Drafter
Clerk 08/26/2026 (revised)
Title
AN ORDINANCE assuming governance of the King County transportation district; amending Ordinance 11955, Section 5, as amended, and K.C.C. 2.16.055 and adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 2.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. On February 10, 2014, through Ordinance 17746, King County established a county-wide transportation district coterminous with the boundaries of the county, as authorized by chapter 36.73 RCW.
B. The King County transportation district may be assumed by King County in accordance with chapter 36.74 RCW.
C. On June 12, 2026, the board of supervisors for the transportation district passed TD Resolution TD2026-01. This resolution provided taxpayer funding for the transportation district through adoption of a one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax. Tax revenues implemented by TD Resolution TD2026-01 shall be used to acquire, invest in, construct, improve, provide, operate, preserve, maintain, or pay for transportation improvements in the district, focused on high-priority road and bridge needs.
D. The public interest and welfare is best served by the county assuming the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of the transportation district. By allowing the utilization of existing county structures and staff, assumption of the transportation district by the county provides a more efficient way to administer the revenues towards transportation improvements in the district.
E. On [insert date], the King County council held the public hearing as required by Ordinance XXXXX (Proposed Ordinance 2026-0241) and RCW 36.74.020.
F. Following this public hearing, the King County council determined that the public interest or welfare would be satisfied by the county assuming the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of the King County transportation district and hereby declares that to be the council's intent.
SECTION 2. King County hereby assumes all rights, powers, functions and obligations of the King County transportation district as set forth in chapter 36.74 RCW and the same are hereby vested in accordance with the executive and legislative responsibilities defined in the King County Charter. The county is now vested with all the rights, powers, functions and obligations formerly vested by law in the board of supervisors of the transportation district. In exercising such rights, powers, functions and obligations, all actions will be taken in the name of the county utilizing all power and authority available to the county. Title to all transportation district property or property rights is vested in the county.
SECTION 3. As required by RCW 36.150.040(2), the transportation district board of supervisors is abolished.
SECTION 4. Ordinance 17746, Section 2, and Section 5 of this ordinance should constitute a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 2.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 5. There is hereby added to the chapter created under section 4 of this ordinance a new section to read as follows:
All resolutions enacted by the board of supervisors of the King County transportation district and not expressly repealed by the effective date of this ordinance, that are not inconsistent with the King County Charter or ordinances are hereby readopted and ratified.
SECTION 6. A. The King County executive should prepare and submit to the King County council, by October 1, 2026, a proposed implementation plan related to the planning and implementation of county roadway infrastructure improvements utilizing sales and use tax revenue authorized by resolution TD2026-01. The proposed implementation plan should include sufficient detail to allow the council to evaluate the necessity, timing, and effectiveness of proposed expenditures, and shall include, at a minimum:
1. A description of county obligations to effectively and efficiently plan and implement county roadway infrastructure improvements;
2. A detailed spending plan for the county roadway programs and projects. The spending plan shall include but not be limited to:
a. estimated funding allocations by project and program category;
b. identification of whether the proposed expenditures supplement or replace existing funding; and
c. preliminary cost estimates and anticipated funding allocations by project and program category, proposed for the 2026 -2027 biennium, and a projection of anticipated
future investments;
3. A framework for determining appropriations for the county roadway
programs and projects in future biennia;
4. Performance metrics to track financial accountability, project delivery, transportation system outcomes, and timelines for achieving performance targets;
5. Processes to achieve a goal that no less than twenty percent of apprentice labor hours on county roadway capital projects and programs exceeding a reasonable cost threshold and funded by sales and use tax revenues be performed by graduates from a Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council-approved pre-apprenticeship program;
6. A description of methods and processes that will be used to track apprenticeship and pre -apprenticeship utilization across county roadway capital projects and programs funded by sales and use tax revenues; and
7. Regular financial and performance reporting transmitted to, and reviewed by, the King County council, including:
a. quarterly reports on expenditures and project status;
b. an annual summary evaluation report on the programs and projects supported by the district's revenue;
c. a midterm summary evaluation report on the programs and projects supported by the district's revenues through 2032; and
d. final summary evaluation report on the programs and projects supported by the district's revenues to be delivered in the penultimate year of the sales and use tax authorization period to be used in the evaluation of a potential reauthorization of the sales and use tax.
