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Pictured with advocates, local elected leaders, and community members who attended the numerous celebrations throughout the region in honor and support of Pride Month.
Happy Pride!
Each year, the Executive’s office hosts a flag raising ceremony to kick off Pride Month. This year, I was graciously asked to speak before my county colleagues as we all gathered to see the Pride flag fly high and proud. I also offered a joint proclamation with the Executive’s office recognizing June as Pride Month in King County, reaffirming our commitment to equality, inclusivity, justice, and equity. And, of course, my family and I continued our tradition and joined the tens of thousands of neighbors, advocates, and local leaders on the city streets for this year’s Seattle Pride Parade. As a proud parent of a trans daughter, it is particularly important to me to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ loved ones, friends, and neighbors, especially at this moment. To our LGBTQIA+ residents: you are loved, you matter, and we see you.
Read on to learn more about an upcoming opportunity to connect with me, the King County Transportation District meeting, grant opportunities, and more!
With gratitude,
 Jorge
Pictured speaking with constituents at the Greenwood Branch Library.
I want to extend my gratitude to the constituents who joined last month’s “Brewing Conversations with Jorge” session at the Greenwood Branch Library. I was pleased by the large turnout, and the insightful conversations we were able to have with our neighbors.
Next session – I am pleased to announce that the next opportunity to connect with me will take place at the Queen Anne Farmers Market on Thursday, July 16 from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. I invite you to stop by my booth, before or after doing your market shopping, to discuss your questions, comments, or ideas on how King County can better serve you.
What are these sessions? – An informal opportunity for constituents to drop by when they can and stay for as long as they’d like to connect with me. The goal is to make myself accessible to my constituents.
What can I discuss? – Topics of interest or concern the county has jurisdiction over include, but aren’t limited to:
- Public transportation,
- Public health,
- Human services,
- County roads and parks,
- Superior and district courts,
- Open spaces, and more.
Can’t make it? – There will be additional opportunities to connect with me later this year. If you know you will be stopping by and would like to submit your question(s) in advance, please send them to Jorge.Baron@kingcounty.gov.
Plan your trip!
Click image to access the recording of the June 2 council meeting.
New Public Defense Standards
Actions taken – In early June, the King County Council approved legislation I sponsored that updates the county’s public defense standards to bring the county in line with recent changes adopted by the Washington State Supreme Court. The changes to the county code implement lower caseload limits required by the court to ensure public defenders have capacity to adequately represent their clients.
Why this matters – Previous code language was unclear and could arguably have required a three-year implementation timeline for reduced caseloads for public defenders. However, the approved legislation will implement the new standards over a 10-year period, as allowed by the Washington State Supreme Court, to spread out the costs associated with hiring more attorneys and staff to meet the lower caseload limits.
The right to counsel is an important constitutional right and robust public defense is essential to a functioning criminal legal system. At the same time, significantly reducing caseloads for public defenders will require substantial investments and potentially increase downstream legal system costs. The ordinance adopted by the council establishes clear expectations so that these reductions can be implemented in the most sustainable way possible for the county budget, public defense staff, and the legal system overall.
Next steps – Going forward, it will be vital that the Washington State Legislature provide funding to help counties implement the new state standards. Without increasing state investment, local governments may be forced to make cuts in other important programs that are funded from the same sources, such as other components of the criminal legal system or upstream prevention efforts that keep individuals out of contact with the legal system entirely.
Click link to access recording of the June 8 special Committee of the Whole meeting.
Committee of the Whole
This month brought not one, but two meetings of the Committee of the Whole that demonstrated the breadth of work this committee is tasked with.
Actions taken – On June 8, I chaired a special meeting where we considered the following topics:
Click image to access the recording of the June 23 Committee of the Whole meeting.
