Platform Issues for King County Voters In the 2009 County Executive Election (Prepared by Jule Sugarman – candidateforum@inspireseattle.org)

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Background

 

King County was originally part of the Oregon Territory. It was named for William R. King, Vice-President under President Franklin Pierce. In 1986 the County Council acted to rename the County in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., an action finally approved by the Legislature in 2005 .

 

Today King County, with over 1,589,000 residents, is the 13^th most populous county in the United States. Within its boundaries are 39 cities ranging in size from Seattle with 582,000 people to several other cities with populations under 25,000. Population in unincorporated areas exceeds 300,000. In the 2008 General Election there were 1,108128 registered voters of whom 930,038 or 83.93% voted. Mail ballots were 647,907 or 69.6%.

 

This year the County Executive will be elected on a non-partisan basis with the primary on August 14  and the two leading primary vote getters competing at the November election.

 

Five persons have announced for County Executive: Dow Constantine, Ross Hunter, Susan Hutchinson, Fred Jarrett and Larry Phillips.

 

Five members of the County Council will also be elected on a non-partisan basis. Those seats are presently held by Bob Ferguson, Kathy Lambert, Julia Patterson, Pete von Reichbauer and Reagan Dunn

 

“Platform Issues”

 

Platform Issues provides information that candidates and the general population can use in setting policies and making funding decisions. It does not recommend specific policies.

 

A. Budget and Taxes Issues

 

 The County has an excellent financial history, generally receiving top ratings for its bond issues. However, declines in traditional revenues create major financial problems.

 

King County Tax Rates and Expenditures

2008

King County collects taxes on behalf of all jurisdictions.

 

County General Fund Expenditures in 2008 aggregated  $644 million, allocated as follows:

            Law, Safety and Justice    -     73%

            General Govt.                   -     17%

            Health & Human Services -      6%

            Capital Improvement         -      2%

            Other                                  -      2%

 

 

There are 39 incorporated areas within King County. Property tax rates vary widely between and within jurisdictions. All cities have lower rates for seniors. The table below compares rates among the larger jurisdictions.

 

                                                      General Rate                     Senior Rate

                                                High                Low                 High                Low

                        Seattle             9.56956           7.97842           7.40278           5.90278

                        Auburn          11.99249         11.26661           7.40278            6.67690         

                        Bellevue          9.20805           7.34636           5.72107           5.21253

                        Des Moines   11.97795         11.72720           7.29262            7.29262

                        Federal Way  12.24403         11.00961           7.91132           6.67690

                        Highline         11.70888         11.11387          7.40278           6.89891

                        Issaquah           9.59403          9.46279          5.35222          5.35222

                        Kent               11.73809           9.93627           7.11239            6.60385

                        Kirkland          8.57917           8.04020            5.76235            5.44079

                        Redmond        8.78178            7.90494            6.00525            5.73756

                        Renton           11.54434           9.77752            6.97917            6.47063

                        SeaTac           12.15880         10.95357           7.24715            6.73861

                        Shoreline        11.31205         11.31205            6.60850           6.60850     

                        Tukwila          12.28107           8.93672            7.36992           6.86108

 

 

The General tax rate in cents per $1,000 of assessed value for cities varied widely: from a high of 12.24403 in Federal Way to 8.57917 in Renton. Seattle’s high was 9.56956.

 

Similarly, the low rates ranged from 11.72720 in Des Moines to 7.34636 in Bellevue. Seattle’s low was 7.97842 The differences in rates are heavily influenced by the proportions of commercial and residential property.

 

Note that Seattle, Bellevue and Issaquah have the lowest general rates. This is due to the fact that they have higher proportions of commercial and expensive properties. Also note that all jurisdictions have special rate for seniors.  

 

New Taxes Authorized

 

The 2009 Legislature temporarily authorized King County, with voter approval, to impose a sales and use tax of 0.3%. These funds may be used in 2010 to supplant 100% of existing King County local funding for a specific program and with diminishing percentages through 2014. One third of the money shall be used for criminal justice and fire protection. Sixty percent of the remainder shall go to the county and 40% on a per capita basis to cities.  

