“Results from our citizen outreach helped shape the priorities guiding King County budget considerations,” said Ferguson, chair of the Operating Budget, Fiscal Management and Mental Health Committee. “Public health and the need to support our children emerged as the top priorities.”
The legislation provides $10.3 million in supplemental budget authority to county operating funds for:
• The Children’s Health Initiative to link children with existing state and federal health insurance for which they may qualify.
• A Children and Family set-aside to carry over projects from 2006 that were not completed or contracted due to time constraints including the SEED (SouthEast Effective Development) Housing project and a contract with the YMCA of Greater Seattle.
• The Citizen Engagement Initiative to complete public outreach on the 2008 budget process.
• Performance audits for Facilities Management capital planning and Jail Health Services pharmacy and medication dispensing.
“I want to thank my colleagues on the Council as well as County
Executive Ron Sims for working together to expedite swift passage of the
first quarter corrections ordinance,” said Ferguson. “King
County has many competing needs that need to be carefully weighed when
we make budgetary decisions. Cooperative dialogue is the key to a fair
and effective budget process that benefits the citizens.”
Passage of the supplemental budget ordinance follows the joint announcement
earlier this month by Sims and Ferguson that North County public health
centers slated for closure will be funded through at least 2008. Working
with the Executive, Ferguson was able to identify resources to continue
operation of the North Seattle and Northshore public health centers while
a task force studies options for securing a long-term stable funding source
for public health.
The work of Ferguson and Sims on behalf of public
health and children’s health echo the findings of the recent Citizen
Engagement Initiative that helped determine the top budget priorities
of King County residents. For two months, the King County Council engaged
citizens in an interactive process to take a big-picture look at the way
county government prioritizes and spends tax dollars.
“It was clear what the people wanted,” said Ferguson. “The Council is listening to those concerns and responding.”
Read
more about this legislation on the King County Council’s
LEGISEARCH system.
Type in “2007-0216”
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| Toll Free: (800) 325-6165
Mailing Address: King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200,
Seattle, WA 98104-3272