News

May 15, 2006
Council Hires Property Rights Expert as County's First Rural Ombudsman
“Rural communities now have an advocate who can ‘speak their language’ when it comes to the issue of property rights.”

May 1, 2006
A Time for Action: Councilmembers Introduce Resolution Urging Congress to Act on Immigration Reform
“Clear rules on how undocumented immigrants can continue to live and work in this country are the first step towards destroying a system that is not that far removed from indentured servitude.”

April 10, 2006
Council Directs Funding for Veterans, Human Services
“Today we established the framework for putting together some of the most extensive human services funding for veterans, their families, and those most in need, that any county has ever seen.”

April 3, 2006
County Council Honors Bob Santos
“I want to put retirement in quotes, because those of you who know ‘Uncle’ Bob are aware that as long as he lives in this community—or any community—he will be an active citizen.”

March 27, 2006
Council Strengthens Civil Rights Protections
“It is with the passage of laws like this that we live up to the ideals of the man after which this county is named. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in a society that was inclusive, not exclusive. Today we are one step closer to becoming that society.”

March 27, 2006
Gossett, Constantine to Host Beacon Hill Open House
“Beacon Hill may now be in two separate districts, but community concerns ignore political boundaries. Dow and I want to hear from the people of Beacon Hill on how we can best serve them on the Council.”

March 20, 2006
Council Hears From Supporters of Civil Rights Ordinance
“Exclusion is starting to creep back into our society. This ordinance is a reminder that we will fight to prevent that from reoccurring.”

March 17, 2006
New Technology for Criminal Justice System Focus of County Council’s Renton Town Hall
“More than seventy percent of the County’s general fund is directed towards the criminal justice system. The county is using technology to streamline our system. It is our genuine hope that we will be able to create operating efficiencies and save money.”

March 13, 2006
Councilmembers Warn “Office Politics” on New County Office Building Could Cost Taxpayers Millions
“It is just as likely that we can end up eating up all the money that we have proudly discussed we would be saving by owning instead of renting. If it is borne out that in order to facilitate this narrow policy it ends up costing us 13 to 15 to 20 million dollars in remodeling costs, then we will eat up all the money we thought we were going to save.”

February 27, 2006
From Crown to King: Council approves image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as the new official logo of King County
An overflow crowd of more than 275 filled the council chambers and lobbies as the Metropolitan King County Council today approved an ordinance to replace the crown that has been the logo of King County for 38 years with an image of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the county’s namesake.

February 24, 2006
Council to Consider Action Monday to Establish Image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as Official Symbol of King County
The proposal directs the County Executive to transmit for Council approval a new logo design in the likeness of Dr. King, along with graphic standards, guidelines and procedures for its use. If the ordinance is adopted, King County would join Seattle and the state of Washington in having logos that bear the likenesses of their namesakes.

February 24, 2006
Council to Host Expert Roundtable on Monday in Seattle’s Central Area on Disparities in Public Health
“We must reduce the differences in health outcomes experienced by communities of color and others by focusing appropriate public health resources in King County.”

February 6, 2006
Council Recognizes Legacy of Coretta Scott King
“When she had every right to be a grieving spouse, when she had every right to leave the movement and raise her family in peace, she picked up Dr. King’s standard and lifted it to newer heights. Her strength, determination and inherent goodness will be missed.”

January 9, 2006
King County Investment Pool earns highest rating from Standard & Poor’s
“This highest rating shows how seriously King County takes the enforcement of existing guidelines regarding the investment of public money,” said Councilmember Gossett, current chair of the Executive Finance Committee. “We are striking the right balance between protection of public funds and the need to put that money to work. The return of $105 million on our wise investments increases the funds available for public services for all of our participants.”

December 12, 2005
Council Considers Making Image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Official Logo of King County
“Replacing our current logo would give future generations a visible reminder of Dr. King the man. It would become a living symbol of the county that strives towards achieving the goals for which he gave his life.”

November 21, 2005
Council Unanimously Adopts Balanced 2006 Budget That Continues Fiscal Responsibility, Renews Commitment to Regional Human Services
“This is a budget that focuses on geographic equity in increased funding for health and human service programs, parks and cultural resource centers as well as for road and sidewalk improvements. This budget is one that better serves those who live in south and east King County, in Seattle, and in our unincorporated communities.”

October 31, 2005
Council Calls for Dedication of the Front Seat in all Metro Transit Buses in Honor of Rosa Parks
“It is fitting that here—in the county named for the young Baptist minister, Martin Luther King, Jr., who helped organize the bus boycott that grew out her arrest—that we honor her legacy, an act of courage and conscience that help bring an end to American Apartheid.”

October 24, 2005
Council Urges Congress to Grant Full Benefit Status to Filipino WWII Veterans
“These men, who were recognized by General Douglas MacArthur for their role in winning the war in the Pacific, are still fighting. Now their fight is to receive the same benefits as the soldiers they fought next to.”

