PRIORITIES FOR PEOPLE: County Council pledges fiscal discipline and oversight as it prepares 2008 King County Budget

Budget leaders for the Metropolitan King County Council vow to exercise fiscal discipline while meeting the priorities identified by the public for the 2008 King County Budget, after receiving the Executive’s budget proposal today.

Budget leaders for the Metropolitan King County Council vow to exercise fiscal discipline while meeting the priorities identified by the public for the 2008 King County Budget, after receiving the Executive’s budget proposal today.

“During our Citizen Engagement process, the public made its budget priorities very clear,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, who will direct this year’s budget deliberations as chair of the Operating Budget, Fiscal Management and Mental Health Committee. “These citizen priorities will serve as our ‘northern star’ to guide us through these budget deliberations. We will prepare a focused budget with fiscal discipline that delivers on those citizen priorities.”

The County Council has final budgetary authority and oversight for the $4.8 billion dollar budget proposed today.

Citizens asked for more local and regional government performance measurements that are reported back to the public. Councilmember Dow Constantine, chair of the Capital Budget Panel, commended the Executive’s support for performance-based management in his proposal. “The fact that the Executive stated that in 2009 we will be tying agency budgets to their performance is a clear victory for performance-based management, and could ultimately prove the most significant aspect of today’s budget message.”

A major driver of the budget is the county’s investment in major capital construction projects. Members say those projects need to be reviewed for their impact on the County’s debt service load.


“There are several major capital projects already underway and in the midst of that construction boom we’re hearing proposals to sell property and build a new administration building,” said Councilmember Jane Hague, Chair of the Operating Budget Panel. “We need to review the projects and the process to ensure that we’re not taking out a mortgage that will suffocate our children and grandchildren.”

With only five weeks to review the proposal and adopt a final budget, members say an amendment to the King County Charter may be needed.

“The County’s Charter provides 45 days to deal with our $4 billion budget,” said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, Vice-Chair of the Operating and Capital Budget Panels. “Since the Council has the power of the purse, we need to extend that process so elected Councilmember’s have time to prioritize how the taxpayers hard earned money is spent. Extending this 45 day period is one of several needed charter changes.”

The Council begins its work on the 2008 budget with a series of four public hearings throughout the county:

• Tuesday, October 23. South King County – Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 Fourth Avenue N., Kent.

• Wednesday October 24. Southwest King County – West Seattle High School, 3000 California Avenue SW, Seattle.

• Tuesday October 30. East King County – Bellevue City Hall, City Council Chambers, 11511 Main Street, Bellevue

• Thursday, November 1. Downtown Seattle – King County Council Chambers, 10th Floor King County Courthouse, Seattle.

All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. Day-after coverage of the public hearings will be available both online and on King County Television, seen on Comcast and Millennium Cable Channel 22.

The Council is scheduled to adopt a final 2008 King County Budget on Nov. 19.