At our regularly scheduled meeting, the committee was briefed on topics related to the King County District Court and 4Culture, the county’s cultural development authority. We began by hearing from Judge Rebecca Robertson, Presiding Judge of the King County District Court, on the State of the Court. Next, we considered the appointment of three new members to the 4Culture Board and concluded with a presentation of 4Culture’s annual report.
Click image to read the agency’s press release.
King County Regional Homelessness Authority Update
As mentioned above, the council recently received an update from KCRHA and the Executive’s office on the authority’s Corrective Action Plan and next steps following the forensic evaluation of the agency at the Committee of the Whole meeting. This briefing was part of a broader effort to better understand how the authority has been operating and where changes are urgently needed.
Getting informed – Throughout June, my colleagues and I have held multiple hearings, work sessions, and strategy discussions focused on KCRHA’s finances, governance, and overall performance. At the same time, I have been meeting regularly with service providers and homelessness organizations to hear directly about what is and is not working on the ground. These conversations have been critical in identifying the factors the council will need to consider as we determine the future of our homelessness response system.
What we learned – Through this work, it became clear that there are ongoing challenges related to financial management, internal controls, and accountability at the agency. While efforts have been made to address these issues, progress has not always been consistent or easy to measure. The changes now being considered reflect many of the concerns that have been raised through both council oversight and community input.
Next steps – This is not simply about structure or governance. It is about whether the agency is organized in a way that can deliver results, support providers, and make effective use of public resources. I will continue to stay closely engaged to help ensure that any changes lead to a system that is more transparent, accountable, and better able to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
Click image for source.
2026 Point-in-Time Count Findings
The 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count was released on June 23, providing an annual snapshot of the state of homelessness across King County.
Findings – This year’s count found that the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased, including those living unsheltered. While the count reflects a single moment in time and has known limitations, it remains one of the most consistent tools we have to track trends and understand the scale of need. The results align with what providers and outreach teams have been reporting, and they underscore the gap between the need for shelter, housing, and the resources currently available.
Next steps – These findings reaffirm the importance of ensuring the next phase of our regional homelessness response is done with intention. The question is not whether the need exists, the data and those working closest to our unhoused neighbors have made that clear. It is whether the system is structured to respond effectively and at scale. As we move forward, this data will help guide decisions about where resources are needed most, and how to ensure we are deploying resources most effectively.
Click image to access the recording of the June 12 King County Transportation District meeting.
King County Transportation District
Earlier this month, the King County Transportation District voted to approve a 0.1% sales tax increase to fund King County Roads.
Thoughts on final vote – As I have shared in earlier updates, I have been reluctant to use sales taxes to fund essential county services because sales taxes are regressive, meaning they place a disproportionate burden on the lowest income people. In this case, I ultimately decided that the high level of need for our unincorporated roads, and the lack of options available to otherwise address those needs, warranted my support for the proposal.
What does this mean for residents – The sales tax increase will take effect in 2027 and will amount to $0.10 on a $100 purchase.
- The tax will be collected on taxable sales across the county. A portion of the revenue will be distributed to cities and towns for their own roads and transit infrastructure based on population size.
- Seattle is expected to receive a projected $4.6 million per year for road improvements.
An earlier version of the proposal would have capped the amount of money that Seattle could receive to about $1.9 million per year, which would have set a concerning precedent and eroded the benefit that residents in District 4 would see. With support from Seattle City Councilmembers and community members, my amendment to lift that cap was successful. While it is ultimately up to city officials, it is my hope that the funding raised for Seattle through this measure will free up more space in Seattle’s budget for transit, which clearly benefits low-income people.
This was a challenging issue because there were no good options. I will continue to advocate at the state level for more progressive sources of revenue to meet the needs of our communities.
Click image to access the recording of the June 23 Council meeting.
Finalizing Adjustments to the 2026-27 Budget
This month, the council completed our first adjustment to the current budget, which runs from January 2026 to December 2027. As Vice Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, I have worked closely with Budget Chair Rod Dembowski and my colleagues on the development of this legislation. While the first supplemental, or adjustment, budget of the two-year term is typically more technical in nature, this update to the budget nonetheless impacted many important issues.
