Budget panel recommends prudent 2008 spending plan

Final Council consideration set for Monday

Members of the Metropolitan King County Council, meeting as the Operating Budget Committee, today voted unanimously to recommend their final draft of a $4.9 billion King County Budget that responds to the priorities voiced by citizens earlier this year to ensure public trust, enhance quality of life, and protect public health and safety. The budget stays within the property tax limits of Initiative 747, even though the state Supreme Court invalidated the initiative last week.

The budget recommendation reduces the executive’s overall budget, proposed at just over $5 billion, by $40 million, and reduces the executive’s proposed general fund expenditures by $1.8 million.

The recommendation, known as the “budget striker,” will be considered for adoption by the full Council on Monday, November 19, at 1:30 p.m.

“To the Executive’s credit, he sent us a very responsive budget,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, chair of the Operating Budget Committee. “The Council worked to reprioritize parts of the proposed budget and exercise additional fiscal restraint. We delivered a budget that reduces the Executive’s overall proposed budget and reduces his proposed general fund expenditures while maintaining current levels of services, increasing general fund reserves and anticipating future and emergency needs. Further, the recommended budget respects the property tax limits of Initiative 747.”

The Operating Budget Committee was guided in its work by the “Priorities for People” heard from citizens through the Council’s extensive citizen engagement process conducted earlier this year. The Committee also worked to make sure that the 2008 budget is fiscally prudent and maintains the financial policies that have earned the County the highest possible credit ratings.

Highlights of the Operating Budget Committee’s recommendations include:

• Lower overall budget: Reduces the executive’s overall proposed budget by $40 million, and reduces the executive’s proposed general fund expenditures by $1.75 million.
  
• Criminal justice: Ensures continued implementation of the Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations for the Sheriff’s Office, and increases staffing in District Court to address rising caseloads and improve court customer service.
  
• Elections operations: Creates a new Elections Division as a stand-alone operation to allow the Elections Director to focus solely on management of important elections systems.
  
• Vote-by-mail: Funds 12 regional voting centers to accommodate people with special needs and enable them to cast secret ballots.
  
• Animal control: Requires the executive to make dramatic improvements to the care of animals and the animal shelter program.
  
• Property taxes: Limits levy increases to 1 percent growth in the spirit of Initiative 747, despite the recent Supreme Court ruling striking down the initiative as unconstitutional.
  
• Mental health and chemical dependency: Establishes expanded programs for treatment of citizens with mental illness and substance abuse issue.
  
• Transportation: Creates a new Marine Division to begin contract work for the new King County Ferry District. Funds more than 160,000 new Metro bus service hours and eliminates advertising wraps over bus windows.