 

The County Council may impose an additional 0.1% sales and use tax for chemical dependency or mental health treatment programs and for therapeutic court programs and services. The money must be used for new programs except that starting in 2010 and declining thru 2014, 50% may be used to supplement existing programs. Funds may be used to replace lapsed federal funds.

 

In the case of King County, and when approved by voters, the limitation on county property taxes may be increased above the normal limitation on county property tax rates. (This is a major relaxation of restrictions on King county’s property tax rate). Funds so authorized may not be used to supplant existing operating funds except during calendar 2009-2011. Funds lost through reduced federal, state and other reductions are not considered as “existing operating funds”.

 

King County may impose a Ferry District property tax of 7 1/2  cents per $1000 of assessed value. It may also impose an additional transit property tax of 7 ½ cents per $1,000. The first cent shall be used to expand transit capacity along Route 520 and the remainder for other bus routes    

 

B. Land Use and Flood Protection

 

On February 15, 2009 Reagan Dunn, a Council member and Chair of the King County Flood Control Executive Committee, and Gene Duvernoy, President of the Cascade Land Conservancy joined to write in the Seattle Times that “it is time to recognize a fact of life “ We need to continue upgrading our levees and food protection facilities and change how we use the land, or we will have devastating 100-year flood events every year.” They point out that every year some 17,500 acres (equal to 1/3 the size of Seattle) of farmlands and forests are being converted to other uses. Some 500 flood protection facilities built in the early 1960’s  now need $345 million in repairs and upgrades. The King County Flood Control District, created two years ago, (completed 24 projects last year, (b)  is sponsoring the voluntary sale of flood-prone homes to the District and (c) is assisting property owners to raise the finished floor of their homes above the 100 year flood level. Nevertheless, the writers feel that “the horse is somewhat out of the barn”. “The region already too many places where forests and flood plains have been converted to other uses. Expensive retrofitting of drainage systems seems the only choice there.”

 

The writers argue that “We must shift development into cities and towns through such innovative ideas as transfer of development rights and conservation villages that change the way rural lands are used. Such programs encourage city and town growth, but do not disenfranchise land owners in rural and resources land areas. The writers argue that if we don’t reduce the risk of flooding the “annual” 100-year flood may become a reality.

 

 

 

C. Public Health and Social Justice Issues

 

In February of 2008 King County launched the Equity and Social Justice Initiative to “eliminate long-standing and persistent inequalities and social injustices”. With the help of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the county is developing a strategic plan to guide the Initiative’s work in future years. The goals and activities under this initiative are extraordinary. The County established an interdepartmental team to further this work and the development of a County budget now includes specific attention to policies and funding that impact inequalities and social injustices. In 2008 all executive department reviewed their work and committed to specific actions that promise equity and social justice. For example:

·         Community and Human Services reviewed services to children birth to three, crafting and implementing strategies to mitigate inequities in early childhood services. By way of example it examined culturally and linguistically outreach materials for Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese families.

·         Development and Environmental Services began to look at rewriting the zoning code to allow greater flexibility for developers in projects that encourage more vibrant, mixed use neighborhoods in return for providing mixed benefits such as mixed income housing, walkability and sustainability.

·         The Executive Office launched Opportunity Greenway in Summer, 2008 which offers court-involved young adult students the chance to learn about and train for high wage and High demand “green jobs”.

·         Natural Resources and Parks conducted a GIS-based equity assessment  which mapped benefits (for example, proximity to a park or trail) and burdens ( for example proximity to a wastewater regulator facility) to demographic facilities such as race, income and language. The issue here is “disproportionality” in location and facility locations and service delivery.

·         Public Health sought to increase availability of health information for people with limited English proficiency.

·         Transportation is working with community organizations on the location of bus routes

·         Management and Budget worked to promote engagement and leadership from underrepresented groups in neighborhood revitalization in the development of “Skyway Park” This approach is being expanded to produce a wider community agenda for neighborhood revitalization addressing the root causes of long standing and persistent inequities.