Below are two significant areas that my council colleagues and I have worked on over the past few months:
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Medicaid policy changes – Approximately 75,000 King County residents are expected to lose their health insurance coverage over the next year due to federal Medicaid policy changes that will strip coverage from people who were previously eligible. Not only could this have devastating financial and health implications for those individuals, but it would also strain our health care system even further. As a result, I sponsored an amendment to invest $250,000 to supplement an existing effort to sustain health insurance coverage for affected people by conducting outreach and providing sponsorships for individual health insurance plans. I expect that the county will work with the state on long-term strategies to address this loss of coverage in the upcoming legislative session.
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Capital investments in county facilities – The Executive’s budget proposal included an investment of $5.4 million to implement the Executive’s return to office initiative, including by updating and preparing the Dexter Horton and Administration buildings for employees to return to in-person work three days a week. The Executive has also stated that the next supplemental budget proposal, expected in the fall, will include an additional $16 million to continue this work. I concluded that council needed more information to assess this proposal and joined with Councilmember Claudia Balducci to sponsor an amendment to withhold a portion of these funds pending receipt of a report including plans for how the space will be occupied, the number of additional work spaces needed, alternatives that were considered to reduce costs, and whether additional bargaining with labor groups is needed to fulfill this initiative. While our initial amendment was not successful, our second attempt, which called for the same information but reduced the funding amount held back, was adopted in the final budget. I believe this will provide important information needed for council to assess any upcoming proposal for further funding.
 2026 District 4 Grants
I always appreciate the opportunity to support and spotlight the efforts of organizations working to benefit our neighbors and improve District 4.
Included in the first revisions to the current two-year budget were Get Active, Stay Active grants, which promote health and wellness through youth and amateur sports, and Community Climate Resilience grants for projects that strengthen local and regional climate action and connect with King County Parks programs. Here are the organizations I am happy to recognize for their work on behalf of our community:
I joined the May Sound Transit Board meeting to provide public comment to the Board before their vote. Click image to access the recording of the May 28 meeting.
Sound Transit Vote
At the end of May, I joined the Sound Transit Board meeting, alongside many of my constituents, to urge the Board to support amendments that bring us closer to delivering light rail to Ballard.
Actions taken – The good news is that two of those amendments passed. The first will ensure that, later this year, Sound Transit will publish a target date for the completion of the Ballard light rail line, no matter how disappointing that date may be, and the second asks Sound Transit to explore a variety of alternative strategies to get to Ballard and come back to the Board with that information.
When voters in District 4 overwhelmingly supported Sound Transit 3 (ST3), they were supporting the promise that high-capacity transit would connect Ballard and Interbay with the region. The Ballard segment of ST3 has the highest projected ridership and Sound Transit was tasked with delivering on that promise.
There have always been choices in how the transit is delivered – such as amenities, design, and technology. Those choices should not detract from the primary purpose of ST3 which is to deliver high-capacity transit to the residents who voted for it.
Next steps – I have been inspired by all the transit advocates in Ballard who turned out and advocated strongly for this connection. Now, we need to keep our attention on Sound Transit as they undertake the design and planning of the Ballard Link Extension. Your advocacy made a difference, but the work continues. As updates come out and opportunities to engage arise, I’ll do my best to include them in future newsletters.
Pictured with Executive Zahilay, King County Councilmembers, county staff, and labor representatives.
2026 Labor Summit
To ensure continued and regular engagement between county employees and elected leaders, the King County Code calls for an annual labor summit.
Why this matters – This gathering provides an opportunity to raise awareness about issues affecting employees, identify potential solutions, and build connections that foster effective public service. This year’s summit covered:
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A presentation on Executive Zahilay’s policy goals, the budget outlook, and results of a recent county employee and customer survey,
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An update on Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, and
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A discussion on labor policies.
