King County Budget

As you may have heard, the King County Council is currently reviewing the Executive’s 2009 proposed budget, which he presented to the Council on October 13th. The proposal anticipates a 93 million dollar shortfall in the County’s general fund, which will impact the important services the County provides.

We are all very concerned about what the shortfall means for programs supported by general fund dollars. In August, the Council declared public safety, public health, and human services as priorities for funding in 2009. Throughout the budget process, I will work to make sure the 2009 budget meets the Council and the public’s priorities, all while preserving the County’s financial health.

As a Council, we have heard from thousands of people about the budget. We held six public hearings in Issaquah, Kent, Shoreline, Kirkland, and Seattle and listened to how important services, such as family planning, mental health court, and drug court, are to the lives of people in King County. Last week, over 150 people testified at the King County Courthouse in support of public health, human services, domestic violence, and the King County Fair.

Personally, I have received hundreds of emails and letters regarding the budget. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to contact me. In particular, I was very touched with those who shared their personal story about how a King County program impacts their lives. I encourage you to continue to share your thoughts about the budget with me. You can reach me at Julia.Patterson@kingcounty.gov or (206) 296-1005.

The Council’s version of the budget will be available this Thursday, November 20th and the Council will adopt the final budget on Monday, November 24th. You can read about the final adopted budget in my newsletter, which will be sent out early next week. You can sign up for the newsletter here: eNewsletter

More information about the King County budget is available here: http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/budget.aspx

Public Health In Jeopardy

Since July, the Board of Health, a governing body I chair, has worked to raise awareness about the potential cuts to Public Health. King County government is the sole provider of public health services in the county. These include:

• tracking and monitoring diseases like West Nile Virus and tuberculosis,
•  preparing our region’s healthcare system for emergencies like earthquakes and pandemic flu, 
• inspecting restaurants to ensure that the food they serve is safe to eat and the facility and employees use sanitary practices, 
• providing family planning services, immunizations, and new parent support, 
• cleaning up meth labs, 
• conducting autopsies for criminal investigations, 
• running jail health services for inmates entering the King County jails, 
• ensuring that our drinking water is safe.

Public Health’s local funding is in jeopardy due to the King County budget crisis. We must find a solution that is sustainable and long-term, so these critical services will not be at risk for cuts every year that the county’s budget faces a deficit. I will lobby Olympia to help us find a funding source that will allow public health to fulfill its mission of prevention and good health in King County.