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Hear answers on CTV from Budget Chair Larry Phillips and Vice-Chair Jane Hague.

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Executive Proposed Budget

Annexation Incentives, Landfill Rent for Human Services Top Council Issues in 2004 Budget
Services Top Council Issues in 2004 Budget

Sweetening the pot to encourage cities to annex the remaining urban unincorporated areas and paying for essential human service programs through rental fees from the Cedar Hills Landfill are two of the policy questions highlighted today by budget leaders on the Metropolitan King County Council. The members spoke after receiving the 2004 Executive Proposed Budget.

“The executive spoke to seizing our budget challenges as an opportunity, and we have accepted his challenge,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. “Over the next seven weeks we will look closely at the dollar amounts proposed by the executive for annexations, and we may want to sweeten the pot to make annexations more attractive, perhaps by looking to see if there is more money for 2004 and beyond. We will engage the mayors of our suburban cities to see what is the appropriate amount.”

Budget Vice-Chair Jane Hague acknowledged that the County is headed in a more positive direction as compared to last year, but challenges remain. “The glass is half-full, not half-empty. The question is how thirsty you are. We’re facing some serious issues that we just can’t put a happy face on,” said Hague. “There is still a structural gap in the budget. We still need to streamline and make more competitive the cost of providing services to the people of King County.”

Councilmember Dow Constantine, Chair of the Council's Labor Operations and Technology Committee, called the Executive's proposal for a fund to upgrade technology vital to the future of county services. "This county has not made the strategic technology investments we need to maximize efficiency and prevent liability," said Constantine. "The technology transition fund is one very necessary step on the path to modern, efficient service delivery."

In the discussion on annexations of the remaining urban unincorporated areas, Councilmember Kathy Lambert warned against putting one constituency in competition with another in the search for solutions. “The money that the executive proposes taking out of some rural services must not be pitted against the needs of human services. Both are vital and we should not put one in competition against the other,” said Lambert. “We are the people’s watchdog and we must ensure that the programs in the budget are what the people want from their government.”

The next step in the Council’s budget process is the formation of two panels for a thorough review of the Executive Proposed Budget. The Capital Budget Panel will review the enterprise-funded non-current expense fund agencies. The Budget and Development Analysis Panel reviews agencies whose primary responsibilities reside within the current expense and criminal justice funds. Councilmember Phillips will chair the Capital Budget Panel, with Councilmember Kathy Lambert as Vice-Chair. Councilmember Hague will head the Budget and Development Analysis Panel, with Councilmember Constantine as Vice-Chair.

Phillips emphasized the bipartisan nature of the budget process over the last two years, and said his goal for the budget team is to create a final budget that will garner similar support. “I’ve been honored to lead a team that crafted a strong spending plan for the current budget year,” said Phillips. “We reached out to everyone in a bipartisan manner, and I look forward to working in the same collegial manner this year.”