Title
A MOTION establishing the King County 2023 State Legislative Agenda.
Body
WHEREAS, the 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 2023 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 Sound Cities Association and the Association of Washington Cities to achieve its 2023 legislative goals, and
WHEREAS, counties have been recognized by the Legislature as partners with the state in the delivery of such critical services as public health, transportation, public safety, behavioral health services, affordable housing, and water quality, and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 emergency has further highlighted the vital role played by county government in protecting public health and safety, and has dramatically increased demand for critical public services, and
WHEREAS, King County has a limited number of revenue sources available to mitigate impacts of budget decisions at the state level, and
WHEREAS, King County's ability to deliver public health, behavioral health services, public safety and other basic services is directly impacted by decisions in the state budget, and
WHEREAS, the increasing cost of providing essential services to a growing King County population combined with an arbitrary cap on property tax revenue growth has created a structural gap in King County's general fund, which is projected to reach $80 million to $100 million by the 2025-2026 biennial budget, and
WHEREAS, King County is dedicated to exploring with the state new ideas for sustained funding for critical services including transportation and transit, affordable housing, behavioral health and crisis response, pu...

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