Hello friends,

I want to first wish you a happy Veterans Day and express my heartfelt appreciation to those who have served, and do serve, in our country’s military. If you are a veteran, or know someone who is, and need any kind of support, please know you can reach out to the King County Veterans Program to help navigate the myriad of governments, services and organizations available to you.

The Biennial Budget

I’m very happy to announce that the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee completed our work on the 2023-2024 Biennial Budget and forwarded along the final committee developed budget to the full Council for final passage. Over the course of seven weeks, a dozen public meetings, eight public hearings and hearing from hundreds of concerned residents and organizations – we put together a budget that moves the region forward to recover and thrive by addressing the underlying inequities laid bare by the worst effects of the pandemic.

It is a big budget! You can find the version sent to full Council for a final vote on our Budget website here. I’m happy to share a few highlights that I believe deliver for our region, and for District 8.

• $35 million Equitable Recovery Initiative: This will invest $20 million in new affordable housing and $15 million for behavioral health, economic recovery and homelessness support.

• $3.6 million for Metro to serve riders now, improve rider experience, clean transit centers, enhance community safety and expand neighborhood engagement.

• $1.75 million in new support for programs and organizations working to end gender-based violence in our region

• $500,000 to help develop La Plaza de Vashon, an exciting project in the works by Comunidad Latina de Vashon

• $2 million to help the White Center Foodbank create their new location right in downtown White Center

• $1 million for the Little Saigon Landmark Project, which will include a cultural center, affordable housing and a Southeast Asian Public Market in the heart of Little Saigon.

If you’re interested in providing feedback or following along for the final vote, please come by or log in to our Council meeting next Tuesday, November 15th starting at 1:00 PM – you can find the ways to do so here.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.

-Joe

Joe McDermott
King County Councilmember