Dear Neighbors:

As a member of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, I look forward to reviewing the Executive Proposed Budget this fall and will keep you posted on our work finalizing the 2006 King County Budget. My budget priority is to maintain our current levels of human services funding. I welcome your participation in the budget process at one of the upcoming special budget public hearings:

• Thursday, October 20, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Regional Justice Center, Kent)
• Tuesday, October 25, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue)
• Wednesday, October 26, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Shoreline Conference Center, Shoreline)
• Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (King County Council Chambers, Seattle)

It is an honor to serve you on the King County Council. Please contact me with any questions or comments. To unsubscribe, please see directions at the end of this newsletter.

Election Audit Complete

On Monday, October 3, the results of the Election Audit that I proposed were presented to the King County Council. I focused my questions on the issue of ballot security during the briefing by Ernie Hawkins of the Elections Center who performed the audit. I am alarmed that Mr. Hawkins observed that King County Elections has the worst ballot security he has ever seen. This kind of straight talk is exactly why the elections audit is so valuable. We can now identify problems and move quickly to correct them. My priority is to update and improve ballot security as soon as possible.

Bob proposed the independent audit of King County Elections.

Included in the report are the next steps to fix the residual problems at King County Elections with 25 recommendations. You can view the report here. Highlighted reforms and recommendations include:

• Updating security at election facilities
• Changing management structure
• Consolidating election facilities
• Conducting a study of an exclusive vote-by-mail election system
• Promoting reforms at the state level such as an earlier primary election

I am committed to implementing the necessary reforms to get King County Elections back on track. I welcome your comments on the recently completed Elections Audit and any suggestions you might have.

In the News:
Audit finds security lax in ’04 King County election
The Seattle Times – October 4, 2005

Emergency Preparedness—How to Prepare Your Family

For the past two months, the Regional Policy Committee, which I chair, focused on the issue of emergency preparedness in the event of a disaster in the Puget Sound region. We all can take steps at home to prepare ourselves and families by creating an emergency plan.

An emergency plan should include:

1. A Meeting Place close to your home where family members can meet in case of separation or evacuation such as a park or playground.
2. An Out of Area Contact that family members can contact.
3. An Emergency Kit that can support you and your family for up to 72 hours including water, nonperishable food, clothing, sturdy shoes, first-aid kit, radio, flashlight, cash, and a whistle.

The King County Office of Emergency Management website is a great resource and can be viewed here.

My first town meeting of 2006 will focus on Emergency Preparedness. We will discuss King County’s emergency plan and what you can do to prepare you and your family in the event of a disaster. I will let you know as soon as this important meeting is scheduled.

520 Bridge Update

The 520 Bridge Replacement Project schedule has recently changed to allow further time to analyze the 6-Lane Alternative. The 6-Lane Alternative will include six lanes with two general purpose lanes and one HOV lane in each direction. The bridge will also be sized to carry future high capacity transit. A bicycle and pedestrian path will also be included. Originally, the preferred alternative was to be selected this fall. Now, the 520 Bridge Executive Committee, which I am a member, will vote in early 2006 on the preferred alternative for the bridge. In addition, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be released in May 2006.

Public Open Houses are also being rescheduled for early 2006 and I will update you as soon as dates are set for the community meetings. For more information on the 520 Bridge Replacement Project, please visit the project website.

Fall For Salmon

Every fall, you can view spawning salmon on the Cedar River after they have finished their journey from the ocean, through the locks, and through Lake Washington. King County Natural Resources and Parks presents “Fall For Salmon” to educate our community on salmon friendly living, volunteer activities, and salmon watching opportunities.

For more information, please visit the “Fall For Salmon” website.

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Phone: (206) 296-1002 | Fax: (206) 296-0198 | TTY/TDD: (206) 296-1024 | Toll Free: (800) 325-6165
Mailing Address: King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104-3272