Dec. 15, 2004

Preservation of services, growth management, mental health and transportation highlight King County's Legislative Agenda

County calls on state lawmakers to provide revenue flexibility, assist with implementation of growth management, fund mental health services and replace lost transportation revenue

King County Executive Ron Sims and the Metropolitan King County Council adopted the county's state and federal legislative priorities, laying out the agenda for the county in Olympia and Washington, D.C. for 2005.

"Our state and federal priorities reflect the critical partnership with these governments necessary to deliver services at the local level, particularly those mandated by state and federal policy decisions," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "We are all being held accountable by the public to meet their expectations for keeping King County a great place to live and work;" added Sims.

"King County's 2005 budget reflects the significant changes made in transforming county government," said Council Chair Larry Phillips. "The state and local government must work together to enhance funding options that will allow us to meet the basic services mandated by the state."

By state law, county governments depend on property and sales taxes, unlike cities which have authority to levy utility and business and occupation taxes. But municipal annexations and incorporations have eroded the county's sales tax base while many state mandated services continue. King County's 2005 State Legislative Agenda, approved unanimously by the County Council, asks that the county be allowed more flexibility in setting local fees to recover the costs of service. It re-shapes and modernizes the fiscal relationship between King County and Washington State to reflect these new economic realities.

"This agenda is very important as it is our clear goal to have federal and state reimbursement of vital services mandated to the county to perform," said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, Vice Chair of the Legislative Steering Committee. "It is vital to be able to provide services in a comprehensive and customer-friendly way."

"I'm pleased that we are recognizing the importance of public health in our King County legislative agenda," said Councilmember Carolyn Edmonds, Chair of the King County Board of Health and Chair of the Council's Legislative Steering Committee. "Public Health serves all residents of King County, works hard to meet our citizens' needs, and must continue to receive state funds. I'll be working with other council members and our area legislators to ensure this vital funding continues."

Highlights of the King County 2005 State Legislative Agenda include:

PRESERVATION OF BASIC COUNTY GOVERNMENT SERVICES: The restructuring of county government has included more than $100 million in cuts over the past four years. Even with those reductions, the county is still facing serious challenges in maintaining the level of services expected by its residents. King County supports legislation that provides revenue tools to local government to provide for fiscal home rule, a mitigation of unfunded State mandates. Specifically, providing increase councilmatic revenue options, more flexibility in setting local fees and local option to increase state fees when necessary.
ANNEXATION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT: One of the challenges facing cities annexing unincorporated communities is the cost of improving infrastructure in those communities. King County supports the creation of funding for cities to address capital infrastructure improvements. The county also supports amending state law that would make parks and surface water the responsibility of cities upon incorporation.
MENTAL HEALTH, INDIGENT AND DEPENDENT DEFENSE: King County supports full funding for non-Medicaid mental health services that took a financial hit because of recent federal rule changes. The county supports revising current funding formula to more accurately reflect the prevalence and severity of mental illness.
TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS: In order to meet the urgent and growing needs of our aging transportation infrastructure, King County and its cities must have replacement revenue for the Vehicle License Fee lost with passage of I-776. King County also supports additional revenue distribution to local jurisdictions from any new increase in the gas tax.

The county's State Legislative Agenda complements a federal strategy for seeking funding and policy priorities in the coming year. The county's 2005 Federal Legislative Agenda includes requests for changes in Medicaid policy, transportation priorities such as signal synchronization, transit radio replacement, airport runway rehabilitation, passenger-only ferry purchase, continued support for salmon recovery efforts, as well as recommendations for increased funding for Homeland Security including support for local responders, security assessment of public facilities, and improvements to our public health infrastructure.