B. The proposed implementation plan should also include information about the funding needs of the Metro transit department, similar to the information provided in response to Ordinance 20023, Section 116, Proviso P7, as amended by Ordinance 20086, Section 94, to inform a future funding measure for the public transportation system, specifically how funding would be spent to help implement the Metro Connects long -range plan, guided by the King County Metro Service Guidelines, as adopted by Ordinance 19367.
C. The executive should electronically file the proposed implementation plan with the clerk of the council, who shall retain an electronic copy and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff, and the lead staff for the Transportation, Economy, and Environment committee or its successor.
SECTION 7. Ordinance 11955, Section 5, as amended, and K.C.C. 2.16.055 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. The department of local services is responsible for managing and being fiscally accountable for the permitting division and the road services division. The department shall also administer the county roads function as authorized in applicable sections of Titles 36 and 47 RCW and other laws, regulations, and ordinances as may apply. Consistent with Motion 15125, the department shall:
1. Work in partnership with each county council district to focus on coordinating, enhancing and improving municipal services provided to the county's unincorporated areas. To effectuate this partnership, the executive shall routinely and proactively meet and collaborate with councilmembers representing the unincorporated area about potential organizational, operational, and other changes to county programs or services that will affect unincorporated area residents;
2. Be available to brief the council's standing and regional committees on issues related to unincorporated area local services;
3. Develop and implement programs and strategies that emphasize:
a. improving the coordination of local services by county agencies through increased collaboration;
b. strengthening partnerships between the county, communities and other entities;
c. improving the delivery, responsiveness, and quality of local services to the people, businesses and communities of unincorporated King County through unified accountability;
d. improving local services through robust employee engagement while embracing equity and racial and social justice and continuous improvement;
e. strengthening unincorporated communities by supporting local planning and community initiatives; and
f. pursuing innovative funding strategies.
B. The department shall support the executive's office in regional planning by:
1. Supporting the council and executive through the provision of information and data, development of policy proposals and options for regional issues related to growth management, economic development, and transportation;
2. Coordinating the development of demographic and growth forecasting data and information including census data, growth targets, and buildable lands;
3. Facilitating annexations and joint planning with cities, including developing annexation proposals, drafting interlocal agreements, and serving as the liaison to the boundary review board for King County; and
4. Managing updates to the county's Comprehensive Plan in accordance with K.C.C. Title 20 in coordination with the executive's office.
C.1. The department shall also manage the development and implementation of subarea plans for the six rural community service area and five urban unincorporated potential annexation area geographies in accordance with the King County Comprehensive Plan and the Growth Management Act.
2. Each subarea plan shall be developed consistent with the King County Comprehensive Plan and shall:
a. be based on a scope of work established with the community;
b. establish a long-range vision, guiding principles, and policies to implement that vision. Policies in the subarea plan shall be consistent with and not redundant to policy direction in the Comprehensive Plan;
c. establish performance metrics and monitoring for implementation of the subarea plan. The performance metrics and monitoring shall be:
(1)(a) for subarea geographies that have a subarea plan adopted as of December 2022, reviewed and jointly reported on by December 30, 2024, and every two years thereafter; and
(b) for subarea geographies that do not have a subarea plan adopted as of December 2022, reviewed and reported on the timelines established in subsection C.2.c.(1)(a) of this section beginning no sooner than two years after adoption; and
(2) informed and monitored by the community and the council;
d. use the tools and resources developed by the executive's office to develop the scope of work and to develop, review, amend, adopt, and implement the subarea plan, including, but not limited to, community engagement, language access, and equity impact review tools. The county shall use, at minimum, the "Co-Create" level of engagement as outlined in the Community Engagement Guide published by the executive's office for the scoping, development, review, amendment, adoption, and implementation of the subarea plan. The county shall include as an appendix to the subarea plan information detailing the community engagement completed during the development of the subarea plan and how the community engagement meets the requirements of this subsection C.2.d.;
e. incorporate the findings of an equity impact analysis and proposals to address equity impacts. During the development of the subarea plan, the public review draft shall include preliminary findings of any equity impacts that will be further refined and submitted as part of the subarea plan proposal;
f. include a review of policies specific to the subarea in the Comprehensive Plan and previously adopted subarea plans, and, where appropriate, transfer policies from those plans to the subarea plan; and
g. review the land use designations and zoning classifications in the subarea geography, including all special district overlays and property-specific development conditions, and transmit map amendments necessary to implement land use and zoning updates and the vision, guiding principles, and policies within the subarea plan, and for the five urban unincorporated potential annexation area geographies, the subarea plan shall include modifications to the land use designations and zoning classifications to meaningfully and substantially increase residential density in order to accelerate housing production.
