|
New Executive-Elect Girmay Zahilay and Councilmemeber Quinn lobbied Washington State
congressional delegation on behalf of King County in Washington, D.C.
The voters have spoken, election results are in and King County has a new Executive – my council colleague Girmay Zahilay will be sworn in on November 25 and will launch his new agenda for King County including addressing homelessness, infrastructure, customer service and an accountable, efficient and transparent government.
Click above to see incoming Executive Girmay Zahilay’s announcement of his transition plans.
For details about his transition plans, please scroll down. You may also watch his press conference by clicking on the image above:
Newly elected and incoming King County Councilmember Steffanie Fain with
Councilmember De’Sean Quinn at the District 5 office at the
Kent Professional Building on 4th and Meeker.
King Council District 5 has a new representative – Steffanie Fain was elected with 55% of the vote. She will also be sworn in on November 25. The Councilmember-elect and I visited at our District office in Kent this week.
King County voters also approved the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy by a vote of 80.69% (as reported November 11). This demonstrates solid public support for our first responders and the work they do every day to help people in need.
2026-2027 Budget
Over the last month, Council has focused almost exclusively on the budget. As many of you know, I believe that a budget is an explicit statement about our values. It answers the question, “What do we value as a society and regional government?”
King County’s True North and values are just one of the reasons that I am proud to serve on the legislative body for our county, named for one of our nation’s greatest heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His sacrifice, his vision and the example that he left for future generations, these are guideposts for the journey of my work serving as your representative.
Providing leadership in the public sector with integrity requires commitment to a core tenet of governing, the idea of investing both upstream and down.
This means planning for the future by anticipating needs, addressing the challenges of the present thoroughly and with candor, and correcting mistakes of the past directly and as completely as possible.
CM Quinn speaks at Budget Committee about how this budget supports Transit and Parks.
Click on the above to hear his remarks.
True North for King County means that we solve problems, provide leadership and that we are responsible stewards while respecting all people, and acting in a manner that is racially just.
These are the values ingrained in me by my family elders, professional mentors and those who came before us. It all adds up to a primary directive of public servants and elected officials to consistently work to improve the quality of life for all. This is what I have attempted to bring to the table as your voice in regional government.
In this moment of history, people across our nation face unprecedented conflict and uncertainty. We continue to struggle with an escalating affordability crisis, food and housing instability for many, lack of access to healthcare, education and other resources for even more. Compounding the crisis is a distinct lack of solutions coming from our nation’s capital.
Now more than ever, local leaders must respond with empathy and hope as we struggle for justice. We must invest with creativity and wisdom. We must continue to listen to one another, to pick each other up and to celebrate our collective victories.
CM Quinn comments on needs for affordable housing. Click above to hear his comments.
Throughout my time as your Council representative, and the 16 years I served on Tukwila City Council, I have centered my work on these values and the general purpose of advancing the public interest in every way possible by investing in the common good.
With that in mind, our work on the 2026-2027 County budget has focused on the most pressing needs of county residents and the people of south King County. My District 5 team has focused on policies and implementation strategies that are responsive to emerging needs and focused on providing equitable service while seeing to the daily duties of governance. Stay tuned for next week’s edition where I will report back on the results that we delivered for District 5 and the County as a whole.
Eight Senate Democrats Give GOP the Votes Needed
Fresh off big election night victories in Virginia, New Jersey and New York that were widely considered a changing of the tide in their favor, eight democratic senators voted with Republicans to reopen the government. Many Democrats are opposed to the decision made by these Senators because no concessions were made to stabilize healthcare costs for millions of Americans that depend on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
US Senator Patty Murray speaks in favor of health care for Washington residents
WA Senator Takes Strong Stance on Extending ACA Tax Credits
A perennial stalwart in the campaign to expand healthcare coverage for all Americans, Senator Murray (D-WA) had this to say from the Senate floor as she cast a NO vote on the funding deal,
“Mr. President, like so many people in this country, I am outraged by the fact Republicans have refused to lift a finger to save so many families from the skyrocketing health care premiums all year long.”
