Teresa Tuesday: October 28, 2025

My Colleagues on council and I have been hard at work, hosting budget panels, meeting with our central staff and policy stakeholders to identify policy choices and meaningful investments we can make during this budget process that will have lasting impacts on our County. 

A large part of our discussions focused on what investments can be made using the new .10% sales-tax revenue options for public safety that Olympia provided us during last session. The planned budgets reductions that were projected by departments at the beginning of the year have been restored in the Executive's proposed budget, but I believe any additional funding over that restoration is best invested in upstream solutions such as housing, food security and workforce opportunities that keep people from interacting with our criminal justice system to begin with. 

One thing remains clear, any fixes we are able to achieve in our current budget situation will not be long term until we have relief from the state-imposed 1% growth cap on county revenue. For nearly 25 years the County has had to serve a growing population and growing needs while an arbitrary cap on revenue prevents us from providing the services needed across the County.  The 1% cap could lead to devastating cuts to crucial county funds such as public health and roads. The roads division has reported that in a few years, they will be unable to repair important infrastructure like bridges and roads in unincorporated areas because of these constraints on our general fund. 

This maps shows roads and bridges currently maintained by the roads division

As we move through the budget process, having your voice heard continues to be important. Here are opportunities in the coming weeks to provide public comment about what you want to see include in the budget:

Comments may also be submitted via email at budget.council@kingcounty.gov or by using the comment form and connect by computer using Zoom: zoom.us/join. Or by phone: 1-253-215-8782. Webinar ID: 867 1228 9077.

Looming over County and other local jurisdiction budget processes is the threat of federal cuts, made significantly more dire with the Federal shutdown. For instance, Executive Braddock proposed setting aside Harborview funds to support people who will lose access to their coverage through Medicaid. Additionally, in just a few days we could see SNAP benefits be cut off for many, forcing them to rely on local foods banks who have already seen a spike in demand.   

There is no doubt that this is a challenging budget environment but there is still hope. Our community has faced difficult times before and we've rallied together to support each other. From once in a life-time pandemics, arsons in White Center, to Bomb Cyclones on Vashon we've proven that in the face of hard times we can overcome and we will do it again today, and we will do it again tomorrow the best way we know how, together!

Committee Update

Health Housing and Human Services Budget Panels

As part of the budget process, the different standing committees have hosted budget panels to dig into what is and isn't being funded in the proposed budget. I chaired three budget panels for the Health, Housing and Human Services Committee and was joined by my colleagues Budget Chair Rod Dembowski and Councilmember Jorge Barón. We received briefings on three different days, HHHS 10.9.25, HHHS 10.16.25, HHHS 10.21.25, from the Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget (PSB), the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and Seattle King County Public Health. Our Council policy staff also walked through all of the budget units to identify any issues that arose during their budget analysis and provide more information and background on those or any that we as council had. Thank you to everyone who provided public testimony during these panels. 

Committee of the Whole - Transit Safety Report 

After the tragic death of Metro Operator Shawn Yim in 2024, Council passed a motion conveying a task force on Transit Safety. Earlier this month, the Committee of the Whole received a briefing on the findings and recommendations of the task force. Materials for the report on can be found here starting on page 17. You can also view the presentation here. I'm committed to working with our stakeholders, including ATU 587, to ensure these recommendations are put in place so that everyone can be safe on our transit system. 

Board of Health - Reaffirming and Protecting Healthcare for Immigrants

At the October Board of Health, Board Members unanimously passed my resolution committing to provide healthcare support for immigrants in the face of federal attacks on their access to care through Medicaid and insurance subsidies. Read more here in the press release and hear from my colleagues and community partners who urged the passage of this important legislation. 

By taking this action, the Board underscored its belief that every person in King County deserves to live with dignity, stability, and access to healthcare, regardless of immigration status. In this moment we are not cowering or curtailing our care for immigrant communities, instead we are fighting for expansion of coverage and support for our immigrant neighbors. I’m proud the Board has reaffirmed that protecting the public's health means protecting everyone’s health by maintaining access to clinics and care, and that community well-being depends on everyone having their healthcare needs met and access to affordable coverage.