October 10, 2005
Progress Report Highlights Fiscal Responsibility
“The paradigm shift in criminal justice funding has played a large role in meeting this budget crisis, but its impact goes beyond dollars and cents. As chair of the Law, Justice and Human Services Committee, we implemented the Adult Justice Operational Master Plan (AJOMP) which stressed alternatives to incarceration. We not only saved money, but in the long run we will save lives.”

September 30, 2005
2006 Budget Deliberations Begin with Public Review of 2005 Budget
“Our last budget reflected our work to control spending in our criminal justice agencies and reinvest those savings in human services that encourage prevention, intervention, and alternatives to incarceration. We need to measure the performance of that budget in meeting the needs of the people of Martin Luther King County, as we embark on writing our plan for next year.”

September 30, 2005
Council to Recognize Filipino WWII Veterans,
Urge U.S. to Grant Full Status
“These men, who grew up while the Philippines were considered a colony of the U.S., fought side-by-side with American soldiers to defeat Japan. They were rewarded for their bravery and sacrifice by being relegated to second-class status when it came to veteran’s benefits.”

September 12, 2005
Council Places Veterans and Human Services Levy on November Ballot
“This ensures that the well of funding for human service programs will be available to all agencies, regardless of their need or their clientele.”

September 7, 2005
Human Service Levy Introduced by Budget Leadership Team
“This measure is an acknowledgment that all human service programs—regardless of their focus—are in need of a dedicated funding source”

September 6, 2005
Council Motion Encourages Sending County Emergency Management Teams to Assist Hurricane Survivors
“Those trying to save lives in the path of destruction caused by Katrina can use all the experienced help they can get. It makes sense to allow our emergency teams to assist in the relief efforts.”

August 31, 2005
Overwhelming Crowd Turns out to Oppose Special Levy
“Nearly 90 percent of those who registered to testify expressed opposition to a veterans only levy. However, those who testified stated their support for a broader human services levy that would be more inclusive. One group should not be pitted against another when it comes to taking care of our community.

August 29, 2005
Budget Committee to Hold Hearing on Veterans’Levy
“This is an opportunity for both proponents and opponents of the proposed levy increase to evaluate the information that members of the Budget Committee, as well as all members of the Council, will use in making their final decision on whether or not to go forward with placing this measure on the November ballot.”

July 18, 2005
Council Sets Goal of “Parity”for Public Defenders
“The work Public Defenders do for their clients supports our legal justice system, so it makes sense for them to receive a salary equal to their experience—and to the salary received by the prosecuting attorney. This model urges us to achieve parity as it increases the transparency of how we calculate the cost of public defense.”

July 13, 2005
Committee Approves Funding Model for Public Defense
“Those who cannot afford an attorney should be assured that the individual defending them is receiving a salary commensurate with their experience and comparable to the salary received by the prosecuting attorney. This plan helps level the playing field while increasing the transparency in how we calculate the cost of public defense.”

June 15, 2005
County Council to Recognize Violinist Quinton Morris
“Because of his efforts to open the doors of the world of classical music to young people of color, it’s just a matter of time before people talk about Quinton with the same reverence we have for Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix.”

April 4, 2005
Councilmembers Call for Independent Audit of Elections Division
“Taking a look at the elections process in King County with a fresh set of eyes can only help us find a solution to the challenges we have been facing in the Elections Division over the last few years. So many accusations have been made since November, I think this will be the only way to get recommendations that everyone will be able to live with.”

March 21, 2005
Statement From Budget Chair Larry Gossett, on Executive Sims' State of the County Address
"The Executive’s road map for King County does not ignore his vow to be fiscally responsible."

November 22, 2004
Council Unanimously Adopts 2005 Budget that Finds Savings and Efficiencies
“This balanced budget shrinks our ongoing structural gap between revenues and expenses, and continues to offers the reliable services people demand of county government.”

November 18, 2004
Council Budget Proposal Finds Savings and Efficiencies to Maintain Funding for County Services
“Four years ago we thought we would soon become a government whose general fund offered nothing more than jails and courts. Two years ago we were sent a budget that would have eliminated all discretionary funding for health and human services. Measures we took then to control spending in the criminal justice agencies, and reinvest those savings in human services that encouraged prevention over detention, are now paying off for taxpayers. We have a balanced budget that shrinks our ongoing structural gap between revenues and expenses, yet still offers those reliable services that people demand of county government.”

October 11, 2004
Council’s Budget Initiatives Appear to Have Helped Reduce County’s Structural Gap
Shortly after hearing the 2005 King County Budget proposal delivered by County Executive Ron Sims, leaders of the King County Council’s budget review team credited several of the Council’s past initiatives for helping contain costs and close the structural gap between revenues and expenditures in the County’s General Fund.

October 11, 2004
Council Approves Leases for Site of New County Office Building
“This is the culmination of seven years of analysis by both the County and four independent real estate studies. And their conclusions are simple: it’s better to own than to rent, and it’s better to build than buy. After we retire the debt on the new building, the taxpayers of King County will be saving more than $11.7 million every year in avoided rents, and we will own a valuable capital asset that can be kept or sold.”

