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Happy New Year! 2007 is upon us and with it brings a new slate of responsibilities for me on the King County Council. I am honored to have been unanimously nominated by my colleagues to serve as the Council’s Vice Chair. I will serve under our new Chair, Councilmember Larry Gossett, and look forward to the opportunity to help lead the Council this year.
In this e-newsletter, I will briefly describe the Council and outside committees of which I am a member, and will outline my goals and priorities for 2007. As always, I look forward to your thoughts, especially as they relate to the committee and policy work I’ll engage in this year. May this new year bring you growth, prosperity and happiness. Sincerely, |
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| IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION - 2007 will be a pivotal year for transportation in our region, with the roads and transit package voters will be asked to approve this November. We have the opportunity to dramatically improve our transportation system this year, and I will work with my colleagues to ensure that it is a balanced package that provides our region with the most relief and improvements possible. STRENGTHENING PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE – 2007 brings a new Public Health Director, Dr. David Fleming, who has previously worked for the Centers for Disease Control and as the Director of Global Health for the Gates Foundation. In addition, a Washington State legislative committee examined public health departments statewide and recommended that the State of Washington increase its investment in public health functions like: communicable disease prevention, chronic disease (like obesity and diabetes) education, and immunizations. As the Chair of the King County Board of Health, I will work collaboratively with our new Public Health Director, and will advocate the State Legislature to increase funding for critical public health programs. MAINTAINING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRUST – In 2005, my colleague Councilmember Ferguson and I introduced reforms to improve our Elections Department. Last year, I successfully passed legislation to create an independent review board for complaints against Sheriff’s deputies. These are just two examples of how I am working to make your King County Government accountable, transparent and worthy of your trust. 2007 Council Committee Assignments
This year, I will serve as Vice Chair of the King County Council. In that capacity, I will chair the Council’s Committee of the Whole (COW), which meets every Monday morning prior to the full Council meeting. COW covers issues that are pertinent to the entire council, including countywide policies and ballot proposals, election reform and other complex policy initiatives. In addition to chairing the COW, I will serve as Vice Chair of the Council’s Transportation Committee and Vice Chair of the Regional Transit Committee. I look forward to continuing to work with Councilmember Reagan Dunn, the new Chair of the Transportation Committee and the Regional Transit Committee, to implement the additional bus service approved by voters last November. The successful Transit Now ballot measure will mean more frequent bus service across King County. I will also serve as a member of the following committees:
Law, Justice and Human Services Committee is tasked with creating policy related to the courts, jail, criminal justice, public defense, and prosecuting attorney. The committee also oversees and creates policies related to developmental disabilities, substance abuse, human services, and the implementation of the Veterans and Human Services Levy. Employment
and Administration Committee handles hiring and
administrative issues for the Legislative Branch. 2007 Outside Committee Assignments
Last year, I was elected by my colleagues on the King County Board of Health to serve as their chair. Next week, on January 18, I will ask that they entrust me with serving as their chair in 2007. This year, we will continue our strategic planning for the Seattle-King County Public Health department. In order to help prioritize limited resources, we will receive briefings and potentially take action on a plan to reduce or eliminate trans fats in our food supply, and we will continue work to combat the rise in obesity among adults and children in King County. With the prospect of a major transportation ballot initiative in 2007, I am very active on a number of committees that are negotiating projects included and cost of the proposal. They include: Sound Transit Board, in the process of a ballot proposal to drastically expand light rail throughout the region. Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) Board, working on a roads package for the ballot proposal, which includes fixing dangerous bridges, expanding road capacity, and improving congested areas and chokepoints. Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), a collaborative group of regional leaders working together to solve issues facing the Puget Sound. I serve on the Executive Board, Transportation Policy Board, and Operations Committee. South County Area Transportation Board (SCATBd),
a group tasked with advocating for road and transit improvement
projects in the South King County region.
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| About my ENewsletter Click here to remove yourself from my enewsletter list. Click here to subscribe yourself to my enewsletter. If you have any questions or comments, please email me, julia.patterson@metrokc.gov. To review my recent e-newsletters, click here. |
