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Let’s Put D2 priorities in the Budget! 2026-27 Budget Review:
On September 24, Executive Zahilay transmitted his proposed budget to the King County Council, and the Council has started its review.
Over the next two months, councilmembers will study the proposal and shape amendments before a final vote.
This is our chance to learn more about the needs in our district. If your organization has a budget request or if you have questions about the King County budget, please email my District Director, Saeed Mahamood, at saeed.mahamood@kingcounty.gov.
Please reach out by October 12 so we can review your request.
You are also welcome to attend the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, where the Council discusses the budget proposal:
- Wednesday, October 14, 9:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, October 28, 9:30 a.m.
- Monday, November 16, 1:30 p.m.
Meeting details and agendas are available here.
The budget reflects our values and is a statement of our priorities in King County.
I hope you will join us at a committee meeting or contact Saeed about what your neighborhood needs. Your voice is important to me, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Health, Housing and Human Services Committee: Tuesday, October 6
: Click on image above to hear CM Lewis questions about funding for grants for Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD). She also inquires about a fund shift for services for incarcerated individuals.
At this week’s Health, Housing, and Human Services Committee (HHHS), members voted to rename the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency fund to the King County Behavioral Health Bridge fund along with adopting its implementation plan. This implementation plan is designed to guide how the County will spend the 0.1% sales tax that generates about $180 million per biennium. To learn more about the Behavioral Health Bridge, click here.
Council: Tuesday, October 6
Click on image above to see CM Lewis recognize the Seattle OWLS softball team
for their recent championship.
At this week’s King County Council meeting, Councilmember Rhonda Lewis presented a proclamation recognizing the Seattle Owls, a historically all-Black women’s softball team that won Washington State championships in 1938 and 1939. The proclamation honored the team’s place in Seattle’s history and celebrated the legacy they created.
The above photograph features eleven members of the Owls softball team. According to a handwritten note accompanying the image, the standing row, from left, includes Mary Yarbra Turner, Roberta Johnson Fair, Dolly Martin, Ina Miller, Harriett Booker, Melvina Freeman, Regiena Twaites Brown, and Evelyn Williams. Seated in the front row, from left, are Mary Porter Tanner, Lillian Brown, and Alice Powell Tanner. Photograph courtesy of the Museum of History & Industry, Al Smith Collection.
Today, a new generation of young athletes carries the Owls name forward, recently winning the Nike RBI West Regional Championship and advancing to the Nike RBI Softball World Series. Welcoming the current team to Council was a special opportunity to celebrate the original Owls, recognize today’s athletes, and honor a legacy that continues across generations. Click here to learn more about the Seattle Owls Softball team!
Click on image above to hear CM Lewis’ remarks on Waterworks grant funds in District 2. Funds which will add 100 gingko trees to Kubota Gardens and make critical drainage improvements supporting affordable housing development in Skyway. Both are neighborhood projects designed to improve what goes into our waterways.
On Tuesday, the King County Council approved councilmanic Waterworks grants which are funded by the sewer rate. Specifically, Waterworks is 1.5% of wastewater treatment division’s annual operating budget and is designed to boost partnerships with neighborhood and community groups work to protect our waterways.
The King County Council also considered a proposal to increase the sales tax by 0.01% to fund services for children and families, shelter, and housing assistance. The sponsors of this proposal, CM Baron (D4) and CM Dembowski (D1) did so because of an interest in helping the approx. 1,000 youth facing homelessness in King County.
The sponsors and the Executive see youth homelessness as an urgent need. Contrary to recent reports, this small tax increase can only be used for specific services per state law. In addition, it is being put to work right away by matching $10 million in private funding from the Schultz Family Foundation. This 50/50 partnership will open 92 units of youth shelter and transitional housing. This was part of Executive Zahilay’s 500 units in 500 days announcement on September 21.
The increase will cost consumers one penny for every $100 spent in King County. Funds will support youth shelter and services such as Youthcare.
The Council is receiving increased correspondence from constituents on this issue both from constituents who want to see housing and services funded, and constituents who are concerned about any and all tax increases.
Law and Justice Committee: Wednesday, October 7
CM Lewis welcomed Superior Court Presiding Judge Avril Rothrock to the Law Justice Committee. Judge Rothrock and Superior Court staff updated the committee on the work of Family Court.
At the October 7th Law and Justice Committee meeting, Chair Rhonda Lewis and committee members received a briefing from King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Averil Rothrock and Family Conciliation & Evaluation Specialist Meagan Cordova on Family Law Caseload & Judicial Resource Needs. They focused on family court caseloads and the court’s judicial resource needs. The briefing highlighted growing pressures on King County Superior Court’s Unified Family Court, including a 66% increase in civil protection order petitions between 2019 and 2025, a 165% increase in protection order hearings, and a 137% increase in family law motions per case since 2019.
The court also reported that high rates of self-represented litigants and expanded requirements under state law have increased the complexity and time required to resolve cases, contributing to hearing delays that can now stretch from weeks to months. This work is important to understanding how the King County Council can support an effective court system and ensure residents navigating family law matters can access the judicial process. Learn more about King County Superior Court here!
Regional Water Quality Committee (RWQC): Wednesday, October 7
Click on the image above to hear CM Lewis ask the UW Puget Sound Institute about the impact of stormwater runoff on Puget Sound.
Dr. Joel Baker Ph.D. – the Director of the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute presented on oxygen levels in Puget Sound. Nutrients including nitrogen from human activities can change the balance and decrease oxygen levels in Puget Sound.
If oxygen levels fall below what is needed to sustain life in the Sound, this can pose a threat to our northwest ecology. The Institute is studying the impact of low oxygen levels specifically on Dungeness crabs, English Sole and Chinook Salmon.
Committee members discussed multiple factors that impact oxygen levels in Puget Sound the main contributor being increased temperature. CM Lewis asked about stormwater runoff which has a greater influence on toxicity of the water than on oxygen levels.
Thursday, October 8
CM Lewis and staff met with the State Lobby Team for King County about the King County State Legislative Agenda.
CM Lewis advocated for the inclusion of gun violence prevention, 2-year free college tuition for public high school graduates known as a Promise program and adequate funding for the court system.
Friday, October 9
CM Lewis’ team participated in the Labor Policy Committee which reviewed current King County Labor policies. The King County Council sets labor policies which are used by the King County Executive in negotiations with King County labor unions. Labor leadership requested that labor policies be expanded to address Artificial Intelligence.
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