A Community Engagement Team comprised of King County Staff and community partners provide leadership. Over 100 people have been trained to facilitate dialogue including those in education, criminal justice, human services, public health, youth and faith-based groups. Three Town Hall meetings were held in 2008, one led by Ron Sims, one by the Council,   

 

D. Transportation Issues

 

State law (RCW36.70A.070) requires King County to develop a Transportation Needs Report covering the unincorporated areas. This is a very detailed report by project. Geographic areas covered in 2008 are Bear Creek, East King County, East Sammamish, Enumclaw, Federal Way, North Highline/West Hill, New Castle, Northshore, Snoqualmie Valley, Soos Creek, Tahoma/Raven Heights and Vashon Island.

 

In 1998 the estimated construction needs revenue shortfall projected through 2022 was $254 million. By 2008 that shortage had become $697 million, an increase of 174%.

 

King County Metro Transit

(data as of Feb. 23, 2009)

Metro Transit is among the ten largest public transit systems in the country. Revenues are benefiting from a ten year sales tax increase of 0.1% which was designed to expand the system by 20%  However, Metro reports that it may experience a $60 million shortfall in sales tax revenues in 2009 and $100 million in 2010.

 

The system has a ten year plan called “Transit Now” About 50% of transit riders use the service to get to work. Metro busses carried 118,000,000 persons in 2008, a growth of 20% over 2005 and 7% over 2007. In addition there were 2,789,480 vanpool riders, an increase of 21% over 2007 and 377,978 riders in Vanshare Vans, an increase of 29% over 27%.

 

Metro operates a fleet of about 1300 vehicles. It has twice been honored as the best-run large public transportation system in North America. Annual ridership is over 100,000,000. It has the largest publicly owned vanpool program in the country serving 5,000 people. It operates a 1.3 mile electric bus tunnel under downtown Seattle.

 

 

E. Marijuana Usage

 

In Washington it is state and federal law that regulates the use of Marijuana. Nevertheless, local officials can be influential in setting policy. On February 26 U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency would stop its raids on marijuana dispensaries in those state where marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes. Thirteen states now permit medical use. California law allows pot to be dispensed for “any illness for which marijuana provides relief”. According to columnist Neal Pierce Portugal recently changed its law to provide for  citation of drug users which can lead to mandatory appearance before a “dissuasion commission”.  However, drug traffickers are still liable to arrest and criminal prosecution.

 

G. Affordable Rental Housing – 2008-2009

(King County Benchmarks – Budget Office)

 

The King County Budget Office publishes an annual report (King County Benchmarks) including data on Affordable Housing. The 2008-2009 issue reports that:

1. The supply of affordable rental housing is insufficient with fewer than 10% of  market rate rentals are affordable to those earning 40% of median income
2. Almost 40% of all King County households pay more than 30% of their income for housing costs
3. The home purchase affordability gap for median income households held at53% in 2007
4. It is estimated that 25,000 people in King County experience at least one episode of Homelessness in 2008
5. Public dollars spent for low income housing increased in 2005 as King County jurisdictions dedicated $18,600,000 to create, preserve or repair over 1000 affordable housing units

 

H. Curbs on Emissions

 

In one of his last recommendations Ron Sims has proposed an ordinance that would require new buildings to reduce carbon emissions by 15%. The ordinance would apply only to unincorporated areas, but several King County cities have their own rules. The Sims proposal drew support from the Washington Chapter of Industrial and Office Properties and Climate Solutions, but probable opposition from the MasterBuilders Association of King and Snohomish County.

 

I. Arts and Culture

 

 

J. King County Stimulus Funds

 

The Washington section of the recovery.gov site shows (as of April 8, 2009) the following allocations for King County:

                                                            Amount                       % of Total

            All Funding                             $214,361,368              100.0 %

            Highways and Roads              $116,080,000                54.2 %

            Title I (Education)                  $  26,877,475                12.5 %

            Special Education                   $  59,431,958                27.8 %

            Public Safety                           $    4,882,200                  2.3 %

            Community Development       $    6,856,727                  3.2 %

            Military Bases                         $       233,000                  0.1 %

 

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