3. Before transmittal of the subarea plan to the council, the executive shall coordinate and collaborate with the councilmember office or councilmember offices who represent the subarea geography on development of the subarea plan.
4. Each subarea plan shall be transmitted to the council for possible adoption as established in the schedule in the Comprehensive Plan and K.C.C. Title 20.
D.1. The department shall also manage the development and implementation of the list of services, programs, facilities, and capital improvements that are identified by the community, known as a community needs list, for each of the subarea geographies in subsection C. of this section. The community needs list shall be the responsibility of the executive to implement. The department of local services, in coordination with the community, shall be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the community needs list.
2. Each community needs list shall:
a. be consistent with and implement the subarea plan described in subsection C. of this section and other county plans;
b. include potential services, programs, facilities and capital improvements that respond to community-identified needs, including, but not limited to, those that build on the community's strengths and assets;
c. be developed, reviewed, prioritized, amended, adopted, and implemented using tools and resources developed by the executive's office, including, but not limited to, community engagement, language access, and equity impact review tools. The county shall use, at minimum, the "Co-Create" level of engagement as outlined in the Community Engagement Guide published by the executive's office for the development, review, amendment, adoption, and implementation of the community needs list. The county shall include as an appendix to the community needs list information detailing the community engagement completed during the development of the community needs list and how the community engagement meets the requirements of this subsection D.2.c.
3. The community needs list shall be established as follows:
a. An initial catalog shall be compiled that identifies all requests from the community for potential services, programs, and improvements;
b. The community service area program shall review the initial catalog and refine this document into a community needs list based on:
(1) review by the department whether and to what extent the request meets or strengthens the community vision, guiding principles, and policies established in the adopted subarea plan and other county plans;
(2) review by county agencies regarding consistency with other county plans, feasibility, budget constraints, timing, resources needs, and other barriers to implementation; and
(3) review by the community through ongoing community engagement to identify, discuss, and prioritize community needs;
c. For each item that is included in the community needs list, the following shall be included:
(1) the executive, in consultation with the community and the councilmember office or offices that represent the subarea geography, shall propose a prioritization of low, medium, or high priority;
(2) which county agencies are responsible for implementation; and
(3) an anticipated timeline for completion that reflects that future resources and budget appropriations may change the timeline. The county shall encourage creativity and flexibility in identifying potential partnerships with and opportunities for others, such as community-based organizations, to meet these needs;
d. For each request from the initial catalog that is not advanced to the community needs list, the executive shall state why the request was not advanced. The county shall clearly communicate why the request was not advanced to the community. For items that cannot be accomplished by the county because they are outside of the scope of county operations, the county shall provide information on how noncounty entities may be able to accomplish the item, including consideration of potential partnerships with noncounty entities; and
e. The community needs list shall establish performance metrics to monitor the implementation of the community needs list and the overarching progress towards reaching the twenty-year vision established in the policies of the subarea plan. The performance metrics shall be:
(1) reviewed and reported on annually; and
(2) informed and monitored by the community and the council.
4. Before transmittal of a new or updated community needs list to the council, the executive shall coordinate and collaborate with the councilmember office or councilmember offices who represent the subarea geography.
5. A community needs list shall be transmitted to the council for possible adoption by ordinance as follows:
a. concurrent with the executive's biennial budget transmittal; and
b. when identified by either the community service area work programs and associated community engagement outlined in subsection E. of this section or the services partnership agreements outlined in subsection G. of this section, or both.
6. The community needs lists shall be used to develop proposals for the executive's proposed budget, including services, programs, infrastructure, and facilities that implement the list. As part of the executive's budget transmittal, the executive shall include a description of how the proposed budget implements the list.
