Forum Topics and Materials

Round 8: King County Budget: Achieving Sustainability Together
(September 17 - October 23, 2011)

County residents were offered an opportunity to communicate their values, priorities and ideas for a sustainable budget with an emphasis on the Metro Transit budget.  As large forums were held throughout the County, 1,440 respondents shared their views.

Round 7b: Public Engagement Framework in Unincorporated King County
(August 19 - September 9, 2011)

The new public engagement model, adopted by the King County Council on July 11, 2011, establishes a framework to engage residents of the unincorporated areas and the Countywide Community Forums is offering an opportunity for residents of rural, suburban and urban unincorporated areas to weigh in on how best to connect with county government under the new framework.

Round 7: Equity and Economic Opportunity across King County
(April 16 - May 29, 2011)

The King County Strategic Plan includes a "fair and just" guiding principle defined as having King County serve all its residents by promoting fairness and opportunity and eliminating inequities.  This round of forums offered 488 King County residents a chance to discuss, explore and challenge this notion by focusing on two strategic plan goals, health and human potential and economic growth, to learn more about what King County is already doing or planning on doing and to provide feedback on what is missing or needs improvement.

Round 6: Citizen Priorities for Government during Challenging Economic Times
(September 11 - October 23, 2010)

Countywide Community Forums asked County residents to help prioritize county services and register their concerns and opinions about how best to deal with the budget shortfall and long-term structural budget gap issues and 766 people responded.  After viewing a video that incorporated interviews of County decision-makers and others speaking about the general fund deficit and existing or proposed solutions for the 2011 budget, they met in large and small forums or took the survey online.

Round 5: Improving Customer Service and Public Engagement in King County (May 1 - June 13, 2010) King County is working to provide more accessible, transparent and accountable services to its residents.  Responses to this round, based on questions provided by the King County Executive and Council, will help King County shape customer service and public engagement efforts and actions.  The video features a discussion by Executive Constantine, Council Chair Ferguson and Rita Brogan (PRR), facilitated by Joe Copeland (Crosscut), on what constitutes good service, appropriate access and program accountability. Round 4: Public Safety - Law and Justice (September 26 - October 25, 2009) A panel of King County elected officials debated this topic during a discussion  taped in front of an audience of Citizen Councilors in late August.  The video from the panel sets the framework for the September/October forums.  Thirty-five forums are providing the King County Council with a fresh public perspective as it considers difficult choices and tradeoffs for the King County 2010 budget.

Round 3: Values and Performance of King County Government
(May 23 - June 21, 2009)

The topic for the third round of Countywide Community Forums is predetermined by the ordinance and is based on questions submitted by the Executive and the Council.  King County is currently developing its first countywide strategic plan. The strategic plan will guide the county’s overall direction, policy making and budget decisions over the course of the next five years. The public’s perspective on priorities and service delivery will inform decisions regarding the county’s strategic objectives and policy directions.

Thirty-six forums were offered throughout King County in homes, workplaces and libraries during a four-week period starting Saturday May 23 and ending June 21, 2009.

Round 2: Citizen Priorities for County Government: Budget and Strategic Priorities
(February 21 - March 22, 2009)

Following the realization of a shortfall in the County General fund and the shifting of criminal justice and human services programs to a short-term funding solution dubbed the "lifeboat", questions were asked about the importance of specific programs, and the need to curtail expenditures and/or increase revenues while the Washington Legislature was considering whether to give counties more revenue levying options.

Fifty-eight forums were organized and 406 citizen councilors completed the survey.

Round 1: Transportation - Public Priorities, Choices and Funding
(June 28 - July 20, 2008)

Citizen councilors discussed and gave insight about their views related to traffic, roads and transit as public officials were considering such issues as light rail expansion, highway tolls and HOT lanes.

One hundred and fourteen forums were attended by 549 councilors.