 Click the image to watch KING 5's coverage of saving Harbor Island Studios
This week, the King County Council adopted our 2026–27 biennial budget, avoiding the most severe of a projected $150 million in cuts by relying on a newly adopted public safety sales tax. While the budget includes some modest additions, significant fiscal challenges remain on the horizon. Through the budget process, I advocated for the key investments and provisos to strengthen public safety, housing, accountability, environmental planning, transportation, and transit safety.
I am especially proud that when budget changes threatened to shutter Harbor Island Studios, I offered an amendment to keep the film studio alive and my colleagues unanimously supported the amendment, saving the studio after an outpouring of public support. Since the end of the pandemic, Harbor Island Studios has been a hub for creativity, supporting local film and media production in King County. This is a stopgap measure, providing short-term funding to sustain operations and maintenance. We will need to work urgently to find a future, sustainable funding source to maintain this resource.
I look forward to collaborating with our local film industry partners, funders, and others to find a path to create a sustainable funding model so that Harbor Island Studios can continue to grow and serve as a hub for our region’s creative economy.
Pride Across the Bridge is excited to offer free transit support to help community members get where they need to go — whether it’s to access services, meet up with friends, or explore the Eastside. You can pick an adult ORCA card preloaded with $6.50 (no barriers!) or, through a partnership with the City of Kirkland, free bus tickets for eligible residents (for those at or below 138% of the federal poverty level).
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