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Veterans and Human Services Levy Renewal
On May 2nd, the King County Council will consider legislation sending to the voters a measure replacing the expiring King County Veterans and Human Services Levy. The levy is set to expire at the end of 2011. The measure would authorize a replacement levy for the same purposes at a rate of $0.05 per $1,000 assessed valuation with an inflator.
Using five overarching strategies, the 2005 Veterans and Human Services Levy was designed so that fifty percent of the yearly total of $14.6 million would provide housing and other supportive services for veterans, military personnel and their families, and the other fifty percent would go toward other individuals and families in need across King County.
The five strategy areas identified along with the cumulative expenditures for each strategy are:
Strategy One – Enhancing services and access for veterans, Expenditures $9,035,095
Strategy Two – Ending homelessness through outreach, prevention, permanent supportive housing and employment, Expenditures $29,061,667
Strategy Three – Increasing access to behavioral health services, Expenditures $5,619,681
Strategy Four – Strengthening families at risk, Expenditures $7,159,951
Strategy Five – Increasing effectiveness of resource management
and evaluation, Expenditures $2,587,081
These expenditures represent the first five years (2006 thru 2010) of this six year levy. Among the five overarching strategies, there are sub-strategies designed to maximize the effectiveness of the levy in assisting the target population. These sub-strategies include:
• Expanding geographic range of the King County Veteran’s Program
• Initiatives to identify/engage/house long term homeless
• Increase permanent housing w/support services
• Permanent housing placement support for criminal justice parents exiting transitional housing
• Education and employment links to supportive housing
• Integrate mental health and chemical dependency into primary care clinics
• Training behavioral health providers and programs in trauma sensitive and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment
• Early childhood intervention/prevention
Veterans organizations and human services organizations have expressed support for renewal of this levy due to the number of returning veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq war. If passed by the Council the levy could be on the ballot for voters in August 2011.
Redistricting King County Council Districts
Now that the U.S. census has been completed, by law, Council district boundaries must be redrawn to make each district equal in population. Every district will be required to have approximately 110,000 residents. District 2 is looking forward to integrating an additional 8,000 people into our boundaries. A King County Districting Committee chaired by former Superior Court Judge Terrence Carroll is tasked with redrawing the King County districts using the U.S. census data. Other members of the Committee include Rod Dembowski, John Jensen, Sally Nelson and Sally Poliak. The Committee must weigh many factors, including city boundaries, natural features and communities of related and mutual interest.
The Districting Committee will be holding three public meetings to gather community input on redistricting:
I was the keynote speaker at the Earth Day assembly at Seattle Preparatory School. |
Monday, May 2, 6:30 p.m.
King County Courthouse
Council Chambers
516 Third Ave, 10th Floor
Seattle, WA 98104
Thursday, May 5, 6:30 p.m.
Kent-Meridian High School
School Library
10020 SE 256th St
Kent, WA 98030
Wednesday, May 11, 6:30 p.m.
Robert Frost Elementary School
Commons Room
11801 NE 140th St
Kirkland, WA 98034
King County Transit Strategic Plan
On Monday, February 28th, the King County Executive transmitted his Proposed Strategic Plan for Public Transportation (“Strategic Plan”). The Strategic Plan is the culmination of over a years’ worth of work done by Metro staff, Council staff, and people in the community. Last year, Council formed a Regional Transit Task Force (“Task Force”) made up of 28 diverse transit stakeholders from all around the county, including District 2’s own Carla Saulter (aka the Bus Chick) and Josh Kavanagh of the University of Washington. We asked these community leaders to set aside the divisive transit issues of the past and focus on the common need of all King County residents: a transit system that increases productivity and efficiency while ensuring access to people who are transit dependent. The Task Force issued a unanimous set of seven recommendations including policy guidance for adding and reducing service to our transit system while looking at productivity and ensuring social equity and geographic value.
Based on the recommendations of the Task Force, the Strategic Plan establishes guidelines and priorities to guide transit decisions in the future, identifies performance measures, and improves both openness and accountability to the residents of King County. The Strategic Plan is currently being reviewed, and possibly amended by the Regional Transit Committee (a committee made up of King County Councilmembers as well as elected officials from the Suburban Cities Association, and the cities of Seattle and Bellevue) before it is taken up by the Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee and then the full Council. This strategic planning process is very important to every resident of King County, especially those of us who depend on the bus system as a primary means of transportation. Once adopted, the guidelines in the Strategic Plan will be used to add, cut, and restructure Metro service. This is why I have been actively involved in this process from the beginning and I look forward to working with the Executive and my colleagues on the Council in the coming months to perfect the Strategic Plan. I also look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on the Strategic Plan. For more information on the Strategic Plan please visit: https://metro.kingcounty.gov/planning. For more information on the Regional Transit Task Force, please visit: www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/TransitTaskForce.
What's Happening in District 2
Leschi Community Council Flo Ware Park Celebration, 28th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, May 14, from noon to 4 p.m. Food, music, performances. www.flowarepark.org
Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, April 30 to May 8, www.langstonarts.org/
May Day March and Rally – “We are Workers,” in celebration of International Workers’ Day, Sunday, May 1, at 1 p.m., at 611 20th Avenue Street (St. Mary’s Church in Seattle), and marching to the Memorial Stadium at the Seattle Center.
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