Hello friends,

I am happy to share that we have just wrapped up a successful second week of the biennial budget process here at the County Council! As we continue through the process, I wanted to share some of the things we’ve discussed and accomplished thus far. Please share with those you know and be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks.

But first – an important note. King County, for the first time, will be officially observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, October 10. Like other major holidays, most county services will be closed. Employees are encouraged to take the time to deepen our understanding of, and connection to, the history and ongoing culture of the first people in our region. I hope you might take some time to do the same.

Budget Panels

This week marked the first of three weeks in which Council will meet in separate panels to discuss and review aspects of the budget. Each of these panels has a different focus and emphasis pertaining to the biennial budget. Panel 1 focuses on housing and homelessness, and behavioral health. You can watch video of the panel through the Council website. Panel 2 centers around climate and the environment and investing in people. The third panel is on public safety and supporting a safe King County for everyone. A video of Panel 3 can be found here. These panels will occur for the next two weeks on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 9:30 am and can be livestreamed through KCTV.

Evening Public Hearings

The first opportunity for community members to participate in the budget process occurred on October 5th. Your next opportunity to weigh in on the budget process through an evening town hall is this Wednesday, October 12th at 6 pm at the Kent Senior Activity Center. This is a chance for you to share with us what matters to you as we continue working towards finalizing the budget for the next biennium. There will be one more evening budget town hall on Wednesday, October 19th, at 6pm which will be a hybrid meeting with an opportunity for in-person and online participation. More information about these public hearings and how to participate can be found on the Council website.

Budget Information Resource

As mentioned in my last email, our Council communications team has developed a central resource for tracking the budget process. It will continue to be updated with information and video links as we continue to hold panels, Council meetings, and public hearings.

There will be many more updates to come, so please be on the lookout for those as we advance through October and November!

Have a wonderful weekend,

-Joe

Joe McDermott
King County Councilmember