The Resolution reaffirms the Board’s commitment to health equity and access for all to health care in King County, calls for a state partnership to expand and protect access to coverage, and encourages local governments to share “know-your-rights” information with immigrant and refugee communities to protect their health and well-being. The Resolution encourages King County to further available subsidies, mitigate funding and care gaps, and help mitigate catastrophic and widespread coverage losses for those excluded from federal programs.

Thanks to Boardmember Francoise Milinganyo, the Executive Director of Congolese Integration Network, and Lee Che Leong and Emily Brice from Northwest Health Law Advocates for their presentation in July that led to this and NoHLA’s leadership in drafting.

Council Update

Errol the Court House Dog Retirement 

After ten years of providing support and comfort to witnesses and victims at the King County Court, Courthouse Dog Errol was honored with a proclamation celebrating his service. Errol has done incredible work making it easier for people going through incredibly hard times. The courthouse dog program was started here in King County and Errol has done great work continuing its legacy. Congratulations Errol on your well deserved retirement. 

Pro Bono Week in King County 

Did you know that seven of ten low-income individuals and families in Washington State face at least one significant civil legal problem each year, and the average number of problems per low-income household has tripled over the last decade? And more than three-quarters of those with civil legal problems struggle to resolve them without a lawyer. Access to a pro bono or civil legal aid attorney can mean the difference between shelter and homelessness, economic stability and bankruptcy, productive work and unemployment. Pro bono attorneys donate free legal services to low-income people, which ensures they don’t have to face these crises alone. I was glad to support this proclamation to show our appreciation for this critical public service.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month was established in October 1987 to create a dialogue about violence, to advocate for legislation and protections for victims, to educate leaders, and to encourage public awareness and action against abuse. Though domestic violence touches people from every walk of life, women of color experience increased barriers to accessing services. I was honored to sign on to this proclamation in support of survivors and people working from all angles to change our society to one in which violence is unthinkable and unacceptable.

Disability Employment Awareness Month 

This October was the 80^th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a celebration of the contributions and immense value that people with disabilities bring to the workplace. Systemic barriers, prejudice, and discrimination persists against people with disabilities, compounded for those with intersectional marginalized identities that have to navigate extremely hostile systems. Through King County’s Disability Services and Supported Employment programs, we recruit, hire, retain, and advance people with disabilities and support them in achieving their full potential, economic self-determination, and independent living. I feel so fortunate to work for a county that values the unique contributions of neurodiverse people to our workforce, and may we continue to move forward in defending these folks given all the federal chaos that will inevitably impact them.

Councilmember in Community

Drivers Union Celebration 

I was proud to join my fellow Councilmembers, Jorge Barón and Girmay Zahilay, at the annual celebration of the Drivers Union earlier this month. This group of ride share platform drivers has made incredible advancements in rights for both drivers and riders. This year they had big accomplishments to celebrate including: 

• Helping nearly 2,000 unfairly deactivated rideshare drivers get their jobs back 
• Enrolling over 4,000 rideshare drivers in the nation’s first Paid Family & Medical Leave program for rideshare drivers 
• Winning more than $11.5 million in compensation for drivers who fought back against unfair deactivations and labor standards violations 
• Winning passage of HB 1332 to fight back against unfair vehicle removals from higher product classes

Delridge Neighborhood Development Association - Destination Delridge

Thank you to DNDA Executive Director Mesha Floretino for a great event. Photo Credit to West Seattle blog.

Delridge Neighborhood Development Association (DNDA) is a pilar in the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle. I was so glad to get to join them for their Destination Delridge fundraiser and present them a Big Check for a little support of their water color classes that bring locals of all ages together to create vibrant art. Thanks to the West Seattle Blog for being there to cover the event, you can read more about the festive night here. 

Check out this list of activities, classes and engagement offered by DNDA here.

White Center Food Bank - Speaking at Cultivating Community

On October 18th, the White Center Food Bank's Cultivating Community event also included a fireside chat with Representative Brianna Thomas (LD34) and me. We talked about how the federal cuts are impacting food security locally and what we at different levels of our local government can do to push back against them and support our community. These services are ever more important as SNAP benefits are being frozen this week and more federal and local workers are losing their jobs. Thank you all for your support for White Center Food Bank over the years, and especially now as well.  

