Drafter
Clerk 01/13/2009
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A MOTION establishing the 2009 State Legislative Agenda for King County.
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WHEREAS, the metropolitan King County council and the King County executive have worked together through their respective government relations staff and desire to bring their positions on issues facing the 2009 Washington state Legislature to the attention of the Washington state Legislature, and
WHEREAS, King County desires to work cooperatively with other local governments and other organizations such as the Washington State Association of Counties, the Washington Association of County Officials, the Suburban Cities Association and the Association of Washington Cities to achieve its 2009 legislative goals, and
WHEREAS, counties have been recognized by the Legislature as partners with the state in the delivery of such critical services as transportation, criminal justice, public health, community and human services and water resources, and
WHEREAS, King County is dependent on a strong fiscal partnership with the state, and
WHEREAS, King County's general fund suffers from a structural imbalance between the limited revenue authorities and the growth rate of expenditures, and
WHEREAS, the deepening national recession has resulted in dramatic budget shortfalls at all levels of government across the nation, and
WHEREAS, the dramatic downturn of the economy has magnified the general fund's structural problem as forecast sales tax and interest earnings deteriorate and the cost of providing services increases due to rising inflation, and
WHEREAS, counties currently have a limited number of options to ask local voters for additional resources for specific county services, and
WHEREAS, if King County is going to be able to continue delivering basic government services to our residents, it needs new flexibility and revenue tools from the state, and
WHEREAS, King County is dedicated to exploring with the state new ideas for sustained funding for critical services such as transportation, public safety and public health, and
WHEREAS, the King County council and the King County executive will continue to review legislative developments for possible revisions of King County's 2009 state legislative program;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The King County council adopts the attached 2009 Legislative Agenda for King
County as King County's highest priorities for action in the 2009 legislative session of the Washington state Legislature.
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