Murray went on to call for a clean, one year extension of ACA tax credits and a vote in the Senate to make it happen immediately. While a solid number is not readily available, we know that the number of working age adults in King County without health insurance dropped from 16 to 7.7 percent between passage of the Affordable Care Act and 2016. This was thanks in large part to a proactive King County Executive. Read more to learn about that here.
After a Seven Week Vacation, the U.S. House is Back in Session
On day 43 of the government shutdown, the House was in session for the first time since September 19 to consider a deal passed by the Senate to reopen the government. The GOP-controlled chamber voted 213-209 to move towards a final vote.
Arizona’s Newest Congressperson is Finally Sworn In;
Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives on November 12, only 50 days after her election. She alternated between English and Spanish while addressing the House floor immediately after taking her oath of office. Her guests included her family and two alleged sexual abuse victims of Trump’s associate, Jeffrey Epstein.
Discharge Petition has 218 Signatures; Movement on Epstein File Release Imminent?
Rep. Grijalva’s first act was signing the discharge petition for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release the much anticipated Epstein Files. CNN reported that the discharge petition now has the requisite signatures. There are a number of procedural steps that must take place in the House before the directive is issued to DOJ.
The goal of the D5 e-news* is to share information about King County business, upcoming community events, access to services, opportunities, and ways for us to build an even better King County.
*To translate this week’s e-news into another language, scroll down and click on the language of your choice. Whether you would like to read this e-news more easily or whether you are studying a new language, we are bringing you language technology to help us stay connected.
If you have something to share, please do not hesitate to contact me at desean.quinn@kingcounty.gov or 206 477-1005.
This week:
On Monday, I met with central staff to review the agenda and materials for a lengthy Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meeting on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, King County was closed to honor Veterans’ Day. There was no council or committee meeting today. I worked with several staff members reviewing materials for budget committee coming up on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, I participated in the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee where we voted on 29 separate pieces of legislation related to the budget including:
- Behavioral health fund
- Sheriff’s office civil unit fees
- Right of Way construction fee
- Noxious weed program
- Surface Water management charges
- King County International Airport (KCIA) fees
- Development and permitting fees
- School impact fees
- Community Needs lists for unincorporated areas of King County
- Capital funds – parks levy
- Harborview funds
- Facilities Management manager
- Renaming Health through Housing after Frank Chopp
- Lodging tax
- Limited Tax General Obligation Bonds
 The King County Flood Control District Board of Directors also met on Wednesday. As a member, I was pleased to vote on the upcoming budget.
I also participated in the Budget Leadership Team meeting with Councilmember Dembowski, Councilmember Baron and Councilmember Perry and central staff analysts working on the budget.
Wednesday evening, the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee held a public hearing on the budget. I heard comments from xx people on funding for King County services such as xx and xx. You can watch the public hearing here.
On Thursday, I attended the next Budget and Fiscal Management Committee where we voted on the 2026-27 budget proposed by the Budget Leadership Team.
On Friday, my staff prepared for the week ahead.
You are welcome to attend the following meetings. You are also invited to write emails, letters, or request appointments with your representatives to share your thoughts about the items on the agendas for these upcoming meetings. You can find a list of councilmembers here.
To watch King County Council meetings live, tune into channel 22 or on-line at King County Television.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 1:30 pm: The King County Council will meet to consider amendments to the 2026-2027 King County Budget recommended by the Budget Leadership Team and the Budget Committee.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 3 pm: The Regional Transit Committee will meet to hear the recommendations of the Transit Safety Task Force and to vote on the 10 year Metro Transit Strategic Plan.
Thursday, November 20, 9:30 am: The Sound Transit Board of Directors will meet to discuss adopting the Sound Transit 2026 State Legislative Program, adopting the Sound Transit annual budget, and more.
|
