By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The King County Council approved a $178 million supplemental budget proposal that include money to increase traffic patrols, address gun violence, housing assistance, food security, transportation and more.
Sponsored by Council Budget Chair Girmay Zahilay, this is the third supplemental budget of the current budget cycle.
“My goals as Budget Chair are to ensure King County delivers the best possible services while abiding by smart budgeting principles that allow us to navigate a general fund shortfall and economic uncertainty,” says Zahilay.
“I think our Council struck the right balance with this supplemental budget,” continued Zahilay. “We won’t be spending beyond our means, but we will also be supporting critical services and infrastructure projects that benefit residents of King County. We will be investing in public safety, housing, workforce development, and critical resources for our neighbors in need.”
Key initiatives in the budget include:
• Providing rental assistance to people on the verge of eviction
• Housing for unhoused neighbors in East King County, North King County, and beyond
• Supporting apprenticeship programs in Auburn and Federal Way
• Increasing traffic patrols in rural King County
• Addressing gun violence around the region
• Investing in resources for survivors of sexual assault
• Food security for seniors
The budget also funds several other key initiatives, including:
• $14 million for Metro Transit to test hydrogen fuel cell buses as a component of its zero-emission conversion
• $12 million to the Climate Office for grant-funded work, including solar and heat pump programs and regional climate preparedness coordination
• $73 million to implement the first year of the Doors Open Program
• $5 million in funding from the state for transitional and long-term housing support for unsheltered, recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers
According to county officials, these investments provide much needed support in critical areas like public safety, housing, the environment.
“I am grateful to have worked with my Council colleagues as well as with Executive Dow Constantine, in passing our 2024 Supplemental Budget,” says King County Councilmember Sara Perry. “At a time when resources are limited, this budget continues to invest in the areas where our communities need it most, including a focus on public safety, parks, housing, permitting, and the environment. I’m pleased to see the much-needed investment.”
King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda made it a point to thank Zahilay for his vision and leadership and working on the priorities that she has sponsored.
“This supplemental budget makes a down payment on strategies to support health, housing stability, and workforce in King County,” said Mosqueda. “I’m thrilled about the inclusion of priorities I sponsored, including funding for a labor-led worker dispatch program that will position our region to produce a legacy of long-term economic benefits from hosting the World Cup with living-wage jobs; and investments in rent assistance to help keep vulnerable households stably housed as continued pandemic impacts and rising costs make it harder to make ends meet.”