October 11, 2004
Sale of Building near former Kingdome site to Aid Youth Sports
“We are using a little of King County’s past to aid future athletes. The Kingdome was a tremendous asset to the people of King County and even though it is now just a memory, part of its legacy will help produce young men and women who might one day play at Safeco or Qwest Field.”

October 8, 2004
Council Budget Leader for 2005 Vows “Accountability to the People”
Councilmember Larry Gossett sees his leadership role on review of the 2005 King County Budget as an opportunity to pursue more cost savings in the county general fund and make the overall budget process more accessible and responsive to the needs of taxpayers.

September 27, 2004
Final Funding for Snoqualmie Forest Purchase Approved by Council
“The funds for purchase of the development rights come not from the County’s general fund, but from a program earmarked for the purchase of open space. Future generations will benefit because of the foresight of this Council even during these challenging budget times.”

July 1, 2004
County to update discrimination laws
"The updated anti-discrimination measures in this ordinance strengthen the county's commitment to protect all citizens and puts our government on the cutting edge of civil rights enforcement in this nation."

June 28, 2004
Council restores widening of Novelty Hill Road and other congestion relief projects to county Road Fund list
The King County Council today responded to the loss of millions of dollars to the county Roads Fund due to passage of state Initiative 776 by unanimously adopting a revised project list for the Roads Capital Improvement Program that restores funding for critical congestion relief projects in unincorporated King County – among them the widening of Novelty Hill Road near Redmond.

June 23, 2004
Budget Committee restores widening of Novelty Hill Road and other congestion relief projects to county Road Fund list
“We are designating dollars for congestion relief,” said Budget Committee Chair Larry Gossett, who led Council negotiations on the revised roads project list. “This is a solution that keeps our traffic moving while signaling to the cities that we want to make these roads attractive for our long-term goal of having them annex pockets of unincorporated urban areas.”

June 14, 2004
Council Sets Sewer Rate and Stabilizes Capacity Charge for New Hook-ups
“Growth should pay for growth, and these rates ensure that those new residents who require the region to build a new treatment plant to support our growth are the ones responsible for paying for it.”

June 7, 2004
Council Approves Site for New County Office Building
“When we finish paying off the mortgage on the new building in 29 years, we will have saved $16.1 million in today’s dollars. That’s taxpayer money that can go directly into providing county services.”

June 2, 2004
Budget Committee Approves Proposed Site for New County Office Building
“Over the long term, it’s simply more cost-effective to own rather than to lease office space. It’s the difference between renting a home and owning one,” said Council Budget Chair Larry Gossett. “By building our own space we will break even on the cash flow after about four years."

May 12, 2004
Personal Stories at Budget Forum Highlight Success of Criminal Justice Paradigm Shift
"We tend to talk about these programs on an abstract level. This was a chance for members to see the impact these programs have had on improving the lives of some of our most marginalized citizens."

April 30, 2004
Restructuring of Criminal Justice System to Highlight First Forum on 2005 County Budget
"We want to look at the dollars-and-cents savings these alternatives to incarceration have had on the county’s budget. We also want to acknowledge how these programs have changed lives positively."

March 1, 2004
Council Approves Savings for Taxpayers
“The council is acting now to take advantage of reduced interest rates, in a manner that saves taxpayers dollars and helps the County maintain its strong bond rating.”

January 20, 2004
Larry Gossett named Chair of the King County Council Budget Committee
Budget challenges are not new to Councilmember Larry Gossett, appointed today to chair the Metropolitan King County Council’s influential Budget and Fiscal Management Committee.

December 8, 2003
Statement by King County Councilmembers on Adoption of the Solid Waste Omnibus Ordinance
King County Councilmembers Cynthia Sullivan, Dow Constantine, Carolyn Edmonds, Larry Gossett, Julia Patterson, Dwight Pelz and Larry Phillips today issued the following statement following the adoption of the Solid Waste Omnibus Ordinance:

August 19, 2003
King County Improves Firearm Safety
King County Sheriff Dave Reichert and Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Larry Gossett and Kathy Lambert today announced the first distribution of firearms lock boxes to Sheriff’s deputies.

July 21, 2003
Distribution Plan for Low-Income Housing Funds Approved By Council 
The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its unanimous approval to a program to distribute funds for the construction and maintenance of affordable housing throughout King County.

July 7, 2003
Nancy Buchanan Honored for Work with the Elderly
The Metropolitan King County Council today honored Nancy Buchanan, legislative aide for Councilmember Larry Gossett, for her two decades of advocacy on behalf of Seattle’s elderly and low-income residents.

June 23, 2003
Council Approves Purchase of Central Area Retirement Center
The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved an effort to keep the Leon Sullivan Health Care Center, formerly the Branch Villa Health Care Center, operating in the Central Area.  

June 9, 2003
Council Confirms Nate Caldwell to lead Community Corrections
Appointment Continues Effort to Revamp Regional Criminal Justice System
The Metropolitan King County Council gave its unanimous approval today to the appointment of Nate Caldwell as the Manager of the Community Corrections Division of the King County Department of Adult and Youth Detention.