December 15, 2000
2001 County Budget Balances Tax Relief and Community Priorities

The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved a 2001 budget that provides property tax relief and maintains funding for important public safety and human services programs. It’s the first budget in three years to be approved by all thirteen members of the Council.

The budget increases 2001 property taxes by 1.5 percent, an increase less than the rate of inflation and the smallest increase in county history. At the same time, the budget fully funds critical public safety programs including the Sheriff’s Office, Medic One, the Prosecutor’s Office and the King County Jail, and restores proposed cuts to human services programs in areas such as domestic violence, sexual assault, youth and family services and senior centers.

"This budget fully funds the county’s most important public safety programs while providing property tax relief to the homeowners of King County," said Rob McKenna, the Chair of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. "By reducing overhead expenditures in areas like the county motor pool we were able to protect the priority programs of county government."

The committee’s Vice Chair, Councilmember Jane Hague, said, "We’ve put a priority on service, not bureaucracy in this budget. We’ve held the line on property taxes and prioritized the needs of citizens for services that are both effective and efficient."

Councilmember Maggi Fimia said, "This budget sets this government on course to a new policy of identifying savings in our police, courts, jails, health and human service budgets and investing those savings in prevention programs." Fimia continued, "About 67 percent of our general fund is spent on the end result of crime. We must invest in prevention, intervention, and treatment to bring that cost under control."

The 2001 county budget totals $2.45 billion. The current expense, or general fund budget, is just over $490 million, an increase of about $6 million from the budget approved by the Council in November and vetoed by the Executive.

Attached are highlights of the budget as passed by the Metropolitan King County Council on a 13 - 0 vote.

• Fully funds the county’s public safety programs, including the Sheriff’s Office, Medic One, the Prosecutor’s Office and the King County Jail.

• Increases 2001 property taxes by 1.5 percent, an increase less than the rate of inflation and the smallest increase in county history.

• Restores funding for human services programs such as community health clinics, domestic violence and sexual assault programs, youth and family services programs and senior centers.

• Restores funding for the WSU Cooperative Extension Service, which will allow for the continuation of such popular programs as 4-H and the Master Gardener program.

• Achieves budget savings by reducing overhead expenditures in areas like the county motor pool, eliminating lower priority capital projects and postponing the purchase of some new computers.

• Provides funding in 2001 of more than $54 million in roads projects, part of a six-year improvement program that totals over $443 million. This is the largest six-year construction plan in the County’s history. The roads budget also funds pedestrian safety improvements in older neighborhoods of unincorporated King County.

• Funded a number of capital improvements to the bus system, including improvements to the park and ride system. Additional resources are provided for Eastgate and Issaquah Highlands Park and Rides. The Council has delayed action on proposed bus fare increases.

• Makes critical investments in our environment by funding more than $19 million in parks, open space, and conservation projects.

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