While the Executive holds responsibility for negotiations with the collective bargaining units representing county employees, the council is responsible for approving negotiated contracts and setting the county’s general labor policies, making this a collaborative effort. Thank you to all the participating employees and labor leaders, and the thousands more who contributed their perspectives.
Click image to watch the recording of Executive Girmay Zahilay’s 2026 State of the County speech.
State of the County 2026
On June 10, I joined county leaders, employees, and community members to hear Executive Zahilay deliver his first State of the County address at the Federal Way Performing Arts Center. This year’s address focused on building a more connected, and equitable King County. This is what Executive Zahilay refers to as the 4 Bs:
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Better Government
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Breaking the Cycle
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Building for Affordability
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Be in Community
With the 4 Bs in mind, Executive Zahilay outlined the actions his administration is hoping to accomplish with the framework. Here are just some of those action items that were mentioned.
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Increase investments for childcare,
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Expand shelter and housing,
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Improve government accountability, and more.
I am looking forward to future collaboration with the Executive’s office and my council colleagues to ensure we are moving towards these shared goals which will ultimately lead to a better future for our residents. Read Executive Zahilay’s remarks as prepared here.
Celebrating at the Council
Councilmember Balducci offered a proclamation late last month declaring May as Jewish American Heritage Month. We were joined by staff from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle’s Community Relations Council, including Associate Director, Rabbi Jason Levine, and Chair Hannah Lidman, who received the proclamation and gave brief remarks.
Council Chair Perry presented a proclamation to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month. We were joined by Executive Director KayLee Jaech of the Garage, a Teen Café, who gave remarks and received the proclamation.
Councilmembers Mosqueda and Lewis presented a proclamation to recognize June 5 as Gun Violence Awareness Day in King County. We were joined by King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention Director Eleuthera Lisch who received the proclamation and thanked the council.
Councilmember Lewis presented a proclamation in honor of Juneteenth. We were joined by Board Member Eric Greer, and Board Vice Chair Sherry Williams of the Northwest African-American Museum who accepted the proclamation and shared remarks.
Pictured with City of Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss and City of Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson who joined the press event marking the launch of this pilot project in Golden Gardens. Click image to learn more.
Ride Transit to Golden Gardens
A new transit option has arrived to Ballard! King County Metro and the City of Seattle are partnering to offer Golden Gardens Direct, a new summer transit service providing a direct connection from downtown Ballard to Golden Gardens Park. Golden Gardens Direct will run daily from June 27 through August 30 from 11 am to 9 pm. Buses will run every 30 minutes and stop at multiple transfer points to make connections to other King County Metro routes seamlessly. Save gas, travel together, avoid congested parking lots, and enjoy more of your summer day!
Pictured in community at various FIFA World Cup events alongside community members, elected leaders, and soccer fans.
Solidarity, Community, and Soccer
The 2026 FIFA World Cup hit our city and screens this month! As a long-time soccer fan, I have been very excited to see how the sport has brought so much joy to our region and the world, and have been thrilled to join many soccer-related events this past month. I was particularly grateful to be able to join a friendly match between Washington State elected officials and a group of visiting Australian elected officials (including members of the Australian Parliament) who were in town for the U.S. v. Australia match (the real one!). The match was organized by my colleague Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and the West Seattle Rhodies FC, and I’m grateful for their work to make this event possible.
I also joined Mayor Wilson, Ballard FC, Salmon Bay FC, The Washington Bus, and Working Washington for the launch of “Soccer Is Solidarity” campaign at Rough and Tumble. This campaign was inspired by a local student and asks everyone to wear any team jersey on Wednesdays in solidarity with immigrant youth. When everyone wears a jersey, we stand together. I was pleased to speak at this event as we know that our city is home to an incredibly diverse community, and I care deeply about immigrant issues. Everyone should be able to wear their jersey without fear of discrimination. You too can show solidarity for communities targeted by immigration enforcement by proudly putting your jersey on every Wednesday. #SoccerlsSolidarity
On the morning of June 11, I gathered on the Observation Deck of the Space Needle and raised the Seattle Fifa World Cup 2026 flag along with Representatives from Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Boeing, Emerald Queen Casino, Microsoft, Port of Seattle, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, University of Washington and Deloitte. This officially marked the beginning of the tournament in our region. I was pleased to have been part of this historic moment in our city and district.