E.1. The department shall also manage the community service area framework adopted by Ordinance 17139, which shall be called the community service area program. The community service area program shall develop and implement programs and services to help all residents of unincorporated King County be more knowledgeable of, better served by and heard by King County departments and agencies. The community service area program shall work with all county departments and agencies whose services, programs, and projects are of interest to unincorporated area residents, to promote successful public engagement.
2. A work program shall be, beginning in 2025, developed for each subarea geography described in subsection C. of this section and shall:
a. be consistent with and implement the applicable subarea plan as described in subsection C. of this section, the community needs list in subsection D. of this section and other county plans;
b. address the required elements in Ordinance 17139;
c. list potential action items for the area;
d. list known planning activities for the area;
e. identify public meetings for the area;
f. include the current adopted community needs list as required in subsection D. of this section; and
g. establish an ongoing communications and community engagement plan using tools and resources developed by the executive's office, including, but not limited to, community engagement, language access, and equity impact review tools. The county shall use, at minimum, the "Co-Create" level of engagement as outlined in the Community Engagement Guide published by the executive's office for the development, review, amendment, adoption, and implementation of the community needs list; and
h. establish performance metrics to monitor the implementation of the work program.
3. The community service area program shall provide regular updates to the councilmember or councilmembers who represent the subarea geography on the progress of the work program throughout the year and shall publish regular reports on the work program to its website at least once per quarter.
4. The work program shall be updated on an annual basis.
F.1. The department of local services shall monitor and report on performance metrics for subarea plans described in subsection C. of this section, for community needs lists described in subsection D. of this section, and for the work program described in this subsection E. of this section.
2. The timing for reporting on performance metrics and monitoring shall be:
a. for transmitting a report to the council:
(1) for subarea geographies that have a subarea plan adopted as of December 2022, reviewed and jointly reported on by December 30, 2024, and every two years thereafter; and
(2) for subarea geographies that do not have a subarea plan adopted as of December 2022, reviewed and reported on the timelines established in subsection C.2.c.(1)(a) of this section beginning no sooner than two years after adoption; and
b. for reporting outside of the timeframe in subsection F.2.a. of this section, reporting is required every year by the last business day of December, by posting the performance metrics and monitoring information on the department's website.
3. Performance monitoring shall be informed and monitored by the community and the council.
G.1. The department shall also establish service partnership agreements with each executive branch agency that provides programs, services, or facilities in the unincorporated area, including those agencies that provide regional services to unincorporated area residents and businesses. The service partnership agreements shall inform budget development for programs, services, or facilities in the unincorporated area.
2. Service partnerships agreements shall:
a. be consistent with and implement the subarea plans in subsection C. of this section, the community needs lists in subsection D. of this section, the community service area work programs in subsection E. of this section, and other county plans;
b. use tools and resources developed by the executive's office by the partner agency to deliver the programs, services, and facilities described in the service partnership agreements.
3. Each service partnership agreement shall include, at a minimum:
a. roles and responsibilities for the department of local services and the partner agency;
b. a general description of the programs, services or facilities provided by the partner agency for unincorporated area residents and businesses and, where applicable, in the subarea geographies;
c. goals for the partner agency to achieve the emphasis on local service delivery described in Motion 15125 and this section, including:
(1) the desired outcomes for provision of each program, service, or facility; and
(2) service level goals for each program, service, or facility;
d. performance metrics to monitor progress of implementing the outcomes and service level goals for each program, service, or facility;
e. use of the community service area work programs in local service delivery by the partner agency; and
f. the current adopted community needs lists and associated performance metrics for monitoring and reporting on the progress the county agencies have made on items on the lists that they are responsible for.
4. The service partnership agreements, after they are established, shall be updated concurrent with the development of the annual or biennial budget and shall be transmitted to the council as part of the supporting material for the executive's proposed annual or biennial budget. In addition to the requirements for service partnership agreements described in this subsection F., the updates shall include evaluation and reporting on the goals and performance metrics identified in the previous service partnership agreement and in the community needs list.
