• Dear Friends and Neighbors
• Budget Town Hall
• District 4 Grants
• Investing in Our Residents
• County Updates
• Grants and Opportunities

Dear Friends and Neighbors

Pictured interacting with constituents at my booth at the Queen Anne Farmers Market for the July “Brewing Conversations with Jorge” session.

My staff and I had a wonderful time speaking with constituents who stopped by my booth at last month’s “Brewing Conversations with Jorge” at the Queen Anne Farmers Market. As always, I appreciated the feedback you all brought forward. I would like to offer my deepest gratitude to the Executive Director of the Queen Anne Farmers Market, Matt Kelly, and the various King County departments that provided materials to ensure the event was a success.  

I am thrilled to announce that my proposed ordinance to expand protections for immigrants served through county-contracted health and human service providers has been passed by the Council. More details about this legislation can be found below. My team is also preparing for the upcoming two-year budget, which Executive Braddock will send to the council on Tuesday, September 23.

Read on to learn about an upcoming budget town hall, district funding opportunities, an overview of the August primary election process, and more!  

With gratitude,

Jorge 

Budget Town Hall

I am pleased to announce that Budget Chair Councilmember Rod Dembowski and I will be hosting an in-person Budget Town Hall on Tuesday, September 30 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Join us as we discuss the upcoming 2026-2027 King County budget and share what you would like to see prioritized.  

This is YOUR opportunity to: 

• Ask questions,
• Share your concerns,
• Learn about the budget process, and
• Hear directly from your county representatives about the challenges we are facing, our options to address them, and more!

📅 Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
⏰ Time: 6 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Auditorium located in Library Building at North Seattle College, 9600 College Way N, Seattle, WA 98103

Admission is FREE and open to all, but if you plan to attend, we ask you to please RSVP here. 

Plan Your Trip

• King County Metro
• Sound Transit
• Transit GO
• OneBusAway
• Pantograph

  Hope to see you there! 

District 4 Grants

Click on image to access the Expression of Interest for the District 4 Grant Awards.

Yes, we have another budget cycle coming up, which means additional grant funding is available to eligible non-profit organizations and government entities. Grant awards will be included in the 2026-2027 budget this fall and funds will be distributed in spring 2026. When reviewing submissions, I will consider how well the proposal addresses a unique or significant local need, prioritizes equity, and demonstrates a clear connection to District 4. 

Grants may be used for efforts that support and uplift our local community including: 

• New or existing programs,  
• Operations, and  
• Capital projects.   

If your organization is interested in being considered for these funds, please submit an Expression of Interest for the King County District 4 Grant Awards by Sunday, October 5 at 11:59 pm. For questions, please email me at Jorge.Baron@kingcounty.gov or Lan Nguyen at Lan.Nguyen@kingcounty.gov.  

In the Community

Click on image to access the recording of Governor Bob Ferguson’s press conference.

Standing with Our Immigrant Community

On August 19, I joined elected and community leaders in Olympia to support Governor Ferguson’s strong stance defending our state’s pro-immigrant policies. This gathering occurred in response to threats from the Trump Administration outlined in a letter from United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi. I am grateful for the Governor’s position that our state will not be bullied into diverting limited state and local law enforcement resources to further the federal administration’s mass deportation agenda.

I was thrilled to join many community leaders at the grand opening of DESC’s Downtown Behavioral Health Clinic and Opiod Recovery & Care Access Center, which offers care for neighbors experiencing homelessness, severe mental health challenges, and substance use disorders. Congratulations to Executive Director Daniel Malone and the entire DESC team on this milestone.

Investing in Our Residents

The 2025 mid-year budget revision passed by the Council last month included nearly $200,000 in grants to 23 local organizations serving residents in District 4 and across King County. Grants in five categories – Community Service Organization, Food Security, Get Active, Stay Active, Local Solutions, and Veterans Service Organization – were available to non-profit organizations and government entities. I would like to highlight a few grantees and share how these funds will support their work in the community.

