The Metropolitan King County Council unanimously passed a $11.4 billion budget Monday.
“This is a back to basics budget,” said Councilman Dave Upthegrove, chair of the Council’s Budget Committee. “It is a responsible and balanced budget that prioritizes core services such as housing, public safety, and transportation.”
According to a release the council sought to create and fund initiatives through a mixture of strategic reforms, prioritization of funds and innovative approaches to revenue.
Among the initiatives included in the are the creation of a new homelessness navigation center on county-owned property, restoration of funding for vital regional services like the sheriff’s helicopter and marine units and expansion of transit service throughout King County.
The release stated the council renewed the county’s commitment to public safety by restoring planned reductions in the King County Sheriff’s Office, including the reduction of the Air Support and Marine Units, along with increasing the number of deputies serving the unincorporated areas. This budget also restores bookings at the Regional Justice Center and provides additional resources for public defense and the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
“As a council, we had a lot of tough decisions to make during this budget process,” Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn said. “I’m thankful this budget will continue to support the lifesaving work of the air support and marine rescue units and grateful to have had the opportunity to advocate for funds that will support great programs throughout southeast King County.”
In 2015, King County declared an emergency in regards to homelessness. The adopted budget commits the county through its own actions and in partnerships with local governments and agencies with new investments in shelters and comprehensive services to help keep homeless individuals and families safe while helping them overcome barriers to securing permanent housing.
The initiatives include:
• development and operation of a 24 hours a day, seven days a week emergency shelter on county-owned property across from the courthouse or another suitable location. The emergency shelter will include day-center services, storage lockers and onsite supportive services and will investigate the installation of hygiene facilities like showers and laundry;
• development and operation of shelter and housing services at Harborview Hall on Seattle’s First Hill and
• investment in local partnerships to create programs to assist the homeless in cities outside of Seattle.
The release noted a growing county population needs expanded transportation options to get people to work, school and activities. This adopted budget includes 300,000 new service hours for Metro Transit, increasing alternative transit services and right-size service options and a focus on making the transit system cleaner and greener through the expansion of Metro’s electric bus fleet.
The council also worked toward making Metro more accessible to low-income riders by making more affordable the current discounted ticket program available for purchase by nonprofit agencies and including funds to waive the current fees for new ORCA cards and Regional Reduced Fare permits, following a study.
For those living in rural areas, the budget increases funds to the roads division to help maintain and repair the county road system, with an additional $4 million for roads maintenance. County road maintenance had been cut in previous budget following the Great Recession.
According to the release the unincorporated communities will also benefit from a program to support active communities. The budget will include funding supporting youth or amateur sport activities or facilities along with funds to support access to sports by underserved youth.
“Time and again, studies have shown that children who participate in recreational programs and sports activities become more engaged in their communities,” Councilman Pete von Reichbauer said. “In providing funds to update and maintain our sports facilities, we are providing our families and youth with the tools and opportunities to build stronger communities through stronger families.”
The budget also provides funding for a immigrant and refugee task force, antibias training in the sheriff’s office and programs to reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system. It also includes funds raised by voter supported levies including veterans and human services and Best Starts for Kids.
“Although the council and I were able to collaborate on a responsible budget, the broken state tax system continues to undermine our ability to meet the needs of a dynamic, rapidly growing region,” said County Executive Dow Constantine. “Along with counties across the state, we are united in calling for Olympia to pass meaningful tax reform next year.”
Some Budget facts and figures
The following is a basic outline from the King County website on the budget.
Understanding the budget
The biennial county budget is the single most important document through which the King County Council sets policy for county government and oversees the delivery of services you need and expect. This big picture look will help you understand how the King County budget works.
The budget process begins with county executive submitting his proposed budget to the King County Council in late September. The council then holds a series of public hearings and panel meetings to scrutinize the proposal and develop its own. The council traditionally adopts the final county budget before Thanksgiving.
Restricted and unrestricted funds
The county budget is composed of two types of funds: dedicated funds and the general fund. Dedicated funds are the largest portion of the county budget, at about 85 percent of the total budget. These funds include contracts for services, fees, and levies that have been collected for specific purposes and must be allocated by law toward those purposes. For example, bus fares must go towards paying for transit, sewer fees towards paying for wastewater treatment, and the voter-approved emergency medical services property tax levy.
There is more flexibility in the general fund, which is about 15 percent of the total budget. This fund pays for the traditional functions of county government, such as the Sheriff’s office, and critical day-to-day services that are not supported by dedicated revenues. Almost three quarters of the general fund goes to support state-mandated criminal justice and public safety services. The remainder pays for other programs, such as health and human services.
King County General Fund
The general fund and the many services it provides to county residents is supported by two principal sources of tax revenue: property tax and sales tax.
King County is the property tax collector for all taxing districts within the county. Although you pay your property tax to King County, the county receives only 19 cents of every dollar. The rest goes to other agencies, including 53 cents to schools, 18 cents to cities and towns, and 9 cents to other taxing districts.