White Center Community Development Association - HUB Construction

E.D. of WCCDA Aaaron Garcia is a great tour guide.

A little more than a year ago I was thrilled to join the White Center Community Development Association for the groundbreaking for their White Center Hub Housing and Community project. Now the work is nearly completed and ready to welcome new residents and programs that will help not only build community but help set community members on the path to success. 

Upon opening, there will be 76 new family sized apartments, ranging from one- to -four bedrooms. These are set to be affordable for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. 

The HUB will also house SW Youth and Family Services, YesFoundation of White Center, Feast, a daycare center operated by the WCDA and there are even plans for a commercial kitchen. This is exactly what we envision when we talk about community driven affordable housing. Congrats to all. 

Chief Seattle Club - Honoring Councilmember Debra Juarez 

The Chief Seattle Club held their annual luncheon and honored my former Seattle City Council member, Debra Juarez, with their Stiffarm Visionary Leadership Award. I was proud to share a table at this event with Councilmembers Jorge Barón, Claudia Balducci and State Senator Emily Alvarado (LD34). 

Congratulations to Executive Director Derek Belgarde on the incredible work this native-led housing and human services organization is doing. Chief Seattle Club has been a longtime and incredible community partner in working to provide health, healing, and housing stability for urban native communities in Seattle. They have opened 5 permanent supportive housing communities since 2022 alone, including amazing projects in District 8 like Sweetgrass Flats, an 84-unit facility located in Seattle’s Yesler Terrace neighborhood and the Salmonberry Lofts, providing 76 units in Pioneer Square.

The host of the event was Dallas Goldtooth from Reservation Dogs, if you haven't seen the show, you should check it out. We were incredibly lucky to hear his powerful words along with those of Director Belgarde.  

D8 Schools are Great - Girls on the Run 

Afterschool programs area bright idea.

My office joined with Seattle School Board President Gina Topp to recognize Girls on the Run as they celebrated Lights on After School at Louisa Boren Stem K-8. After-school programs like GOTR not only empower our students to be our future leaders but it also enables working parents to keep working. According to Afterschool Alliance’s 2025 America After 3PM report, 4 in 5 parents say afterschool helps them keep their jobs, boost productivity, and alleviate stress. However, 22.6 million kids still don’t have access to afterschool programs.     

Girls on the Run helps fill that gap here locally by blending physical activity with life skill development. During the 2024-25 school year, GOTR served 2,032 students at 126 sites across King County. More than half of those who participated got either a full or partial scholarship to participate. Thank you GOTR for inviting us to see the incredible work you and your student athletes are doing. 

Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition - Chocolate and Beer Fundraiser 

The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition held their fun and family friendly event, Beer and Chocolate Fest and I had the privilege of joining them. They even put together an amazing video of the festivities. This was a great time supporting an even greater cause of furthering DRCC's work restoring the Duwamish River.  

The DRCC is an incredible community-driven effort that approaches climate, housing, and economic justice holistically. Thank you for your partnership on reducing the impacts of flooding for Duwamish River communities, including the unincorporated South Park Sliver! 

Latinx Dream Coalition - Public Assembly

I joined other local Latinx elected leaders for the Latinx Dream Coalition's virtual town hall. In the current culture of fear amongst many in the Latinx community, it was important to talk about the efforts we are taking to help everyone know their rights and keep their families safe. Thank you to Se Habla Media, Jamie Mendez and Diana Oliveros, for hosting this event, and to my panel colleagues State Senator Rebecca Saldaña, LD-37th, and Angelica Alvarez, Student and Family Initiatives Director. 

Community Updates

Anticipated Workforce Impacts of Government Shutdown to our Region

Water Taxi First Saturday Sailing

Photo Credit: KUOW/ Casey Martin

Getting to and from Vashon on the weekends just got easier with longer hours on Friday evening and all day Saturday service!  Check out this KUOW piece about the new sailings. 

When Executive Braddock and I announced that expanded service was coming back in September the excitement of islanders was palpable with all of the comments I received. That announcement even got covered by the BeachComber. Thank you to Sen Alvarado for her leadership on this along with Islanders for Ferry Action who played an important role in securing this. 