H. Until an ordinance that makes changes to the King County Code required in Ordinance 18791, Section 217, is effective, the permitting division shall be considered the successor agency to the department of permitting and environmental review. Therefore, upon effectiveness of Ordinance 18791 and until an ordinance required by Ordinance 18791, Section 217, is effective, where the code states or intends a decision to be made or action to be implemented by the department of permitting and environmental review, those decisions or actions shall be performed by the permitting division.
I.1. The duties of the permitting division shall include the following:
a. ensuring consistent and efficient administration of environmental, building and land use codes and regulations for commercial and residential projects by means of permit review and approval, construction inspections and public information;
b. administering the State Environmental Policy Act and acting as lead agency, including making the threshold determinations, determining the amount of environmental impact and reasonable mitigation measures, and coordinating with other departments and divisions in the preparation of county environmental documents or in response to environmental documents from other agencies;
c. effective processing and timely review of land development proposals, including zoning variances, zoning reclassifications, master drainage plans, variances from the Surface Water Design Manual and the King County Road Design and Construction Standards, critical area, subdivision, right-of-way use, clearing and grading, shoreline, special use, and conditional use applications;
d. pursuing and resolving code violations, including preparing for administrative or legal actions, evaluating the department's success in obtaining compliance with King County rules and regulations, and designing measures to improve compliance;
e. regulating the operation, maintenance, and conduct of county-licensed businesses, except taxicab, for-hire, and transportation network company drivers and vehicles; and
f. developing and implementing an inspection program to identify fire hazards and require conformance with K.C.C. Title 17, reviewing building plans and applications for compliance with K.C.C. Title 17, and conducting inspections, including inspections of new construction, for compliance with K.C.C. Title 17.
2. The permitting division manager shall be the:
a. county planning director;
b. zoning adjuster;
c. responsible official for purposes of administering the State Environmental Policy Act;
d. county building official; and
e. county fire marshal.
3. The manager may delegate the functions in subsection I.2. of this section to qualified subordinates.
J. The road services division is responsible for designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating a comprehensive system of roadways and other transportation facilities and services to support a variety of transportation modes for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods and delivery of services. The duties of the division shall include the following:
1. Designing, constructing, and maintaining county roads, bridges, and associated drainage facilities;
2. Designing, installing, and maintaining county traffic signs, markings and signals;
3. Designing, installing, and maintaining roadway active transportation facilities;
4. Managing intergovernmental contracts or agreements for services related to road maintenance and construction and to other transportation programs supporting the transportation plan;
5. Inspecting utilities during construction and upon completion for compliance with standards and specifications, and ensuring that public facilities disturbed due to construction are restored;
6. Performing detailed project development of roads capital improvement projects that are consistent with the transportation element of the county's Comprehensive Plan, and coordinating such programming with other county departments and divisions assigned responsibilities for Comprehensive Plan implementation;
7. Incorporating into the roads capital improvement program those projects identified in the transportation needs report, related functional plans and elsewhere consistent with the county's Comprehensive Plan;
8. Preparing, maintaining, and administering the county road standards;
9. Preparing and administering multiyear roads maintenance and capital construction plans and periodic updates;
10. Administering the transportation concurrency and mitigation payment programs; and
11.a. Performing the duties of the office of the county road engineer, which is hereby established as an administrative office of the road services division. The office of the county road engineer shall be an office of record, supervised by the county road engineer hired in accordance with RCW 36.80.010 and reporting to the manager of the road services division. The office of the county road engineer shall be located within the corporate limits of the county seat.
b. The county road engineer shall carry out all duties assigned to the county road engineer as prescribed by state statute, except as modified by the county executive as authorized in subsection J.11.c. of this section.
c. The county executive may assign professional engineering duties of the county road engineer to someone other than the county road engineer, except as otherwise assigned by the King County Code, and only if the individual assigned those duties shall be qualified as required under RCW 36.80.020. The executive shall provide to the county council and the Washington state County Road Administration Board, in writing, those specific professional engineering duties not assigned to the county road engineer, the name and position of each person responsible for carrying out those assigned duties, the specific reporting and working relationships with the county road engineer and the duration for which those duties have been assigned.
J. The department is responsible for the general administration of the city transportation improvement program, through allocating moneys to qualifying city transportation projects as specified in transportation benefit district resolution
TD2026-01, or by subsequent county ordinances, and ensuring that moneys are used for the projects' specified purposes.