King County Executive Girmay Zahilay is highlighting early progress in a broad effort to strengthen financial oversight, improve accountability and increase transparency across county government, following a series of reforms launched during his first 100 days in office.
The initiative, outlined in Zahilay’s “Better Government” executive order, is aimed at addressing long-standing issues in how public funds are managed while establishing more consistent systems for monitoring spending, reducing costs and improving performance across departments.
“Our focus is clear: stronger accountability, smarter financial practices, and a culture of continuous improvement across County government,” said Zahilay. “Many of the challenges we face were created over years and won’t be solved with quick fixes. These early actions under my new administration show momentum, but we know there is more work to be done.”
The reforms touch multiple areas of county operations, including contract oversight, grant management, ethics enforcement and long-term budgeting. Early efforts have focused in part on the Department of Community and Human Services, which manages a significant share of county funding for community-based programs.
A recent review by the King County Auditor’s Office found the department is making measurable progress in addressing prior audit findings. Under the leadership of Acting Director Dr. Susan McLaughlin, the department has introduced new policies and procedures to strengthen financial oversight and improve how contracts and grants are managed. Those efforts include expanded training for both county staff and community partners who receive public funding, with the goal of creating clearer expectations and more consistent compliance.
The county has also launched a fraud prevention training program for employees, developed in response to earlier audit findings. The training began in April and is being expanded across departments, with more than 3,000 employees expected to participate. Officials say the program is designed to improve awareness, reinforce accountability standards and reduce the risk of misuse of public funds.
To strengthen internal controls across government, King County recently hired a new internal audit director, who is working with departments to address outstanding audit issues and identify compliance risks. That role is also leading a newly formed grantmaking improvements workgroup, which is reviewing how funds are distributed and monitored
across departments. The group is focused on strengthening subcontractor requirements, improving risk assessment practices and enhancing fiscal oversight, with the goal of developing more consistent standards countywide.
County leaders are also considering additional measures to improve accountability, including the potential creation of a centralized function to investigate fraud, waste and abuse. The Executive’s Office is working with the King County Council on a proposal that could establish an inspector general role to oversee those efforts and provide independent review of complaints.
At the same time, the county is reviewing and updating its code of ethics to clarify expectations for employees and strengthen policies related to conflicts of interest. Proposed changes include updated disclosure requirements, clearer supervisory responsibilities and stronger reporting protocols, including for subcontractors and grant recipients.
The executive order also places a strong emphasis on improving budgeting practices and long-term financial planning. Each department has identified a designated savings officer responsible for identifying cost-saving opportunities and helping manage spending in areas facing financial pressure. The Executive’s Office has also launched a base budget review process that will help guide future spending decisions, including development of the 2028–2029 budget. Officials say the effort is intended to reprioritize resources and improve long-term fiscal sustainability.
Another key component of the reforms is the development of standardized performance metrics for contracts and services. County officials are working to create a consistent framework for tracking outcomes, with plans to expand the approach across all departments by the end of the year. The goal is to ensure that public investments produce measurable results and that programs can be evaluated more effectively.
Zahilay said the reforms are part of a broader effort to build a more accountable and transparent government, while acknowledging that the work will take time.
“These early actions under my new administration show momentum, but we know there is more work to be done,” said Zahilay.