Keep Yourself and Others Safe
With the summer heat and World Cup festivities, there are resources available to call if you see someone experiencing a mental health, drug, or alcohol related crisis in public. We often want to help, but may not know how.
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Crisis services are free and available 24/7 for everyone in King County.
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Call or text 988 for immediate support or walk into the county’s first Crisis Care Center in Kirkland for urgent care in a mental health or substance use-related crisis.
For more tips and resources, please read the King County Department of Community and Human Services blog post here. Let’s keep each other safe!
Pictured with my wife Tyler at the Olympic Sculpture Park.
Party in the Park
My wife, Tyler, and I were invited to an event at the Olympic Sculpture Park to mark the unveiling of the park’s new artist-designed mini-golf course that will be open to the public all summer! I am proud to have such a beautiful public space located in our district for our neighbors and visitors to enjoy, especially with the sunny days ahead. Spaces like this truly are the intersection where art, environment, and community meet. Gather with friends and go play mini golf in a stunning setting!
Pictured with my wife Tyler and City of Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson who we ran into while enjoying the event.
Crown Hill Summer Fest
I stopped by the annual free Crown Hill Summer Fest organized by the Crown Hill Village Association. The atmosphere was bright and joyful as Crown Hill neighbors gathered to enjoy live music, food, art, and games!
Pictured speaking with Filipino Community of Seattle staff during my visit.
Filipino Community Center
I had the pleasure of visiting the Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS) in the Rainier Valley to see firsthand the breadth of their work, including a brand-new King County-funded caregiver certification pilot, expanded workforce training in broadband and fire alarm systems, and an affordable housing project for working families near the future Graham Street Station. I was especially impressed by their food bank, which serves anyone who walks through the door with culturally appropriate meals, and by their workforce graduates who are now in livable wage jobs after restoring internet access for communities from Central Washington to post-fire Maui. Organizations like FCS show what it looks like to lift a community from within, and I will continue working to make sure the county is a strong partner in that effort.
 Interested in Elections?
The King County Council is recruiting members for the King County Citizens’ Elections Oversight Committee (CEOC). The vacant position is for a representative of an academic institution who has knowledge of elections. The term of this position is three years, ending in September 2029. The CEOC is tasked with conducting oversight of election-related matters, and reporting to the King County Council their observations, findings, and recommendations. The CEOC meets roughly six times per year.
Submit your application by Thursday, July 9.
 Funds for Water Quality
King County’s WaterWorks grant program is accepting applications for projects that improve water quality, control pollution, and build healthy communities. WaterWorks supports community-led projects that protect and improve water quality in the service area of King County’s regional wastewater system. Projects must provide an improvement to water quality within the wastewater treatment division service area. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, schools and educational institutions, cities, counties, tribes, and special purpose districts. Together, we can protect and restore water quality across King County—one project at a time. For questions about District Four grants, please contact D4 team member Clara Manahan at clara.manahan@kingcounty.gov.
 Become a Commissioner
King County’s Human and Civil Rights Commission is looking for community members who bring diverse experiences, perspectives, and commitment to civil rights issues. The commission was formed to ensure fairness, equity, and justice for all residents. The Commission held its first meeting in September of 2025 and is currently seeking to fill spots for two new commissioners, one representing District 4 and another for District 5. If you or someone you know is interested in playing a key role in promoting fairness, equity, and justice for all King County residents, consider applying!
Submit your application by Monday, July 20.
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