I will continue to advocate for this expansion to be permanent and will work with the state legislature to secure additional funding. I'm adding a proviso to keep the water taxi sailing in the future!

As a ferry-dependent island community, Vashon Island specifically relies on this over-water transportation for health needs, climate resilience, and local economic stability to help weather the Washington Ferry System faces ongoing challenges. Without a sustainable fund source, this needed service will be in jeopardy beginning in 2026.  

My proviso would direct Metro to identify the potential rate increase to the King County Ferry District that would be needed to provide ongoing support for maintaining Saturday and Friday evening services, and add the sporting event service to Vashon Island. I'm also asking for information on how much funding is needed to add a ticket kiosk back on the West Seattle pier, and to support the efforts to evaluate the increased funding necessary to operate a triangle route between Vashon, Des Moines, and Pier 50.  

We continue to work with King County Metro to better align the metro bus pick up and drop off to correspond with the water taxi sailings so folks can leave their cars at home. 

Responsible Contracting Attestation Form

Earlier this year, I led the effort at council to pass an update to our responsible contracting policy to also include services. This is an important step to make sure that public dollars are going towards the public good and not supporting bad actors in the contracting space. The policy is now in effect and contractors wanting to do business with the county are asked to complete this new responsibility attestation form. 

Thank you to everyone who made their voices heard in this process including the Seattle Latino Chamber and Tabor 100. 

SWD project at Vashon Transfer Station - closed Nov 17-December 3rd 

A tipping floor resurfacing project will cause the facility to be closed from November 17th to December 3rd for commercial haulers. The public will still be able to use the station by dumping their waste directly into a top-load trailer. 

Legal Counsel for Youth and Children

Celebrate Salmon Season in King County 

Photo Credit: Manuel Valdes, first husband of District 8

This salmon season, the King County Flood Control District (KCFCD) invites you to celebrate the significance of salmon, learn more about the challenges they face, and experience firsthand the wonder of the salmon run at rivers throughout King County. My family loves watching the salmon come back to Longfellow Creek and are thrilled about the County’s efforts to spearhead Salmon Restoration! Photo above courtesy of my husband on one of his many trips to explore the salmon run!

Seattle Community Safety RFP 

Photo Credit: King 5

The City of Seattle Human Services department (HSD) Safe and Thriving Communities (STC) Division is investing in a continuum of services supporting people and communities in Seattle that are directly involved in, and impacted by, gun violence. This RFP is a key component of the One Seattle Restoration Framework, a comprehensive approach to ensure that everyone, in every neighborhood, is safe and feels secure. The RFP is due November 12 at 12pm. More information can be found here.

While Roxbury is the border of Seattle, gun violence prevention strategies in Seattle benefit our entire district and we encourage people to apply. Note there have been 2 shootings in North Highline around the SeaMar parking lot alone and that's why we are asking for a focus from the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention in White Center and encouraging organizations to apply here too. 

D8 Art Spotlight

Sue Springer - This is What Democracy Looks Like, The Art of Protest October 2 – November 1, 2025 Shift Gallery 312 S. Washington St. Seattle Wa.  This Is What Democracy Looks Like, the Art of Protest is a celebration of the spirit, humor, color and determination of protest in the US at this time of chaos.  Sue Springer creates a rich tapestry of protest signs represented with collage, paint and photographs. Collecting protest signs from people making their own in a wide variety of themes and techniques, the diversity of opinions and humor are evident. Throughout the month of October, there will be a sign making station to allow visitors to express their feelings and create their own protest sign to add to the installation or to take home with them for the next protest.

Next Tuesday, November 4th is the general election day. Ballot drop boxes can be found here. If you've lost your ballot, King County Elections can help. You can also mail your ballot in as long as it is post marked by the 4th and you don't need a stamp.  

Thank you for signing up for the #TeresaTuesday Newsletter. We will send you regular updates every other week. If you’d like to reach out or have an issue we can help with, please reach out anytime.

Thank you for allowing us to represent you on the King County Council!

Teresa Mosqueda
King County Councilmember, District 8
(206) 477-1008
teresa.mosqueda@kingcounty.gov