughts so that I can effectively represent the community going forward. I will continue to advocate for my constituents with SWD for meaningful, ongoing community collaboration to ensure we are meeting all of our shared goals.
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