Fruit trees across the county provide food, shade, and enhance our environment. City Fruit’s mission is to harvest and steward these trees to support sustainable and equitable access to locally grown fruits that might otherwise go to waste. With 1 in 10 Seattle area residents experiencing food insecurity, this can be an important source of nutritious food. After harvesting residential and orchard trees, City Fruit distributes fruit to over 30 Seattle community partners to share with our low-income and food insecure neighbors. 

How Will the Grant Support Their Efforts?

City Fruit’s award through the Community Service Organization grant will support collection and distribution of locally-grown fruits through the annual Harvest Program, which will: 

• Coordinate over 400 annual harvests from fruit trees in the Seattle area, and  
• Distribute over 90,000 servings of high-quality fruit to low-income and food insecure residents in King County.  

The Phinney Neighborhood Association works to foster an inclusive community where everyone can thrive. Residents can join programs and services for seniors that grow social connection, early education and after school care for children, and community events throughout the year. 

How Will the Grant Support Their Efforts?

Phinney Neighborhood Association received two grant awards to support their work in the neighborhood. 

• The Food Security grant will provide warm and nutritious meals through the Hot Meals Program to neighbors experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, and social isolation. 
• The Community Service Organization grant will contribute to needed capital improvements to the Greenwood Senior Center, a beloved hub for the seniors in our community.  

Aurora Commons is a welcoming space for our unhoused neighbors. It is a safe place to rest, prepare a meal, connect to resources, and collectively create a healthy and vibrant community. Programs offered at Aurora Commons reflect the needs and requests of community members, with a focus on ensuring dignity and choice for all who come through the door.  

How Will the Grant Support Their Efforts?

Aurora Commons was awarded two grants to continue service to community members.  

• Through the Food Security grant, Aurora Commons will offer prepared nutritious and ready-to-eat meals for neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity, housing instability, and poverty. 
• The Local Solutions grant will provide resources to meet emergent and essential needs of neighbors. These resources can ensure that unexpected financial difficulties can be addressed before they become long-term disruptions.   

Bridges United Foundation, the community arm of Ballard FC and Salmon Bay FC, believes in the power of soccer to create positive change. Bridges United Foundation offers camps and clinics for youth in King County to develop their skills and build a foundation for life-long wellness through physical activity, nutrition, literacy, and mental health programs to inspire the next generation of soccer players and leaders in our community.  

How Will the Grant Support Their Efforts?

Through the Get Active, Stay Active grant, Bridges United Foundation will:  

• Host free soccer camps at Interbay Stadium for girls in the summer of 2026, and
• Pay for field space, materials, compensation for coaches, and proper training for these camps. 

Below are the additional grantees in this cycle who are doing amazing work for the residents of District 4 and beyond! 

County Updates

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 Services 

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: 

• 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.  

Continuing Our Commitment to Climate Action 

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: 

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
• Support sustainable and resilient frontline communities, and 
• Prepare for impacts related to climate change. 

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!  

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 39^th 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).  

Here are more interesting facts about this election: 

• Ballot drop boxes collected 278,767 ballots.
• Over 150,000 voters have signed up to receive ballot alerts, which notify subscribers when their ballots are mailed, received, and verified. 
• Over multiple audits of individual and batches of ballots, Elections found zero discrepancies in the tallies provided by machine and hand count.  
• 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 King County Metro buses, Metro Flex, Seattle Streetcar lines, and King County Water Taxi 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.

Grants and Opportunities

4Culture’s Sustained Support Midstream Cycle Grant 

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.  

Submit your application by Wednesday, September 10 at 5 PM.  

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.  

For information on additional county grant and funding opportunities, visit the Grants and Funding Opportunities page on my King County Council website.  

Jorge L. Barón
he/him/his – hear my name
King County Councilmember, District 4
(206) 477-1004  jorge.baron@kingcounty.gov
www.kingcounty.gov/baron