What the King County Council does for you
As your Metropolitan King County Council, we oversee the 14th most populous county in the nation and the second largest government in Washington State. With 1.9 million people living within 2,134 square miles, King County has a population larger than 14 states and covers more territory than the state of Rhode Island.
Our dedicated employees provide quality regional services every day to county residents. We are also the local government for the 350,000 people who live in the urban and rural unincorporated areas and provide services by contract to many of the county’s 39 cities.
As the legislative branch of county government, the Council sets policies, enacts laws, and adopts budgets that guide an array of services for this region, including:
• the criminal justice system of prosecutors and public defenders, District and Superior Courts, juvenile detention and adult jails;
• the King County Sheriff’s Office, which directly serves residents of unincorporated areas and contracts with many cities to provide police protection;
• public health and human services;
• Metro Transit bus service and county roads;
• wastewater treatment and solid waste management;
• regional parks, open space and trails; and
• elections, records, and licensing.
The nine members of the King County Council each represent a geographic district of about 200,000 residents. Councilmembers are elected on a nonpartisan basis and serve four-year terms.
The Council has four standing committees that oversee specific government functions, and a Committee of the Whole that includes all Councilmembers and examines issues of interest to the entire Council. We also work closely with elected officials from local jurisdictions on three regional committees that address our common interests in matters of policy, transit, and water quality.
By carefully scrutinizing every ordinance, motion, and budget over many years, the Council has identified and implemented hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and efficiencies.
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