Dear neighbor: 2011 is winding down, and what a year it was! As the holiday season comes to a close, I wanted to provide a quick recap of what has happened over the past year. If you live in District 9, look for a hard copy newsletter in your mailbox in the new year. In June I completed my annual District listening tour. The tour gave me an opportunity to hear from those directly affected by decisions made at the county level. I was able to lay out my goals for the year and receive input about how to improve county government. I hope you find this newsletter helpful. I am proud to represent the ninth council district in King County, and I am looking forward to a great 2012. Due to declining budgets, I am not able to send you hard copy newsletters as much as I would like. If you know anyone who would be interested in this information, please forward it to them and encourage them to sign up to receive them on my website (www.kingcounty.gov/dunn). As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (206) 296-1009 or Reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov. Best regards, Reagan Dunn Council Adopts 2012 BudgetThe King County Council unanimously adopted the 2012 budget a week and a half ahead of schedule. Cost-saving measures undertaken throughout the year meant no dramatic cuts to services in the General Fund. However, in cutting $16 million some programs, such as 4-H, were not spared. On balance, the 2012 budget reflects a more efficient and stable county government moving forward. Dunn Urges Council to Support Victim-WitnessesIn January, I introduced legislation urging the Washington State Legislature to adopt HB 1001, a measure that would protect victims of sex crimes from facing defendants who are representing themselves. The measure was unanimously approved (92-0) in the State House of Representatives but has not yet been acted on in the Senate. Council Creates “New Model” for Unincorporated CommunitiesIn an effort to increase outreach to the 285,000 unincorporated residents in King County, the Council adopted a plan in June to allow more groups to participate in the decision-making process. The legislation calls for the establishment of unincorporated community service areas that will cover all residents that live outside city limits. King County is currently taking public input on the new service area boundaries. To comment or for any additional questions, you can contact the county’s community service representatives at marissa.alegria@kingcounty.gov or bong.stodomingo@kingcounty.gov. Council Adopts a New Vision for Public TransportationAs Chair of the Regional Transit Committee, I led the effort to create a new plan for transit in King County. This “Strategic Plan” identified more than 450,000 hours of low productivity and duplicative service hours and will provide increased geographic value throughout the entire county. I voted against the corresponding $20 car tabs because I felt that King County should cut low productivity and duplicative service before asking voters to pay more. Unfortunately, the car tab increase was passed by the County Council despite my objection. |
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