 Expanding Protections for Residents Seeking Human Services
With many of my constituents expressing deep concerns about the federal administration’s treatment of our immigrant neighbors, my office has been working with community advocates, service providers, and county partners to identify better ways to protect immigrants against unjust attacks from the federal administration.
Our existing King County code limits the degree to which county employees can work with federal immigration enforcement. This provides county staff with clarity on their role and reduces the risk of inappropriate or inadvertent information sharing. However, these protections did not extend to organizations that contract with the county to provide services to residents. According to trusted community partners, many immigrant residents are not seeking services out of fear that they may be targeted by immigration enforcement. Our partners noted that this is especially evident in the areas of health care and social services.
To address this gap, I proposed ordinance 2025-0216, which extends certain requirements of our county code to our health and human services contractors. Specifically, the ordinance will ensure organizations providing these county-funded services cannot use those resources to facilitate civil immigration enforcement and will be required to protect the information of residents being served. The ordinance passed unanimously out of the Law and Justice Committee in July and was adopted by the full council in August.
The requirements of this ordinance will take effect for contracts signed on or after January 1, 2026. I appreciate the support of my colleagues and Executive Braddock for this policy.
 Funding Behavioral Health ServicesÂ
Council has begun work to renew the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) Behavioral Health Sales Tax this fall. The King County MIDD is a state-authorized countywide 0.1% sales tax, which supports programs and services for people living with or at risk of behavioral health conditions. MIDD is a central component of the county’s budget, and a core part of our regional commitment to supporting those with behavioral health needs in our community. Without renewal, the current MIDD levy would expire at the end of 2025.
In 2024, MIDD served 28,113 King County residents. Below are a few promising outcomes from MIDD services in 2024:Â
- Services funded by MIDD resulted in a 62% decrease in crisis services episodes among adults.
- 79% of participants reported reduced substance use.
- 85% of youth who connected with MIDD with a behavioral health crisis had no additional crisis service episodes.
While I am deeply aware of the impact that taxes have on our community members, I believe that failure to renew the MIDD levy would result in a critical loss of services for the thousands of individuals in our region who rely on them. If interested, you can read the current MIDD proposal here. Â
 Continuing Our Commitment to Climate ActionÂ
A major update to King County's Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP), which outlines the county's strategy to achieve our climate goals, is currently under the Council's review. The proposed SCAP revision outlines 177 actions that the county can take to:Â
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Reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
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Support sustainable and resilient frontline communities, andÂ
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Prepare for impacts related to climate change.Â
This legislation is currently being discussed in the Transportation, Economy and Environment (TrEE) committee. While I do not serve as a member of this committee, I am reviewing it closely and have proposed amendments for consideration. SCAP will be taken up for a vote at a special TrEE meeting on September 8, 2025.
Click here to access a recording of the TrEE committee’s August 19 discussion on the SCAP.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNqsIqVP90D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
August Primary Election Wrap Up
I’m proud to recognize King County Elections for managing another successful election! Â
This August Primary election, 34% of King County voters, approximately 500,000 people, returned or postmarked their ballots by election day on August 5.
District 4 hosts some of the busiest ballot boxes in the county, including the most utilized box at the Ballard Library where 9,700 ballots were returned, and the fourth busiest located at the Green Lake Community Center. This was King County Election’s 39th election in a row with no discrepancies, meaning that every single ballot was accounted for at every step of the process and had a specific and known disposition or outcome (it is counted, challenged, or deemed too late). Â
Here are more interesting facts about this election:Â
- Ballot drop boxes collected 278,767 ballots.
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Over 150,000 voters have signed up to receive ballot alerts, which notify subscribers when their ballots are mailed, received, and verified.Â
- Over multiple audits of individual and batches of ballots, Elections found zero discrepancies in the tallies provided by machine and hand count. Â
- King County Elections received and forwarded nearly 600 ballots for elections held in seventeen other counties, ensuring that those votes were counted.
 Fare Changes
I wanted to remind you that, starting September 1, adult fares for buses, , lines, and King County will change. Please note that reduced fare rates for seniors, persons with disabilities, youth, and ORCA lift riders will remain unchanged.
Meet Your Friends and Neighbors at Waterfront Park
Join Friends of Waterfront Park on September 6 for the Grand Opening Celebration of Waterfront Park, a vibrant celebration featuring live entertainment, art installations, local food vendors, and more! Be a part of this historic moment that has been in the making for over 15 years.
Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda brought forth a recognition commemorating the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We were joined by representatives from the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Ploughshares Fund, Veterans for Peace, Pax Christi, Back from the Brink, Sokka Gikai, NW Against Nuclear Weapons, Ground Zero, Hiroshima to Hope, and 350 Eastside.
4Culture’s Sustained Support Midstream Cycle GrantÂ
Culture and science organizations may be eligible to apply for a Sustained Support grant from 4Culture. This grant provides unrestricted operating resources to assist with the day-to-day needs of arts, heritage, historic preservation, and science and technology organizations in King County. Â
Submit your application by Wednesday, September 10 at 5 PM. Â
 Help Inform the Future of Transportation
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is updating the Regional Transportation Plan and would like YOUR input. Over the coming months, PSRC will host six regional public events to connect with residents, local leaders, and elected officials about transportation priorities. Â
For information on additional county grant and funding opportunities, visit the Grants and Funding Opportunities page on my King County Council website. Â
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