November 2012
Neighbors:
The month of November brought the Council’s adoption of the 2013 King County budget. You’ve heard it from me before, but I want to reiterate: The County has trimmed $253 million from its general fund budget over the past five years. The County Council has made tough choices, and its residents have felt the effects. The 2013 budget reflects shrinking revenues but also makes strategic investments.
Bus improvements in West Seattle As you know, September brought the largest service change in Metro’s history. We are working hard to address some of the problems we’ve seen since these changes have taken effect. Although RapidRide hasn’t been perfect, the additional buses now operating in peak times have helped to alleviate many of the problems we initially saw. Route 22 has been revised to operate through Arbor Heights an hour later each evening. And starting in February, afternoon and evening trips on Route 21 will be revised to continue south to SW Roxbury Street and then to Westwood Village. This allows riders to get off at 35th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street, closer to Arbor Heights. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s better. I continue to monitor the route issues, and the County is committed to making bus service both efficient and effective. |
The adopted $7.6 billion budget includes a $685 million General Fund Budget. Nearly three-quarters of the general fund goes toward public safety and criminal justice programs.
The Council allocated $1.3 million in one-time funds to Countywide, regional service organizations that provide programs for our community’s most vulnerable. These funds support domestic violence advocacy, civil legal aid, services for victims of sexual assault, housing programs, and post-incarceration education. On a personal note, I’m grateful my colleagues agreed to direct the expected revenue from the issuance of marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples to organizations that serve vulnerable, at-risk youth. LGBTQ kids are overrepresented in our homeless, runaway and sexually trafficked populations. The County conservatively estimates about 770 marriage licenses will be issued to gay and lesbian couples, resulting in $50,000 in new revenue. We dedicated $35,000 of these funds to Youth Care and $15,000 to Lambert House.
While this is good news, the County budget continues to face challenges. Declining property values and annexations have led to a $40 million shortfall in our budget to maintain our critical unincorporated roads. In the 2013-2014 budget, 70 positions in the Roads Division are eliminated. To address this gap, the Executive proposed a $20 vehicle license fee for residents of unincorporated King County. The Council did not adopt this proposal as the $20 fee would have generated just under four million dollars, not nearly enough to fix the problem. That’s why you’ll find the Council turning its focus to legislation before the State Legislature. We are working with a united coalition to find dedicated and adequate roads and transit funding.
Other budget highlights include:
• A plan to leverage the Affordable Care Act by potentially consolidating county departments.
• Strategic investments to reduce recidivism by funding two gang intervention and education programs.
• Funding for a comprehensive, coordinated approach to address human trafficking. The funds will help to find and support victims, develop successful prevention strategies, and provide shelter beds.
• A commitment to social justice and equity by beginning to make the County’s website available in more languages to help more County residents access vital information.
I had the honor of serving as the chair of the Budget Committee this year. I believe the adopted budget is responsible and just. We invested one-time money to shore up our social safety net to help the vulnerable in our community on a path toward a productive life. At the same time, we continue to change how County government operates which allows us to deliver services in a more efficient manner. You can learn more here.
As always, it’s my pleasure to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance.
Until next month,
-Joe
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